Sports agents are vital components of the professional sports industry, being responsible for high-risk tasks like recruiting highly talented athletes to top teams, negotiating multi-millionaire contracts, and managing the image of athletes.
Do sports agents need special licensing to work in Florida? Read on to find out.
Do Sports Agents Need Special Licensing to Work in Florida? – The Verdict
Working as a sports agent in Florida requires proper licensing with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Florida Statutes §468.452 (2) defines a “sports agent” as an individual” who, directly or indirectly:
- Recruits or solicits a student-athlete to enter into an agent contract, or
- For any type of financial gain, procures, offers, promises, or attempts to obtain employment or promotional fees or benefits for a student-athlete with a professional sports team or as a professional athlete, or (…)
- Markets or attempts to market the student athlete’s athletic ability or athletic reputation”
Under state law, the same term also encompasses “all employees and other persons acting on behalf of an athlete agent who participate in the activities included under this subsection.” (Fl. Stat. §468.452)
Please note that the term does not include “a spouse, parent, sibling, grandparent, or guardian of the student-athlete or an individual acting solely on behalf of a professional sports team or professional sports organization.”
Florida Statutes §468.4561 expressly provides that “no person shall conduct business as an athlete agent unless such person holds an active license pursuant to this part, and no person shall knowingly aid or abet another person to conduct business as an unlicensed athlete agent.” Violating this statute results in a third-degree felony.
Applying for Sports Agent License in Florida – What You Need to Know
As provided by Florida Statutes §468.453 (2), “a person shall be licensed as an athlete agent if the applicant:
- Is at least 18 years of age
- Is of good moral character
- Has completed the application form and remitted an application fee not to exceed $500, an active licensure fee not to exceed $2,000, and all other applicable fees provided for in this part or chapter 455
- Has submitted to the department fingerprints for a criminal history records check. (…) The information obtained by the processing of the fingerprints by the Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall be sent to the department to determine whether the applicant is statutorily qualified for licensure.
- Has not in any jurisdiction, within the preceding 5 years, been convicted or found guilty of or entered a plea of nolo contendere for, regardless of adjudication, a crime which relates to the applicant’s practice or ability to practice as an athlete agent”
Prospective licensees filing Form DBPR AA-4101 for Application for Licensure as an Athlete Agent must pay a $630 fee. The applicable fee for individuals filing with DBPR for a Reinstatement from Null and Void license is $505.
Do You Want to Obtain a Sports Agent License in Florida? – Immediately Seek Expert Legal Guidance
Waste no time with uncertainty. Contact Attorney Romy B. Jurado today by calling (305) 921-0976 or emailing [email protected] to find the best licensing strategy for your case.
