Baby Acting and Modeling: How to Get Your Baby Into Commercials, Print and TV

What do casting calls for babies ask for?

Less than most parents expect, and a parent handles all of it:

• Simple, current photos. The FTC says legitimate agents and casting directors usually ask for casual snapshots, not professional photos. Central Casting asks for well-lit, current photos on a plain white or light background with no other people or filters.
• Birth date and sizes. Casting Networks asks for the talent’s date of birth when a parent sets up a minor’s profile, and Central Casting uses sizes for wardrobe and wants them accurate. Keep your baby’s weight, length and clothing sizes handy.
• Short, flexible availability. Hour limits for infants are tight (see the rules below), so calls are brief. Ask for the exact time, length and location, and say what your baby’s nap and feeding schedule allows.
• Paperwork. Bring your photo ID and your baby’s birth certificate. California asks new applicants for proof of birth and, for babies under one month, written certification from a pediatrician or family physician (required documents).
• A parent in charge. Actors Access says in its terms of use (updated August 29, 2025) that Breakdown does not provide services directly to children under 13 and that representatives must obtain verifiable parental consent before submitting younger actors.

Where can you find auditions for babies near you?

Real calls reach families through a few channels, and a parent should verify each one:

• Central Casting. Its minors page says a parent or guardian must sign up and manage a minor’s account, that babies must be at least 15 days old and that a parent or guardian must accompany a minor on set. A July 2026 newsroom post says its background casting is now open in all 50 states.
• Casting platforms. Casting Networks lets a parent or guardian create the profile, while Actors Access takes submissions for actors under 13 from representatives, not from the children themselves. Prices change, so compare plans in Actors Access vs. Backstage vs. Casting Networks.
• Franchised or licensed agencies. See the next section.
• Our listings and city guides. Browse castings for kids and read the guides to auditions in Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta if you live near a production hub.

Do you need a baby acting agency or manager?

You can start without one, because a parent can set up profiles on the platforms above. Representation can help later, and a bad agency is worse than none. Read how to get a talent agent, then check these points:

• Franchise. SAG-AFTRA keeps a franchised agents list and says in its help center that franchised agents may not charge up-front fees of any kind or require a specific school or photographer. The union does not franchise managers or regulate their fees, which fall under state law (agents vs. managers).
• License. California requires a talent agency license, the license number must appear in any ad that solicits talent and models are among the artists the law covers. Check your own state’s rules.
• References. The FTC advises asking for a list of clients the agency has placed, contacting references and searching the company name with words like “scam” or “complaint.”
• Payment. According to the FTC, a legitimate agency finds you jobs and gets paid after the client pays it.

What permits and rules apply to babies?

Federal law leaves most of this to the states. The U.S. Department of Labor’s fact sheet #43 lists acting among the work exempt from its child labor rules, and its table of state child entertainment provisions (as of January 1, 2023) shows work permit requirements in states including California, New York, Georgia, Louisiana and New Mexico. Confirm current rules with your state labor office. Here is what we could verify:

• California. Every minor working in entertainment must register, and the parent or guardian creates the online account in their own name (work permit page). The Labor Commissioner’s chart limits babies from 15 days to 6 months old to 20 minutes of work and 2 hours at the workplace, between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. or between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. It requires a parent or guardian, plus one studio teacher and one nurse for every 3 or fewer babies up to 6 weeks old (or every 10 or fewer up to 6 months old), and allows no more than 30 seconds at a time of light above 100 footcandles. Babies from 6 months to 2 years can be at work up to 4 hours, with no more than 2 hours of work.
• New York. Any child under 18 who performs creative or artistic services needs a Child Performer Permit, even when unpaid, and child models are covered (FAQ). Employers cannot hire a baby under 15 days old. Babies 15 days to 5 months old can spend 2 hours on set with 20 minutes of work, and babies 6 months to 1 year old, 4 hours with 2 of work (LS 559). The employer must provide a nurse with pediatric experience and a responsible person for babies up to 6 months old (summary of regulations). The permit has no fee.
• Georgia. The Georgia Department of Labor says it is illegal for a minor to work in Georgia without certification, and a custodial parent or court-approved guardian acts as the minor’s representative (Minors in Entertainment). Central Casting says the certification number must be renewed annually.
• Everywhere else. Check your state labor agency before the first job. Central Casting’s guide to work permits, published in August 2026, walks through California, New York, Georgia and Louisiana.

How do you keep a baby safe on a set or shoot?

Safety comes before every booking. The rules above are a floor, so add your own checks:

• Stay close. California requires a parent or guardian of a minor under 16 to accompany the minor and stay within sight or sound at all times (section 11757). Central Casting also requires a parent or guardian on set.
• Get the details in writing. Ask for the call time, the location, how long your baby will actually work, where your baby can sleep and feed and who the nurse is.
• You can stop. If your baby is tired, sick or unsettled, you decide when to leave.
• Check photographers. California requires a Child Performer Services permit, with a criminal background check, for anyone who charges to provide photos, video or film of a minor for use as an artist, and the state keeps a searchable list (permit FAQ). Since January 1, 2026, talent agents, managers and coaches who work with minors are mandated reporters there.
• Keep contact on the platform and in public. Casting Networks lists a push to move to private messaging and requests for nudity or anything unsafe among its scam red flags. Never agree to meet in a hotel or a private home.

How does a baby get paid, and what is a Coogan account?

Pay depends on the job, the market and whether it is union or non-union, and rates change often, so we do not list amounts. Ask who hires your baby, what the day rate is, how many hours it covers, when and how you will be paid and how the images will be used, and keep copies of everything you sign. Our guide on what a deal memo is explains the paperwork.

Part of a child’s earnings goes into a trust. In New York, parents must set up a trust account before the first day of paid work, and the employer must transfer at least 15% of gross earnings (NYS Department of Labor). SAG-AFTRA explains the Coogan account, in which the employer withholds 15% of a minor’s gross wages, and its page, last updated in 2018, lists California, New York, Louisiana and New Mexico as states that require them.

How do you avoid baby modeling and acting scams?

Big promises about a baby’s future are tempting, and the FTC lists the usual tactics:

• Up-front fees. Real modeling agencies do not ask you to pay for a test shoot or for photographs, and they get paid after the client pays them. The FTC’s advice is to never pay an agency up front.
• A required photographer, class or school. A legitimate agency lets you hire your own photographer.
• Fake talent scouts. The FTC warns about scouts who approach parents in public, in ads or on social media and offer a photo shoot or classes for a child. Ads for “next child star” calls may be real, but they are often a way to sell expensive classes.
• Casting Networks’ red flags. Vague details about the production, director or pay, a push to leave the platform for private messaging, offers that sound too good to be true and no digital footprint for the people behind the project.

Read how to spot a fake casting call before you send photos or personal details. If you paid and got nothing, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Frequently asked questions

How old does a baby have to be to work?

California’s rules for babies begin at 15 days, New York prohibits employing a baby under 15 days old and Central Casting requires babies to be at least 15 days old. Other states set their own rules.

Do I need professional baby photos?

Usually not. The FTC says legitimate agents and casting directors typically ask for casual snapshots, and that being required to use a particular photographer is a warning sign.

Does my baby need an agent?

You can start without one, because parents can set up profiles on casting platforms. If you look for representation later, check for a franchise or license and never pay up front.

Can my baby work without a permit?

California and New York both require permits, and New York requires one even when the child is not paid. Georgia and Louisiana have their own permit rules.

Do twins have an advantage?

Often. Central Casting says twins and triplets are frequently sought after because strict labor laws limit each baby’s hours on set.

How much do baby actors and models earn?

It varies by job and market, so ask for the rate in writing before you accept. In states such as New York, a share of the earnings must go into a trust account.

Reviewed in October 2026.