How to Become a Licensed Bounty Hunter

Many people think that being a bounty hunter is a glamorous, exciting job. This is largely based upon what they have seen on television or read in magazines. If you are considering becoming a bounty hunter, you should first know the facts of all it entails.

Instructions

1. Recognize that bounty hunting can be a very dangerous job and that there can sometimes be a tremendous risk to your personal safety. Because your job will involve searching for and taking custody of fugitives from the law, you can be certain that not all of them will give up without a fight. The reward, however, is that you not only get the opportunity to get criminals to court where they should be, but you earn 10 percent of the bail amount.

2. Take some classes in criminal justice at the associate degree level even though an education is not required for this job. You will learn about legal issues, investigation methods, dealing with criminals and more. The more you know, the better bounty hunter you will be.

3. Take a self-defense class. This will help you adequately defend yourself if you are physically attacked.

4. Learn from an experienced bounty hunter. Consider working for one for a while so you can observe how he does his job and see what methods he uses to locate and catch fugitives.

5. Make certain you are licensed. With the exception of Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Wyoming, all other states require bounty hunters to be trained and/or licensed. If you try to attempt to capture a fugitive without meeting the proper guidelines, you can run into big legal problems.

6. Find out as much as you can about bail laws as they pertain to each state and country. For example, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina and Wisconsin all ban physical bounty hunting. If you want to pursue a fugitive outside of the United States, be aware that many countries will view your taking someone into custody as "kidnapping" and you could receive jail time. Knowing what the laws are beforehand will help you avoid trouble.

7. Have the necessary equipment. This includes handcuffs, a stun gun, pepper spray, a bullet-proof vest, a badge and other similar items.