Talent Agency Bonds in Florida
If you run a talent agency in Florida, your state license comes with a $5,000 bond. Ashton Agency can help identify the required bond, provide a quote, and explain where it needs to be filed.
Questions about your bond? Call our East Coast team at (800) 451-4854 or our West Coast team at (800) 452-2663, or use the quote form below.
What Is a Talent Agency Bond
A talent agency bond protects people harmed by an agency that doesn’t follow the talent agency law. Florida requires it as a condition of the talent agency license. The bond is a financial guarantee. It isn’t insurance for the agency’s business.
Three parties are involved: the talent agency required to obtain the bond (the principal), the surety company that issues it, and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which requires it (the obligee). Ashton helps arrange the bond but isn’t one of those three parties. If the surety pays a valid claim, the principal has to pay the surety back.
Who Needs One and What It Covers
Florida
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation licenses talent agencies under Chapter 468, Part VII of the Florida Statutes. Section 468.408 requires a $5,000 bond, filed with the department, from a bonding company authorized in Florida. The bond guarantees the agency’s compliance with the talent agency law. Someone harmed by the agency can sue on the bond in their own name, and the surety must tell the department about claims.
Licenses expire on May 31 of every even-numbered year. A renewal bond has to cover the whole two-year renewal period, so you file a new $5,000 bond or proof of renewal each cycle.
You don’t need a license to act as an agent for yourself, a family member, or exclusively one artist. To be licensed, the operator needs at least one year of direct or similar experience, fingerprints, and five affidavits from references who aren’t artists.
SAG and SAG-AFTRA franchise bonds
Ashton also writes franchise bonds for agencies franchised by SAG or SAG-AFTRA. These are separate from Florida’s $5,000 licensing bond, and the two we currently write are $7,500. Bond amount varies based on SAG-AFTRA requirements.
Why Choose Ashton Agency
A filing we know
Ashton has been writing bonds since 1966, so a license bond requirement like this one isn’t new to us.
Renewal handled
Florida’s two-year license cycle means a new bond or proof of renewal each time, and we can help you keep the dates straight.
Choices and rates
We work with more than one carrier, so we can compare the bond options and rates for your agency.
The team
You can talk with a member of the Ashton team about the bond you’ve been asked to get.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every talent agent in Florida need a bond?
Every licensed talent agency does. Florida’s law doesn’t require a license to act as an agent for yourself, a family member, or exclusively one artist, so check whether the exemption fits you.
If the bond is $5,000, do I pay $5,000?
No. The $5,000 is the bond amount Florida sets. What you pay is a premium, quoted separately for your agency.
When does my license and bond renew?
Florida talent agency licenses expire May 31 of every even-numbered year, and the renewal bond has to cover the full two-year period.
What can someone do if the agency doesn’t follow the law?
Florida lets an injured person bring an action on the bond in their own name. The bond is in addition to other legal remedies.
Does the bond get me the license?
No. It’s one part of the application. Florida also asks for operator experience, fingerprints, and affidavits from references.
Request a Talent Agency Bond Quote
Tell us about your business and we’ll follow up with a real quote.