BECOMING AN NBPA CERTIFIED AGENT
Agents / Becoming an NBPA Certified Agent
NBPA Player Agent Application Process
- Degree from an accredited four-year college/university
- To substitute for any year(s) of education, an applicant may submit for consideration any relevant negotiating experience
- Authorization to perform a background investigation
- Approval of NBPA Player Agent Application
- NBPA Agent Examination
- Successful completion of a written proctored examination
Fees and Dues
- Non-refundable application fee of $250.00
- Pro-rated agent dues of $1,250.00
- Covering the remainder of the then current NBA Season through July 1
- Refundable if applicant’s NBPA Player Agent Application is rejected or applicant does not pass the examination
WHEN TO APPLY
The application window is open mid July to mid October every year; early and/or late filings will not be accepted.
HOW TO APPLY
The NBPA Agent Application will be available on this page during the application window, which will be open from mid-July until mid-October. Early and/or late applications will not be accepted. The next opportunity to sit for the Agent Certification Exam will be in January, 2020.
NBPA AGENT EXAMINATION, MATERIALS AND REVIEW SESSION
The examination will cover the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement, the NBPA Regulations Governing Player Agents and other issues relevant to player representation. The exam consists of 50 multiple-choice questions which you will have a time limit of three (3) hours to complete. Materials for the exam may be accessed by clicking on the links above. It is recommended that you print both the 2017 CBA and Agent Regulations. Please be advised that these materials are not available for public distribution and will not provided by the NBPA. The exam is open book and prepared notes are also permitted.
The Agent Certification Exam will be administered in the January proceeding the application window (2019 applicants will be eligible to sit for the January 2020 Agent Exam). An optional review session will be offered the day prior to the exam. Please note that the review session is not a preparation course but rather an overview of the studied materials and an opportunity for applicants to ask questions and gain further clarification if needed. Approved applicants will be assigned scheduled times for the exam and review, both of which will take place at the NBPA Headquarters in New York City.
The next NBPA Agent Exam will be administered in January, 2020.
As per the Agent Regulations, you are prohibited from recruiting or representing any players until you have been notified that you passed the exam and are a Certified NBPA Player Agent.
CERTIFICATION
Continued compliance with the Agent Regulations is required in order to maintain certification.
Compliance includes, but is not limited to, paying an annual fee, attending the mandatory NBPA Agent Seminar for Certified Agents which is held each year in either May or June, providing updated contact information and negotiating at least one Player contract within a five-year period.
ANNUAL DUES AND HOW THEY ARE CALCULATED
After an agent’s initial 6-months of certification, agent dues are applied on a per season (July 1–June 30) and are calculated based on the number of players an NBPA Certified Agent represented from the previous season:
- For Agents with 0-9 players: $2,500.00
- For Agents with 10-19 players: $5,000.00
- For Agents with 20 players or more: $7,500.00