How to Become a Bounty Hunter in Cleveland, Ohio

In the State of Ohio a bounty hunter is also known as a recovery agent. These people receive money every time they apprehend a fugitive or a person who failed to make a court appearance. All bounty hunters are approved and licensed by the state department of insurance. To become a bounty hunter in Cleveland, Ohio, you need to meet pre-licensing education requirements, have a criminal background check done and take a test. Here are details.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Take classes to fulfill Ohio’s pre-licensing requirements. There are six separate areas where you’ll need to take classes: life/variable products, accident and health, casualty, property, personal lines and surety bail bonds. You can either do a self-study course or take classroom study of 20 hours.

2. Visit the Pearson Vue website to find an appropriate testing location in the Cleveland area and schedule a time to take the test to become a bounty hunter (see Resources). Print out the study guide and practice the tests from the Pearson website. These materials will show you the kind of questions that will be asked on the actual test and give you time to prepare for the test.

3. Bring two forms of ID such as a driver’s license and social security card to the test with you as well as your completed course papers, confirmation number and a credit or debit card. You’ll need to pay for the test and have a picture ID on hand. Once you take the test, the results will be sent directly to the Ohio Department of Insurance.

4. Use WebCheck to complete a criminal background check and have those results sent to the Ohio Department of Insurance. This program is available from the same place you'll take your recovery agent test. WebCheck is a program that performs background and criminal checks on individuals. The system is only available through the testing centers and not accessible online. You’ll need to pay up front for the exam with a credit or debit card. After inputting your history and a fingerprint, the test will be complete.

5. Wait for the Ohio Department of Insurance to approve your application. If your test scores are too low and you don’t pass, you’ll have the chance to take the test again. The State will look over your criminal check, your testing scores and anything else they need to make a decision and let you know within a few weeks.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have an Associate's or Bachelor's degree and have taken insurance classes in the past, you’re entitled to waive the pre-licensing education requirement.
• Have enough money saved up to survive your first few months working as a bounty hunter. Most agents need to work a part-time job and have substantial savings because they never know when they’ll find their next fugitive.

Resources

• Recovery Agent Testing Locations

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