An agent who is not registered in your state has signed a contract that is void there, and an "agent" who is not certified by the union cannot speak to a club. Both facts are checkable in minutes, for free, before anything is signed. This page is the how.
Check one: the state registry
Most states with an athlete-agent act publish who is registered. The registrar differs by state and the state-by-state table names each; the common cases:
| Where to look | States |
|---|---|
| Secretary of State, with a public search or list | Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia |
| Attorney General | Indiana (a published registry), Louisiana (a portal) |
| A licensing or professional-regulation department, with a licensee search | Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin |
| Other | Oregon's Department of Education (a public directory); Pennsylvania's State Athletic Commission (a directory); Ohio's Athletic Commission; South Carolina's Department of Consumer Affairs; Minnesota's Commissioner of Commerce; South Dakota's Department of Labor and Regulation; D.C.'s licensing portal |
| Nothing to look up | No act: Alaska, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Vermont. An act without registration: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, Wyoming |
What the registry tells you is that the person filed, paid and, in some states, passed a background check and posted a bond. What it does not tell you is whether they are any good. Registration in one state does not cover another; the contract must list every state where the agent is registered, which is the next check.
Check two: the contract
The state acts put the proof in the document. Under the Revised Uniform Act's § 10, and the 2000 Act before it, the agency contract must be a signed record stating:
- every state in which the agent is registered;
- the fee, and the method of calculating it, and any other pay the agent receives for the work;
- any person not named in the contract who will be paid because the athlete signed;
- reimbursable expenses, the services to be performed, and the duration;
- a warning in capitals that the athlete may lose eligibility, that both athlete and agent must notify the athletic director within 72 hours or before the next game, and that the athlete may cancel within the state's window;
- a separate signed acknowledgment of the eligibility consequences; and, for an athlete under 18, a parent's or guardian's signature.
A contract missing any of these is voidable by the athlete. SPARTA adds the federal disclosure with its own bold warning, signed by the athlete or a parent. The cancel page covers what to do with a contract that fails these tests, and a March 2026 law-firm review names the five clauses that pass the statute and still go wrong: a perpetual licence to the athlete's name, termination only the agent can use, fees that outlive the relationship, no stated duty to the athlete, and no registration.
Check three: the league
For a professional playing contract the state registry is beside the point: the club may negotiate only with the player or an agent certified by the players' association, and an uncertified person cannot do the job. The NFLPA's public free agency dashboard lists each free agent, their agent and their new club; its agent pages describe what certification requires (two degrees or seven years' experience, a seminar, an exam, insurance, dues) and the union confirms standing. The NBPA and MLBPA publish their requirements and confirm status. A lawyer is not a substitute; about 62% of NFL agents are attorneys who hold the certification as well. The what-an-agent-does page sets out each union's requirements.
What the checks do not cover
Competence, results and conflicts. The NFLPA's own advice to players is the best list: interview several agents, verify their current clients, confirm they are in good standing, read the regulations. Ask who else at the agency represents athletes at the same position or in the same market, and whether the agency also represents brands or coaches. Ask what the fee is calculated on and whether it continues after the relationship ends; the fees page has the caps and the market. None of this requires an agent to begin with: the law allows the athlete to do the job, and the full guide is the case for it with the limits stated.
How Leave fits
Leave is software. It reads a representation agreement back in plain words, including whether the registration states, the fee and its method, the warning and the cancellation window are in it, which is check two done before the meeting. It does not run registry searches, vouch for anyone, negotiate or represent, and it is not legal advice; the registrar's lookup and the union are the authorities. Leave takes 0% of any deal.
Questions athletes ask
Where do I look up an athlete agent?
At the state registrar: the Secretary of State in most states (Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas and others publish a search or a list), the Attorney General in Indiana (a published registry) and Louisiana, the licensing department in Florida, Maryland, Delaware, Utah and Wisconsin, Oregon's Department of Education (a public directory), Pennsylvania's State Athletic Commission (a directory), and D.C.'s licensing portal. The state-by-state table links each.
What if my state has no registry?
Ten states have no athlete-agent act and five have an act without registration, so there is nothing to look up there. In Washington and Wyoming the agent must instead hand the athlete a sworn disclosure form at first contact. In those states the contract check and, for pros, the union check are what remain, and SPARTA's federal rules still apply to anyone recruiting a student athlete.
What should the contract itself show?
Under the state acts, a signed record stating every state in which the agent is registered, the fee and how it is calculated, any other person who will be paid because of the signing, reimbursable expenses, the services, the duration, a warning in capitals about eligibility, the 72-hour notice and the cancellation right, and a separate eligibility acknowledgment. A parent or guardian signs for a minor. A contract missing any of these is voidable by the athlete.
How do I check a pro agent's certification?
The NFLPA's public free agency dashboard lists each free agent's agent, and its agent pages describe certification; the NBPA and MLBPA publish certification requirements and confirm status on request. For a playing contract the club may negotiate only with a certified agent or the player, so an uncertified "agent" cannot do the job at all, whatever the state registry says.
Does registration mean the agent is good?
No. Registration checks identity, education, prior registrations and discipline, and in some states a background check and a bond; it tests no competence. The union exams test knowledge of the collective bargaining agreement. The NFLPA's own advice to players is to interview several agents, verify their current clients, confirm they are in good standing, and read the regulations before signing.
Be your own agent. Leave.