The Rules · Updated July 6, 2026

Florida high-school NIL rules, explained for parents

Yes — Florida high-schoolers can earn NIL money. Since the 2024–25 school year, the FHSAA's amended Bylaw 9.9 (Amateurism) lets student-athletes at member schools profit from their Name, Image & Likeness. The FHSAA board approved it June 4, 2024, and the State Board of Education ratified it July 24, 2024 (FHSAA's official NIL resources). Here's what that means in practice — including the part almost every article online still gets wrong.

What a Florida HS athlete CAN do

Sign brand endorsements and sponsorships (with a parent/guardian co-signing)
Get paid for social-media posts, appearances, autograph signings
Run their own camps, clinics, and lessons
Sell merchandise with their own name or likeness

What's banned (this is where eligibility dies)

Pay for playing. Money can't be tied to athletic performance, stats, or wins — and can't be a recruiting inducement to attend a school.
School property. No school or team names, logos, marks, uniforms, equipment, or facilities in any deal, and no NIL activity during competition.
Collectives. Pooled booster/donor money to facilitate deals is prohibited at the HS level.
Banned categories: gambling/sports betting, alcohol, tobacco/vaping/nicotine, cannabis/CBD, controlled substances and prescription drugs, weapons/firearms/ammo, adult entertainment.

Who pays for a violation? The athlete. FHSAA penalties escalate: first offense — formal warning, unwind the deal, return the money; second — one year of athletic ineligibility; third — ineligible for the rest of their high-school career. That's why the guardrails matter more than the deal.

Consent, forms, and agents

Parental consent is required. A minor can't sign a contract alone in Florida — a parent or guardian signs, and should read every word.
Paperwork: athletes complete the FHSAA's Affidavit of Amateurism (the GA1 form); check with your school's athletic director on current compliance steps.
Representation: an athlete may use a representative for NIL advice only — and that person must be a registered athlete agent with the Florida DBPR or a Florida Bar–licensed attorney. Hiring an agent to pursue a professional playing contract still destroys amateur status.

The "5% agent cap law" that never happened

You may have read that Florida passed a law (HB 981) capping agent fees at 5% and creating a public agent registry, "effective July 1, 2025." That bill never became law. The official Florida Senate record shows CS/CS/HB 981 ("Athlete Representation and Compensation") died in the Commerce Committee on June 16, 2025 — July 1 was only its proposed effective date. Plenty of articles (and AI summaries) still repeat it as fact. It isn't. Today, your protection is the existing DBPR agent registration, the attorney option, and your own signature on every deal.

The Florida parent's 60-second version

Your 6th–12th grader can do NIL — with your consent.
Keep the deal away from school marks, performance pay, and banned categories.
Verify any "agent" against the DBPR registry or the Florida Bar.
Never pay a fee to receive a deal — that's a scam, full stop.
Treat the money right: it's taxable, and it can fund a Roth IRA. Here's the money guide →

Not sure your situation qualifies? Run the 60-second checker → · Print the free NIL Starter Kit →

NIL for Kids is an independent educational resource by Teddy Dupay (FHSAA Hall of Famer) — not affiliated with the FHSAA or any school, and not legal advice. Rules change; confirm current requirements with the FHSAA and your school before signing anything. Last reviewed July 6, 2026.