How to Become a Bail Bondsman

A bail bondsman is a person or a firm that arranges payment of bail for a criminal suspect in the court, by pledging cash or assets and standing as a guarantee for him. Nowadays, a bail bondsman also prepares for an arraignment, which will normally be a certain percentage of the pledged bail money. They also charge a fee that is usually 10 percent or more of the total bail amount. Here are some pointers on how to get your career as a bail bondsman started.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Check whether or not the state you live in allows the bailing option for suspects. Gather information about the deficit of bail bondsmen in the region, the already established agencies and the number of people opting for bail.

2. Look into the prerequisites of obtaining a bail bondsman license such as the necessary qualifications, property details, fingerprint filing or picture requirements. A potential applicant must also be at least 18 years of age.

3. Contact the licensing authority in your state, which is normally the Department of Insurance. You have to be appointed by the insurance department as a recognized bail bondsman because of the huge sums of money and property involved, unless you are wealthy enough to compensate for losses from your own resources.

4. Find out which examinations or specially designed courses have to be cleared to obtain the license. This job demands that you be aware of various statutes and technicalities involved in the process. Depending on the state where you have applied, you may be required to appear for a written exam from the insurance department.

5. Get bail bondsman surety insurance as well as detailed information about the contract with the insurance company and their general agent. You will want to make sure that your family is also covered against the risks and should have an attorney review the policy with you. Make sure to thoroughly understand the legal terms, rules and regulations mentioned in the contract.

6. Confirm that your build up fund or BUF or is placed in a secure FDIC account. A BUF is money placed with the insurance company that ensures that the bail bondsman will work to their satisfaction in accordance with the stipulations in the contract. If the agent commits foul play, the money is taken away and is used to clear all his legal liabilities. If he carries out his work properly, it could also become a retirement benefit.

7. Obtain your license and start to practice under the general agent of the company and start gaining experience by joining a reputed bail bonding agency. After building up your experience in the field, you may want to consider starting a bail bonding agency of your own.

Tips & Warnings

• Build up a good contact zone for yourself including criminal defense attorneys, judges and other bail bondsmen before actually getting the license. These are the people who form a network of contacts for you and can be a valuable help along the way.
• Remember to verify the credibility of your general agent and the insurance company you considering making a contract with by taking opinions from other agents and bondsmen who have worked with them in the past.

Who Can Help Sponsored

• Earn your degree from industry experts at University of Phoenix. Take the next step in your career.

[RynLeigh]

on 1/9/2009 Learn more about the bail industry by reading Collateral, the only magazine dedicated to the bail industry. Read for free online at http://www.collateralmag.com

[gitfiddleplayer]

on 9/13/2008 Great article and very informative.