Dancer getting a license

Many federations require dancers to have a valid license before registering for events or earning rankings. This step walks you through understanding which license you need and how to get it.

Not all federations require licenses. Some competitions are open to anyone without licensing. Ask your federation or the event organizer whether you need one.

What this step is for

You’ll:

Identify which license your federation requires
Understand who applies (you or your school/club)
Complete the application and payment
Verify your license is active before registering for events

Who applies for the license

This depends on your federation’s model:

“Self-Service” Model

You apply directly through the Public app
You pay yourself (if payment required)
Use: Dancer self-service
Example: “Individual dancers buy their own annual license for $50”

“Organization-Managed” Model

Your school/club applies on your behalf
Your school/club pays (if payment required)
Use: Organization admin
Example: “Schools buy team licenses that cover all members”

“Hybrid” Model

Either you OR your school/club can apply
Payment might be by dancer OR school (determined by your federation)
Use: Self-service OR organization-managed workflow
Example: “Dancers can buy competition-specific licenses, or their school can apply for bundle licenses”

If you don’t know which applies: Ask your federation admin or school coach before doing anything.

Before you start

Gather this information:

Question	Example Answer
Which federation?	“Northeast Dance Federation”
What license do I need?	“U12 Annual Dancer License”
Which year/season?	“2026 Season”
Is it annual or one-event?	“Annual (covers whole season)”
Who applies — me or my school?	“Organization-managed (my school applies)”
How much does it cost?	“$65” or “Free”
Does my school need approval first?	“Yes, federation approved our school” or “No”

If you can’t answer any of these, contact your federation or coach first.

Step-by-step: Get your license

Step 1: Identify the correct license item

If you’re applying directly (self-service):

Sign in to Vote4Dance
Click Account (or your name top-right) → Licenses
You’ll see a + Apply for License button
Click it
Select your Federation from the dropdown
- Example: “Northeast Dance Federation”
The page shows license items your federation offers
- Example items you might see:
  - “U10-U12 Season License” — covers ages 10-12, whole year
  - “U13-U15 Season License” — covers ages 13-15, whole year
  - “Open Division Competition Fee” — one-event only, $25
Pick the item that matches YOUR age/division
- Use your birth year to determine your age
- Example: “I’m 11 years old, so I pick U10-U12 Season License”

If your school applies (organization-managed):

Tell your school admin you need a license
They’ll sign in and go to their organization → Licenses
They’ll find and apply for your license
The application might require your age/name for them to select the right item
Skip to Step 3 (Payment) because they handle applying

Step 2: Set the details

After picking the license item, you’ll see a form with:

Field	What to Do	Example
Federation	Pre-filled — verify it’s correct	“Northeast Dance Federation”
License Item	Pre-filled from your choice	“U12 Season License”
Season Year	Select the year	“2026”
Competition ID	Only fill IF the license is competition-specific; leave blank for season-wide	Leave blank for annual license
Organization	Only if you belong to a school; select yours	“Lincoln High School Dance Team”
Notes	Optional — add any special requests	“I transfer to this school mid-season”

Click Apply for License.

Step 3: Payment (if required)

If the license costs money:

After applying, you’ll see a Pay Now button (if payment needed)
Click it
You’ll go to Stripe checkout
- Enter your name and payment method (credit/debit card)
- Review the amount (example: $50)
Click Pay in Stripe
You’ll return to Vote4Dance
- Payment success message should appear
- Your license status changes to “Paid” (but might still be Pending approval)

If the license is free:

No payment step
Your license status changes immediately

Step 4: Wait for approval (if required)

Your federation might require manual approval even after payment.

Your license status could be:

✓ Active — You can register for events NOW
⏳ Pending — Awaiting federation approval (takes 1-3 days typically)
⏳ Pending Approval — Federation hasn’t reviewed it yet

To check status:

Sign in to Vote4Dance
Go to Account → Licenses
Find your license in the list
See the Status column

If it stays Pending longer than expected, contact your federation.

Step 5: Verify your license is active

Before registering for an event:

Go to Account → Licenses

Look for your license in the list, example row:

Federation: Northeast Dance Federation
Item: U12 Season License
Season: 2026
Status: ACTIVE ✓
Expires: 12/31/2026

Status should say ACTIVE
No “Pending” or “Expired” messages

If still Pending after 3 days:

Contact your federation
OR try registering anyway (some events let you register if approved)

Real-world examples

Example 1: Self-service dancer license

You’re 12, dancing independently (not part of a school), your federation offers self-service licensing.

Your steps:

Sign in, go to Account → Licenses
Click Apply for License
Select Federation: “Northeast Dance Federation”
Select Item: “U10-U15 Regional License”
Set Season Year: “2026”
Click Apply
Click Pay Now → $60 → Stripe payment
License shows “Paid, Pending Review”
Next morning: Status changes to “Active”
Now you can register for events

Example 2: Organization-managed school license

You’re part of Lincoln High School Dance Team. Your school already has a team license that covers members.

Your steps:

Tell your coach: “I need my license updated”
Coach signs in, goes to organization, adds you if not already there
Coach applies for team license (“High School Team License 2026”)
Your coach pays the full team fee ($500 for whole team)
Your license automatically becomes “Active” once approved
Ready to register (check your Licenses tab to confirm “Active”)

Example 3: Mixed workflow

Your federation allows dancers to buy individual competition fees ($25 each) OR join a school team license ($500 for unlimited members).

If you go solo self-service:

You pay $25 per competition you enter
Each license is specific to one competition

If you join the school team:

School pays once for unlimited members
All members get access to everything the school licensed

What to do if things go wrong

“I applied but the license is still Pending after 3 days”

Check your email — did federation send an approval/rejection?
If approved but status doesn’t update, refresh the page
If nothing happened, contact your federation admin

“I got a payment error but I’m not sure if it went through”

Check your credit card statement (look for a charge from Vote4Dance / Stripe)
Go to Account → Licenses — see if your license shows “Paid”?
If charged but showing Unpaid, contact Vote4Dance support
If not charged, try paying again

“I applied for the wrong license item”

If status is “Pending”: Contact your federation — ask them to cancel it
Apply for the correct item
If already “Active”: Contact your federation to discuss options (might need to keep it, or might be correctable)

Do NOT create multiple licenses for the same season — this creates headaches later.

“The license item I need isn’t showing up”

Verify your federation is correct
Verify your age/division — maybe you’re in the wrong age group?
You might not belong to an organization yet (if organization-managed licenses)
Contact your federation — the item might be inactive

When you’re ready

Once your license is Active, you can:

Register for events (next step)
Compete in competitions
Earn rankings
Transfer to teams (if applicable)

Next step

Continue to Applying for a school/club if your federation pathway depends on organization membership.