Florida Talent License required to hire talent?

[Bryan Gilchrist]

Just ran across this article:
Booking Talent in Florida? Better have a Florida Talent License. The Florida Solicitor

And was wondering if one is required to get a license if they are hiring talent for a production or if this only applies to talent agencies and/or agents?

[Chris Davis]

Originally Posted by Bryan Gilchrist

And was wondering if one is required to get a license if they are hiring talent for a production or if this only applies to talent agencies and/or agents?

If you are hiring talent you are ok. If you are representing talent (i.e. someone calls you to hire someone else) then you need a license, and only if you're representing more than one person outside of your family. Basically it's referring to someone acting as an agent.

Most states and locales with an active entertainment industry require agents and agencies to be licensed. That is prudent because you are in a position of confidence and potentially could abuse them financially.

[Jeff Emery]

That's a funny and interesting article.

The licensing requirement is understandable. But Florida seems to me to be unjustly considering talent agencies or agents to be criminally inclined. Why else would they require your fingerprints? Perhaps they're hoping to snare a felon and clear up some cold cases. Isn't there something in the Bill of Rights about unreasonable search and seizure and equal protection under the law? If not, then there certainly should be.

I like the part about having at least 5 "reputable" persons swear you are " a person of good moral character".

So how will they determine who's reputable? Do these reputable people have to submit their fingerprints too? And just what is good moral character? Who's defining that?

I have my own thoughts on a better way Florida could spend taxpayer dollars to fight crime and corruption but I doubt they much care about what some guy in Ohio thinks.

But instead of the fingerprinting requirement, why don't they just require a bribe to the clerk or pay-off to the judge, just like they do for all the drug cases. :) OK that was just a joke... or was it?

Jeff

[Bryan Gilchrist]

Yeah...after re-reading it, I noticed it said "in the business of procuring or attempting to procure engagements for a person performing..."

But, then again, this is Florida we're talking about. I can see them extending that to those who are hiring them as well...just for the extra tax dollars.

I mean, gambling is illegal in Florida, yet we have Indian casino's, parimutuel casinos, horse tracks, dog tracks, gambling ships and even the states very own lottery. Go figure.

[Dave Blackhurst]

I'm going to guess at two things - "agents" might represent minors, you do the math on that aspect, but not everyone should be allowed around young children...

AND I think there's an all too common reputation that "talent agencies/agents" are a way to scam innocent people, hoping to "make it big", out of their $$$.

[Jeff Emery]

Originally Posted by Dave Blackhurst

... there's an all too common reputation that "talent agencies/agents" are a way to scam innocent people ... out of their $$$.

You mean sort of like members of Congress? I wonder if they get fingerprinted. Na..., they're probably pretty lax on them. They'd have to be. Where you going to find 5 "reputable" people to swear to their good moral character?

Kidding aside, I lived in Vero Beach for several years in my teens and 20's. I don't recall it being so screwy. But then, I probably just wasn't paying enough attention to notice it back then. Present day regulations and requirements like the talent agency ones certainly don't make me want to return.

Jeff