Domestic Helper Malaysia

Agency checks

Licensed or Not: How to Tell a Maid Agency Is Legitimate

A licensed agency and an unlicensed one look similar in an advertisement. The difference is verifiable: a legal name, a licence category and an entry on the JTKSM public register you can check yourself.

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The short answer

Employment agencies are licensed under the Private Employment Agencies Act 1981, and the Department of Labour Peninsular Malaysia (JTKSM) maintains a public register. So the test for legitimacy is not the website or the sales pitch — it is whether the legal name and licence appear on the official register, and whether the licence category matches the service being offered. Ask for both and check them before you pay anything.

At a glance

The law
Act 246Employment agencies are licensed under the Private Employment Agencies Act 1981.
The check
JTKSM public registerThe legal name and licence can be verified on the official register, not just the agency’s own site.
The limit
No household-fee capNo official cap governs the service fee to a household, so licensing tells you legitimacy, not price fairness.

Ask for the name and licence, then verify

A legitimate agency can give its exact legal name and licence details without hesitation. Take both and confirm them on the JTKSM public register rather than trusting a logo, a testimonial or a confident quote. An agency that cannot or will not provide verifiable details has answered the question.

Match the licence category to what you are buying. A licence is specific, and a mismatch between the category and the service offered is a reason to ask more, not to proceed.

Licensing is about legitimacy, not price

Being licensed confirms an agency is operating within the regulated framework. It does not mean the fee is capped: research into the framework found no official ceiling on what an agency may charge a household for its service. So verification and price comparison are two separate steps.

Do both. Confirm the licence on the register, then compare written itemised quotes across agencies, and keep the complaints channel in mind if a licensed agency behaves improperly. The agency guides cover each step in detail.

Official and primary sources

Questions this page answers

How do I verify an agency is licensed?

Ask for its legal name and licence, then confirm both on the JTKSM public register rather than relying on the agency’s own website.

Does a licence mean the price is fair?

No. A licence confirms legitimacy, but no official cap governs the service fee to a household, so compare written quotes separately.

What if a licensed agency behaves improperly?

Keep the official complaints channel in mind; licensing includes accountability, and the agency guides explain how to raise an issue.

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DomesticHelper editorial teamReviewed 17 August 2026Sourced from Malaysian government registriesIndependent of the hiring agenciesEditorial standards
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