How do you become a registered athlete agent in South Carolina?

Register with the SC Department of Consumer Affairs before acting as an athlete agent — $1,500 initial, $700 renewal, two-year term, no bond and no background check required. South Carolina's act (the 'Uniform Athlete Agents Act of 2018,' a 2018 rewrite blending original-UAAA and Revised-UAAA elements) reaches HIGH SCHOOL athletes and expressly covers NIL and endorsement contracts. Unregistered agenting is a criminal misdemeanor carrying up to $10,000 and three years, and the administrative fine runs to $100,000. A 2024 amendment caps NIL agent compensation at 20% of the NIL contract.

South Carolina Athlete Agent Registration & Law

Registration at a glance

Registration required

Yes

Registering body

South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs

Fee

$1,500 initial; $700 renewal

Term

2 years

Surety bond

No

Covers high school athletes

Yes

Reaches NIL / marketing-only reps

Yes

Prescribed contract warning

Yes

How to register

Apply through the SC Department of Consumer Affairs portal (dcagateway.sc.gov) using the athlete agent application
Pay the $1,500 initial application fee (no bond, no background check required per SCDCA's own FAQ)
Include the prescribed warning text in every agency contract (§ 59-102-100(C))
After any signing: both agent and athlete notify the athletic director within 72 hours (§ 59-102-110(B))
Renew every two years at $700

Official registration page: South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs

Renewal: Renewal application with $700 fee; certificates valid two years (§ 59-102-60(F))

Contract & notification requirements

Prescribed verbatim WARNING TO STUDENT ATHLETE block (§ 59-102-100(C)): eligibility warning, 72-hour dual notification, 14-day cancellation
NIL agent compensation capped at 20% of the NIL contract (§ 59-102-100(H), 2024 amendment)
Athlete (or parent) may cancel within 14 days — right cannot be waived (§ 59-102-120)

School notification required

Yes

Athlete cancellation right

14 days, non-waivable (§ 59-102-120)

Penalties

§ 59-102-150: "An athlete agent who violates Section 59-102-140 is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, may be fined not more than ten thousand dollars or imprisoned for not more than three years, or both."

§ 59-102-160(B): civil action — actual and punitive damages, costs, fees, and forfeiture of compensation.

§ 59-102-170: administrative fine up to $100,000.

Stated as the statute states it. Read the cited section before relying on this.

Statute

S.C. Code Ann. § 59-102-10 et seq. ('Uniform Athlete Agents Act of 2018'; rewritten 2018 Act No. 235, amended 2021 and 2024 Act No. 207)

'Student athlete' (§ 59-102-20(18)) covers anyone who engages or may engage in 'an interscholastic or intercollegiate sport' — high school included. 'Agency contract' expressly includes 'an endorsement contract; or a name, image, or likeness contract.' CAUTION: SCDCA's own public FAQ page gives a stale, narrower definition omitting the interscholastic and NIL language — the statute controls, not the FAQ. Note the tension: SCHSL currently PROHIBITS high school NIL, yet the agent act regulates HS-facing agents anyway.

NIL interaction

Separate NIL chapter (S.C. Code ch. 158, Title 59) governs college NIL; on conflict the NIL chapter controls (§ 59-158-60(A)). The prior minors/disclosure/10-day-revocation section (§ 59-158-70) and the SPARTA-compliance section were REPEALED by 2024 Act No. 207 (eff. May 21, 2024) — South Carolina has NO parental-signature or reaffirmation provision in force; do not assume it mirrors Kentucky.

Sources

S.C. Code Title 59, Chapter 102 (Athlete Agents) (May 21, 2024)
a person may not act as an athlete agent in this State without holding a certificate of registration pursuant to Section 59-102-60 or 59-102-80
SCDCA — Athlete Agents licensing page (July 19, 2026)
S.C. Code Title 59, Chapter 158 (NIL) (May 21, 2024)

Change history

July 19, 2026 — Initial publication from primary-source research pass (statute text read directly; penalties quoted verbatim).

Not legal advice. This page documents publicly available rules and is not legal advice. Rules change, and associations do not always announce changes. Confirm anything you rely on with the governing association, your school compliance office, or your own counsel before acting.

Spot an error? Tell us and cite the statute.