(1) A person may not own, operate, solicit business, or otherwise engage in or carry on the occupation of a talent agency in this state unless the person first procures a license for the talent agency from the department. A license is not required for a person who acts as an agent for herself or himself, a family member, or exclusively for one artist. However, a person may not advertise or otherwise hold herself or himself out as a “talent agency” or “talent agent” unless the person is licensed under this section as a talent agency.
(2) Each application for a license must be accompanied by an application fee set by the department not to exceed $300, plus the actual cost for fingerprint analysis for each owner application, to cover the costs of investigating the applicant. Each application for a change of operator must be accompanied by an application fee of $150. These fees are not refundable.
(3)(a) Each owner of a talent agency if other than a corporation and each operator of a talent agency shall submit to the department with the application for licensure of the agency a full set of fingerprints and a photograph of herself or himself taken within the preceding 2 years. The department shall conduct an examination of fingerprint records and police records.
(b) Each owner of a talent agency that is a corporation shall submit to the department, with the application for licensure of the agency, a full set of fingerprints of the principal officer signing the application form and the bond form, and a full set of fingerprints of each operator, and a photograph of each taken within the preceding 2 years. The department shall conduct an examination of fingerprint records and police records.
(4) Each application must include:(a) The name and address of the owner of the talent agency.
(b) Proof of at least 1 year of direct experience or similar experience of the operator of such agency in the talent agency business or as a subagent, casting director, producer, director, advertising agency, talent coordinator, or musical booking agent.
(c) The street and number of the building or place where the talent agency is to be located.
(5) The department shall investigate the owner of an applicant talent agency only to determine her or his ability to comply with this part and shall investigate the operator of an applicant talent agency to determine her or his employment experience and qualifications.
(6) If the applicant is other than a corporation, the application shall also include the names and addresses of all persons, except bona fide employees on stated salaries, financially interested, either as partners, associates, or profit sharers, in the operation of the talent agency in question, together with the amount of their respective interest.
(7) If the applicant is a corporation, the application shall include the corporate name and the names, residential addresses, and telephone numbers of all persons actively participating in the business of the corporation and shall include the names of all persons exercising managing responsibility in the applicant’s or licensee’s office.
(8) The application must be accompanied by affidavits of at least five reputable persons, other than artists, who have known or have been associated with the applicant for at least 3 years, stating that the applicant is a person of good moral character or, in the case of a corporation, has a reputation for fair dealing.
(9) If any information in the application supplied to the department by the applicant or licensee changes in any manner whatsoever, the applicant or licensee shall submit such changes to the department within 30 days after the date of such change or after the date such change is known or should have been known to the applicant or licensee.
