UPDATE TO APPLICANTS

The MLBPA has introduced a new Certification class, Certified Minor League Agents, for individuals who represent Minor League Baseball Players who are employed by a Club in the United States and Canada, and individuals who may become Minor League Baseball Players. MLBPA Certified Minor League Agents are authorized to represent or advise a Player in negotiating individual terms to be included in a Minor League Uniform Player's Contract for a Player who is employed by a Club in the United States and Canada and in any other dealings with a Club or the Commissioner’s Office concerning the administration or enforcement of a Minor League Uniform Player’s Contract, the Minor League Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, and the Major League Rules that apply to Minor League Baseball Players or those who may become Minor League Players. Certified Minor League Agents may also be authorized to recruit Players and provide client maintenance services on behalf of a General Certified Agent if designated to do so on the appropriate form submitted to the MLBPA.

Applicants for General Certification who have passed the MLBPA’s background investigation and General Certification Agent Exam may be certified as Minor League Agents if they submit to the MLBPA a Player Agent Designation form designating them as the agent of a Minor League Player in the United States or Canada, or a Player preparing to negotiate an individual salary, terms, and/or Special Covenants to be included in a Minor League Uniform Player's Contract and who is to be employed by a Club in the United States and Canada. A Certified Minor League Agent will be eligible for certification as General Certified Agent if their client is added to the 40-man Major League roster or they sign a Major League Player, as defined by §2 of the Agent Regulations, as a client.

Applicants for General Certification who submit a complete application on or before June 1, 2024, may, in the MLBPA’s sole and unreviewable discretion, receive provisional authority to negotiate terms to be included in a Minor League Uniform Player's Contract. If you would like to request such provisional authority, please contact the MLBPA by email at milbagent@mlbpa.org with the names of your minor league baseball clients. Any uncertified agent who has not submitted a complete application by June 1, 2024, will be prohibited from negotiating an individual salary, terms, and/or Special Covenants to be included in a Minor League Uniform Player's Contract for a Player who is to be employed by a Club in the United States and Canada (i.e. excluding Dominican Summer League).

Applying for Agent Certification

To apply for MLBPA Certification you must:

1) Read, understand and agree to the MLBPA Regulations Governing Player Agents;
2) Complete the online Application for MLBPA Certification;
3) Submit a non-refundable Application fee of $2,500;
4) Submit a signed “Declaration by Applicant”;
5) Submit an authorization form to conduct a background investigation;
6) Successfully pass the background investigation;
7) Pass the written examination; and
8) Submit to the MLBPA a valid and appropriate designation form applicable to the type of certification you have sought.

The MLBPA Agent Exam is administered once a year. In order to be eligible to sit for the Agent exam you must submit a complete application (including your application fee and signed forms) to the MLBPA by no later than June 1 and pass the background investigation prior to the exam date. The date of the 2024 MLBPA Agent Exam will be set during the Spring of 2024.

Application

A username and password are required to access the Application for MLBPA Certification. You may request a username and password by clicking here. You will be asked what type of certification you are seeking.

General Certified Agents are authorized by the MLBPA to represent, assist, and advise Players (as defined by Section 2 of the Agent Regulations) in negotiating individual salaries, terms, and Special Covenants to be included in a Major or Minor League Uniform Player's Contract or “side letter,” and representing Players in other dealings with a Major or Minor League Baseball Club or the Commissioner’s Office.

Applicants for General Certification who have passed the MLBPA’s background investigation and General Certification Agent Exam may be certified as Minor League Agents if they submit to the MLBPA a Player Agent Designation form designating them as the agent of a Minor League Player or a Player preparing to negotiate an individual salary, terms, and/or Special Covenants to be included in a Minor League Uniform Player's Contract and who is to be employed by a Club in the United States and Canada. Subsequently, if a Certified Minor League Agent’s client is added to the 40-man Major League roster or they sign a Major League Player, as defined by §2 of the Agent Regulations, as a client they will then be eligible for certification as General Certified Agent.

Limited Certified Agents are authorized to Recruit or Provide Client Maintenance Services on behalf of a General Certified Agent. Certified Minor League Agents may also be authorized to recruit players and provide client maintenance services on behalf of a General Certified Agent if designated to do so on the appropriate form submitted to the MLBPA.

Expert Agent Advisors are authorized to represent, assist and advise General Certified Agents on behalf of a Player regarding or relating to the negotiations of terms to be included in a Uniform Player’s Contract or in any other agreement, and the preparation and presentation of Players’ Salary Arbitration cases.

Please consult Section 2 of the Agent Regulations for a detailed explanation of the type of work that requires MLBPA Certification.

Once you have received a username and password for the application, you will be able to log on to https://registration.mlbpa.org/Login.aspx to begin filling out the Application for Agent Certification. You must provide a response to every question even if the question does not apply to you, in which case the appropriate response is "Not Applicable" or "N/A". You may be denied Certification if you make any misrepresentation or any false or misleading statement or omission of a material nature in the Application.

Submitting a Complete Application

Once the online Application has been completed and submitted, please download and sign the Declaration by Applicant and the Disclosure and Authorization to Obtain and Use Informati on (Background Investigation) form. Please submit these signed forms to the MLBPA along with the $2,500.00 application fee.

Please do NOT mail your application fee to the MLBPA. Instead, please submit your application fee online via credit card or e-check using the MLBPA’s payment portal. A link to the payment portal may be found at the conclusion of the online application. Please contact Aisha Hope (aishah@mlbpa.org) if you have submitted your online application form and are having trouble paying your application fee.

You must keep and maintain a copy of your completed Application for your files and provide a copy to any Player you represent or recruit upon request.

Applicants who submit a complete application by June 1st of any given year will be eligible to take the next written exam that year.

Background Investigation

The MLBPA will conduct a background investigation following the submission of a complete Application for Certification, including the application fee, signed Declaration by Applicant, and signed Consent to a Background Investigation. The background investigation will focus on conduct which is relevant to the Applicant's fiduciary duties as an Agent and Advisor and additional responsibilities as a person to whom the MLBPA will have delegated certain authority to bargain on behalf of Players. Failure to provide written permission for MLBPA to conduct a background investigation or to cooperate fully with the investigation will be grounds for rejection of an Application. In its review and consideration of an Application, the MLBPA or the investigative agency designated by the MLBPA to conduct the background investigation may request the Applicant to provide additional information, documents or materials, or may conduct whatever additional investigation it deems appropriate, including requiring a conference with the Applicant by telephone or in person or providing the Applicant with an opportunity to respond to negative information. If an Applicant is denied certification based on the information in a background investigation report, he or she may appeal that decision solely to exclusive arbitration under Section 7(B) of the Agent Regulations.

Written Exam

Following the successful completion of the background investigation, the applicant will be eligible to take the written test. Applicants for General Certification and Certification as a Minor League Agent will take the General Certification exam. There are also separate exams for applicants seeking Limited Certification and Certification as an Expert Agent Advisor.

The tests consist of a series of fact patterns followed by multiple choice questions and will assess the applicant’s ability to perform competently the functions of a Certified Agent including familiarity with the Basic Agreement, Minor League Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Joint Major and Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Programs, Major League Rules, and the Agent Regulations. Copies of these documents, and essential MLBPA forms may be found in the Key Documents section of this webpage.

During the exam you are permitted to review printed copies of these documents. Although the exam is open book, you may not access any of these or other materials on a laptop, iPad/tablet, smartphone, or any other electronic device during the exam.

An Applicant who fails the agent certification exam may retake the test the next time it is offered. An applicant who does not take the exam will be considered to have failed that exam. An Applicant who fails the test twice must reapply and complete the entire application process again, and will not be eligible to submit a new application until a year following the date of the second failed test.

Certification

An applicant who completes the background investigation and passes the General Certification exam will be eligible for MLBPA Certification. Such applicants may be certified as a General Certified Agent if they are designated on a Player Agent Designation form by at least one Major League Player, as defined by §2 of the Agent Regulations, including 40-man roster Players, Major League Free Agents, and “Foreign Professionals” as defined by the Basic Agreement. If the Player’s native language is not English, the Designation form must be signed on the same date in both English and that Player’s native language.

Applicants who complete the background investigation and pass the General Certification exam may be certified as a Minor League Agent if they are designated on a Player Agent Designation form by at least one Minor League Player or a Player preparing to negotiate an individual salary, terms, and/or Special Covenants to be included in a Minor League Uniform Player's Contract and is to be employed by a Club in the United States and Canada. Subsequently, if a Certified Minor League Agent’s client is added to the 40-man Major League roster or they sign a Major League Player, as defined by §2 of the Agent Regulations, as a client they will then be eligible for certification as General Certified Agent.

An Applicant for Limited Certification who completes the background investigation and passes the written test will not be certified by the MLBPA until he or she is designated on a Designation of Recruiter or Client Maintenance Service Provider form by a General Certified Agent.

An Applicant for Certification as an Expert Agent Advisor who completes the background investigation and passes the written test will not be certified by the MLBPA until he or she is designated on an Expert Agent Advisor Designation form by at least one General Certified Agent.

These designation forms may be found in the Key Documents section of this webpage.

Applicants will have up to three years after passing the written test to obtain the required designation for their desired certification. If the applicant does not receive the required designation within those three years the application will expire, and that person must reapply and complete the entire application process again.

Once an applicant has obtained the appropriate designation and submitted it to the MLBPA, he or she will receive written confirmation of their agent certification by e-mail. As per the Agent Regulations, an agent is prohibited from engaging in activities which require certification unless and until that agent has been certified by the MLBPA.

In order to maintain MLBPA Certification, Certified Agents and Expert Agent Advisors are required to comply with the Agent Regulations including regularly updating their online Agent Registration form, paying an annual administrative fee, attending mandatory meetings, filing required documents and disclosures, and maintaining current designations.

For answers to commonly asked questions, please consult the Frequently Asked Questions. If you have any questions concerning an Application or the Agent Regulations not answered in the Frequently Asked Questions section of this website, please e-mail agent.reg@mlbpa.org or call (212) 826-0808 and ask for Robert Guerra.