A modeling agency contract, often called a management or representation agreement, decides who may represent you, for which work, where and for how long; what commission and deductions come out of your pay; what the agency may sign or spend on your behalf; how your image and any digital replica can be used; and how the agreement ends. Read it clause by clause against the checklist below, get every spoken promise written in, keep a running log of any costs the agency advances against your earnings, and have a lawyer review anything exclusive or long before you sign.
Representation, exclusivity and territory
New York's Department of Labor, in its Fashion Workers Act definitions, describes exclusive representation as an agreement, or a clause in a larger one, that stops a model being represented by anyone else for similar work, for a specific period or geographic area. It is a useful template for reading any exclusivity clause: look for the scope of work, the territory and the term, each of which can be negotiated separately.
If you sign with a mother agency, the contract may let it place you with agencies in other cities. Ask whether you will sign a separate agreement with each placement agency, whose terms win if they conflict, and who you call when something goes wrong abroad. Then ask for carve-outs for work the agency does not do. An agency that books fashion and commercial jobs may still claim commission on acting, on brand deals you find through your own social media, or on a business you run. New York's FAQ notes that a social media agency connecting brands with models can itself count as a model management company, so overlapping representation is a real risk; if you also have an influencer manager, compare this contract with the influencer manager contract checklist.
Term, renewal and authority to sign for you
New York sets hard limits: under its Fashion Workers Act rules, an agency cannot require a representation agreement longer than three years, or one that renews without your written approval. Elsewhere, look for automatic renewal and a narrow notice window. In Australia, the ACCC's guidance on contracts and unfair contract terms lists terms that let only one party end the contract, or penalize only one party for ending it, among examples that may be unfair in standard form contracts. Its small business protections cover businesses with fewer than 100 employees or under $10 million in annual turnover, which a model contracting as a sole trader may meet; only a court decides whether a term is unfair.
Authority clauses deserve a slow read. The Arts Law Centre of Australia's information sheet on agency agreements explains that an agent can bind you to contracts within the authority you give, suggests keeping the final right to approve deals, and warns that an agent who appears to have authority can sometimes commit you even beyond it. New York adds that a power of attorney must be optional, can be ended at any time, may cover only modeling services and cannot cover your digital replica. In California, a licensed talent agency's contract form must be approved by the Labor Commissioner and must state on its face that the agency is licensed, under Labor Code 1700.23.
Commission, deductions and advances
The commission clause should state the percentage, the amount it is calculated on and when it is taken. Some places cap it, as set out in do modeling agencies charge fees, and the base matters as much as the rate: the NSW Government says the capped percentage applies to a total that excludes items such as travel and meal allowances, holiday pay, super and overtime or penalty payments, and Queensland's information statement excludes similar items from the gross amount. Ask whether your contract takes commission on usage, overtime and reimbursed expenses, or only on your fee.
Advances need the tightest drafting. New York's rules on model management companies' duties ban deductions for fees or expenses, including interest, that were not agreed in the contract or in writing with an itemized explanation, require written approval before the agency pays costs up front that you will repay, and require the rent for agency-arranged accommodation to be disclosed before your stay begins. The BFMA's code says its members need a consumer credit license where they advance money and charge interest, and must disclose the rate in advance. Ask what happens to any unrecovered balance if the contract ends early; the exit side is covered in how to leave a modeling agency.
Image rights, AI and digital replicas
New York requires clear written consent, separate from the representation agreement, before an agency or client creates or uses your digital replica, and that consent must set out the scope, purpose, rate of pay and length of use. Even where no such law applies, keep any scanning, avatar or AI permission out of the main contract and require a separate, job-specific approval each time.
Agencies are starting to write protections into their client terms. Storm Management's booking terms prohibit clients using a model's likeness for AI, machine learning, deepfakes or virtual reality without express written consent, and the BFMA's code includes a statement of a model's rights over a digital version, such as use only within the booking confirmation. Ask whether your agency's client terms include protections like these, and whether your contract promises to send every scan or AI request to you for approval. Our AI digital twin licensing checklist covers what a separate likeness license should say. Finally, the contract will usually let the agency use your photos to promote you; ask for that use to end, and your profile to come down, within a set time after the contract ends.
Payment, statements and records
The contract should name where your money is held, how many days after the client pays you will be paid, and what each statement shows. Some places set a floor: Great Britain requires a client account and a statement with each payment, NSW requires a trust account and payment within 14 days, Queensland requires payment within 7 days and a statement within 10 days, and New York requires a deal memo before each job and the final booking agreement afterwards. Ask for copies of booking confirmations and client invoices on request, which the BFMA's code commits its members to provide. How to check those statements is explained in how modeling agencies work.
Clause checklist with questions to ask
| Clause | What to look for | Question to ask before signing |
|---|---|---|
| Parties and registration | The legal company you are signing with and, in New York, its registration number | Which entity am I contracting with, and where is it registered or licensed? |
| Scope of representation | Fashion, commercial, digital, acting, or every kind of work you do | Which kinds of work does this cover, and which are excluded? |
| Exclusivity and territory | Worldwide exclusivity from an agency that books in one city | Can exclusivity be limited to the markets you actively work in? |
| Mother agency rights | Power to place you abroad and share commission with other agencies | Will I see and sign each placement agreement myself? |
| Term and renewal | A long term, or a contract that quietly rolls over | When does it end, and does renewal need my written consent? |
| Authority and power of attorney | Power to sign bookings, releases or contracts in your name | Will you get my approval before anything is signed for me? |
| Commission | The rate and the amount it is calculated on | Is commission taken on usage, overtime and reimbursed expenses, or only on my fee? |
| Advances and deductions | Open-ended costs, interest, or charges approved after the fact | Which costs can you advance, will I approve each one in writing, and is interest added? |
| Image and likeness | Agency use of your photos, and any scanning or AI rights | How will my images promote me, and is any digital replica left out of this contract? |
| Payment and statements | No payout deadline, or statements that show only totals | How many days after the client pays will I be paid, and what will each statement list? |
| Termination | Exit rights for the agency only, or penalties for leaving | How can either of us end this, on what notice, and what is owed afterwards? |
| Post-term commission | Commission on work after the contract ends, with no end date | Which jobs still earn you commission after I leave, and until when? |
| Disputes and governing law | A court far from you and no step before litigation | Which law applies, and will we try mediation first, as Arts Law recommends? |
Expense-deduction tracking sheet
Use one row per cost. Fill it in when the cost is proposed rather than when it appears on a statement, and ask the agency to confirm each row by email so the approval is in writing.
| Date proposed | Item and supplier | Who chose the supplier | Amount quoted | Written approval | Recovered from | Receipt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [date] | Comp card print run through the agency's printer | Agency | [amount you were quoted] | Approval email saved | [booking or statement it was taken from] | Requested |
| [date] | Test shoot with a photographer you picked | You | [amount you were quoted] | Signed before the shoot | [booking or statement it was taken from] | Received |
| [date] | Flights to a placement market | Agency | [fare quoted] | Not yet given: approve before booking | Nothing recovered yet | Ask for the itinerary and invoice |
| [date] | Shared apartment during a stay | Agency | [rate disclosed before arrival] | Approved in writing | [statement period] | Invoice or lease copy |
Add a running balance at the bottom of the sheet, and if a deduction appears with no matching row, ask for the approval and receipt before you accept the statement. Questions to ask when a cost is first proposed are in the is-this-fee-legit checklist in our fees guide.
Rules that may already protect you
- New South Wales: a managerial agreement charging above the caps must be written and signed by both sides, fix the fees and include an additional fee acknowledgement, and its cooling-off period ends at 5pm on the third business day, according to the NSW Government's page on entertainment industry agreements.
- Queensland: the agent must give you the information statement for models and performers, and may charge above the caps only under a written management agreement providing at least four of the extra services listed in its information statement.
- Great Britain: GOV.UK says terms must be agreed in writing and cover the services, any authority to act or receive money for you, the fees and how they are paid and refunded, and the notice each side must give.
- California: talent agencies must be licensed, and their contract forms must be approved and must refer contract disputes to the Labor Commissioner.
- New York: the agency's registration number must appear in any contract with a model, alongside the Fashion Workers Act limits described above.
Get advice before you sign. The BFMA's code says potential new faces are advised to seek independent legal advice, and Arts Law strongly recommends written agency agreements and legal advice for both parties. If the contract is for subscription-platform management rather than modeling, use the OnlyFans agency contract checklist instead.
Limitations of this checklist
This checklist is general information, not legal advice. It cannot tell you whether a clause is enforceable where you live, and each protection described applies only in its own state or country and to the arrangements it covers. Sources were checked on October 2, 2026, and contracts differ widely between agencies and markets. For any agreement that is exclusive, long, or gives an agency authority to sign for you, pay for a lawyer who knows entertainment or modeling contracts to review it before you sign.