Search for the top modeling agencies and you will find the same few names again and again: IMG, Elite, Wilhelmina, Ford, Next, DNA, Storm. You will also find something those agencies spend real effort warning about: people pretending to be their scouts, and smaller outfits that look like agencies but make their money from fees paid by hopeful models. The name on a business card is not the test. The test is whether the agency is licensed or registered where the law requires it, whether it takes its money from your bookings rather than from you, and whether its contract follows the rules. This guide covers the big agencies and how to check any agency before you sign.
Short answer: The top modeling agencies include IMG Models, Elite, Wilhelmina, Ford, Next, DNA and Storm, all long-established, multi-city agencies. Legitimate agencies earn commission on work they find you and do not charge to sign. In California, talent agencies need a Labor Commissioner licence; in New York, model management companies must register with the Department of Labor; UK agencies cannot charge models upfront fees.
Key takeaways
- IMG Models, Next and Storm all state on their own websites that they do not ask models for payment, so any “agency” demanding a fee to represent you is a warning sign.
- Since 19 June 2025, New York’s Fashion Workers Act has required model management companies to register with the state Department of Labor, capped commission at 20% and banned signing fees and deposits.
- California Labor Code section 1700.5 bars anyone from acting as a talent agency without a Labor Commissioner licence, and models are expressly covered.
- In the UK, fashion and photographic model agencies cannot charge upfront fees for finding work, including fees to list a model in a publication or on a website.
Which are the top modeling agencies in 2026?
This is not a ranking, because there is no official one. The agencies below are long-established fashion agencies with offices in several major markets, and every detail in the table comes from the agency’s own website or, where stated, a major news outlet. Offices are the cities each agency lists on its site at the time of writing.
| Agency | Origins | Offices listed | What it says about fees and scouts |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMG Models | Founded by sports agent Mark McCormack as a division of IMG | New York, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Milan, Sydney | Never requires payment, never asks for nude or lingerie photos, does not interview via Skype |
| Elite Model Management | Founded by John Casablancas in Paris in 1972, then New York in 1977 | Elite New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Miami and Toronto | No fee statement on the pages we checked |
| Wilhelmina | Founded in 1967 by Dutch model Wilhelmina Cooper | New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London | No fee statement on the pages we checked |
| Ford Models | Co-founded in 1946 by Eileen and Jerry Ford (ABC News) | New York, Paris, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Barcelona | No fee statement on the pages we checked |
| Next Management | Founded by Faith Kates and Joel Wilkenfeld | New York, London, Paris, Milan, Los Angeles, Miami | Will never ask for nude or undergarment photos or for any monetary payment |
| DNA Model Management | New York agency | New York | Warns that people falsely pose as its agents and scouts |
| Storm Management | London agency, founding member of the British Fashion Model Agents Association | London, Los Angeles | No fee to apply or to sign |
A few details stand out. IMG says on its recruitment warning page that it does not conduct interviews via Skype, never requests photos in the nude or lingerie and never requires monetary payment. Next carries a similar notice on its homepage. Storm’s information page says there is no fee to apply or to sign and no application or registration fee. These statements are useful because they set a benchmark: if the biggest names do not charge, a smaller agency that does should explain exactly why. For how agencies decide whom to sign, see FLJ’s guide to modeling digitals and what to put in a modeling portfolio.
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How do legitimate modeling agencies make money?
A real agency is paid when you are paid. It finds and negotiates bookings and takes a commission from the fee. UK government guidance for models puts it simply: an agency can take a commission from your earnings, and it must tell you in writing if a fee is involved. What a legitimate agency does not do is make signing conditional on paying for classes, a photographer it chooses or a place on its website.
The law reflects this model in each of the main markets. New York caps commission for model management companies at 20% and bans fees and deposits on signing. California bars licensed talent agencies from collecting a registration fee. The UK bars upfront fees for fashion and photographic models. The type of work matters too: FLJ’s comparison of commercial modeling vs fashion modeling explains how pay and contracts differ.
How do you check a modeling agency is licensed in New York?
New York has two layers. The older one is Article 11 of the General Business Law, which requires an employment agency to hold a licence before it operates. Section 172 says the licence is issued by the state commissioner of labor or, in New York City, by the city’s consumer affairs commissioner, whose agency is now the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Section 171 defines a theatrical employment agency as one that procures work for an artist, and “artist” includes models. It also excludes businesses that manage performances where seeking work is only incidental, so whether a fashion agency needs an Article 11 licence can turn on how it operates. The city lets you check a business licence online.
The newer and more useful layer for models is the Fashion Workers Act. According to the New York State Department of Labor’s FAQs, since 19 June 2025 any model management company doing business in New York must register with the department. Registration costs $500, or $700 for companies with more than five employees, which must also post a $50,000 surety bond. Registered companies appear on a public Model Management Registry. The law also says a company cannot charge more than 20% commission, cannot charge a fee or collect a deposit when you sign, cannot ask you to sign for more than three years and cannot require a contract that renews automatically without your approval. A power of attorney must be optional and cannot cover your digital replica, which needs separate written consent. An unregistered company faces civil penalties of $3,000 for a first violation and $5,000 after that. FLJ covers digital replica rules in its piece on AI models in fashion advertising.
How does talent agency licensing work in California?
California’s Talent Agencies Act is the most direct licensing rule in the US. Labor Code section 1700.5 states that no person shall engage in or carry on the occupation of a talent agency without first procuring a licence from the Labor Commissioner. The licence must be posted in the agency’s office, and the licence number must appear in any advertisement soliciting talent. Section 1700.4 defines a talent agency as anyone who procures, offers, promises or attempts to procure work for artists, and the definition of artists expressly includes models.
Other protections follow from the licence. Section 1700.15 requires a $50,000 surety bond. Section 1700.24 requires the agency to file and post its schedule of fees. Section 1700.40 says no talent agency shall collect a registration fee, and if it takes fees or expenses for work that does not happen or is not paid, it must repay them on demand. The Labor Commissioner publishes the full text in its laws relating to talent agencies, and you can search the talent agency licence database by name. If an agency claiming to represent models in California is not on it, ask why before signing anything. Parents of young models should also read FLJ’s guide to child modeling, Coogan accounts and work permits.
What are the rules for modelling agencies in the UK?
The UK does not license modelling agencies. Government guidance says licences are needed only for agencies supplying certain workers, such as in agriculture and food processing, and for some care agencies. Instead, model agencies must follow the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003, which ban most fees to work-seekers.
Fashion and photographic models are covered by a specific rule. Guidance for agencies on fees for fashion and photographic models says an agency cannot charge any upfront fees for finding work, including putting a model’s details in a publication or on a website. Once it has found work, it can charge for including the model in a publication or website and for its work-finding service, but only if those fees were agreed before it started looking. No fees or deductions can be taken until the model agrees to the agency’s terms. Storm’s website notes that members of the British Fashion Model Agents Association are employment agents regulated by these rules. Complaints about agency conduct now go to the Fair Work Agency, which replaced the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate.
What are the red flags of modeling agency scams?
The Federal Trade Commission’s consumer guidance on modeling scams says real modeling agencies will not ask you to pay for a test shoot, that you should be free to use your own photographer, and that “there are never any guarantees” of work. It advises asking whether the company is licensed or bonded where your state requires it, and making sure the licence is current. Combined with the agencies’ own warnings, the common red flags are:
- A fee to sign, register, join a “development programme” or appear on the agency’s website.
- Pressure to use, and pay, a particular photographer or school.
- Promises of guaranteed work or high earnings.
- Requests for nude or lingerie photos, or for interviews on video calls with someone you cannot verify.
- A “scout” who contacts you by direct message and cannot be confirmed through the agency’s official website or phone number.
- No licence number in California advertising, or no entry on New York’s Model Management Registry.
- A contract that runs for more than three years, renews automatically or gives the agency a power of attorney you cannot cancel.
If something feels wrong, contact the real agency through the details on its own website. FLJ’s guides on how to get into modeling without getting scammed and where to find legit modeling jobs cover the next steps, including what to do if you have already paid.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Agency details were checked against each agency’s website in October 2026 and can change.
Frequently asked questions
What are the top modeling agencies in the world?
There is no official ranking, but long-established multi-city agencies include IMG Models, Elite Model Management, Wilhelmina, Ford Models, Next Management, DNA Model Management and Storm Management. Each lists its offices and scouting rules on its own website.
Do real modeling agencies charge fees?
Not to sign you. Legitimate agencies take a commission from your bookings. New York bans signing fees and deposits for model management companies, California bars talent agencies from charging registration fees, and the UK bans upfront fees for fashion and photographic models.
How do I check if a modeling agency is licensed?
In California, search the Labor Commissioner’s talent agency licence database. In New York, check the Department of Labor’s Model Management Registry under the Fashion Workers Act. The UK does not license model agencies, so check BFMA membership and the agency’s fee terms.
What commission do modeling agencies take?
It varies by market and contract. In New York, the Fashion Workers Act caps commission charged by model management companies at 20%. Elsewhere the rate is set by the contract, so read it before signing.
How can I tell if a modeling scout is fake?
Verify the scout through the agency’s official website or phone number. IMG, Next and DNA all warn about impostors. Be wary of anyone who asks for money, nude or lingerie photos, or a quick signature.
Can a modeling contract last forever?
Not in New York. Under the Fashion Workers Act a model management company cannot ask you to sign for more than three years or require a contract that renews automatically without your approval. In other places, check the term and notice clauses carefully.
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