How to Become a Bail Bondsman in Miami

There are about 14,000 bail agents working in the United States. Of those, there are some agents in high population cities, such as Miami and Miami-Dade County, Fla., that make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, and there are other agents in those same large cities who won’t make $10,000 a year. The average bail agent across the country probably makes between $25,000 and $50,000 a year. To be successful, you must be known by a very large number and extremely diverse group of the local population. Regardless of the money, it is a very necessary profession and there will always be customers in some capacity.The fees charged by bail bond agents in Miami-Dade County is 10 percent of the amount of the bond amount.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Before getting a license, any one who wants to be a bail bondsman should take some time and evaluate the market. Talk to the sheriff of Miami-Dade County, as well as the Miami Police Department, and see what is required to approve bail agents. Talk to the police officers and sheriff’s deputies you know and see what they think of the idea of your writing bail. While it’s certainly not required, knowing the local law enforcement certainly helps being a bail agent. How many criminal defense attorneys do you know in Miami and the greater Miami-Dade area? Do you know the prosecuting attorneys in Miami and how well do you know the judges? These are the key audiences of the bail agent and without them you’ll be starting with a severe deficit.The other question you need to answer is how many people go to one of the four corrections facilities in Miami-Dade and of those, how many actually post bail as opposed to being released on their own recognizance or some other court release program. Other questions you need answered are, how much competition is there in your area? Sometimes one company will be harder to compete against than the rest of the bail bond agents in the area. If the company has been there a long time and has a long-established record of fair dealings in the community and are well-respected by the law enforcement and judicial community, it will be very hard to compete with it.

2. There are five basic steps to becoming a licensed surety agent in Miami: 1. take an approved 120-hour course; 2. take an approved correspondence course;3. submit an application for temporary agent license and undergo a background check;4. complete a one-year internship under a licensed bail agent; 5. pass a final exam given by the state Department of Financial Services.

3. Before you begin the process to become a licensed bail agent, you must first determine if you are qualified. Qualifications include:1. Applicant must have obtained a temporary license for Limited Surety Agent or Professional Bail Bond Agent and have worked under that license for at least 12 months prior to applying for this permanent license. 2. Be at least 18 years of age and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent. 3. Be a resident of the state of Florida. 4. Be a United States citizen or legal alien who possesses a work authorization from the United States Immigration and Naturalization Services. 5. Be fingerprinted at one of the Department's fingerprint sites. To review the Qualifications and Licensing information for this license, go to fldfs.com; see Resources below.

4. Successfully complete the state-approved correspondence course for bail bond agents. The cost is approximately $300. Call the University of Florida at [phone] or [phone] and ask for information on INS 3-Bail & Bail Bond Insurance in Florida.

5. When the Department receives your application including your payment, a fingerprint card will be mailed to the mailing address that you provided. Your application will not be complete until you have your fingerprints taken by a Florida Law Enforcement Officer and the fingerprint card is submitted to the Department. When your application is complete and it has been determined that you qualify for the license, the license will be mailed to the mailing address that you provided. If an examination or photo is required for issuance of the license, you will be directed to set up an appointment with Experior, the Department’s examination/licensing contractor. If you pass the examination, the license will be issued on the day you take the examination.

6. When you are properly licensed and the appointing entity has officially appointed you, you may begin transacting insurance business. The appointing entity has 45 days in which to notify the Department of your appointment on forms prescribed by the Department. You cannot transact any class of insurance business for which you are not licensed and appointed. Once you receive your temporary license, and only after you have received your license, you are able to begin working as a temporary agent for the required one-year term. After you complete your temporary license term, you must take and pass a final examination.

Tips & Warnings

• Evaluate the market before taking a plunge.
• Talk to the local sheriff and law enforcement officers to understand what their needs are.
• Evaluate the competition in your area.
• Be prepared to spend some time meeting all the licensure requirements.
• If you don’t know the Sheriff and a lot of the police in Miami and Miami-Dade County, this may not be a good business for you.
• If your competition has been in business for a long time and has a long established record of fair dealings in the community and is well-respected by the law enforcement and judicial community, it will be very hard to compete.

Resources

• Florida Department of Financial Services
• Miami Police Department
• Bail Bond Agent Qualification

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