You may have seen the show Dog the Bounty Hunter and thought to yourself “I could do that job. I could be a bail bondsman and bounty hunter!” The show may glamorize the profession and make it seem like it\’s all action but it’s a bit more complicated than it may seem. In reality, it involves a lot of time and energy to even become a licensed bail bondsman. Not to mention it costs a lot of money. There are also a number of requirements and restrictions depending on what state you live in.

To become a bail bondsman there are a number of steps that one needs to take in order to become a licensed agent. The first step that needs to be taken involves doing research about bail bond laws in your state. Not all states allow bail bondsmen so it’s important to know what laws are in place in your state. In the United States there are only four states that do not allow bail bondsman. Those states are Illinois, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Oregon.

To begin with, like any other profession, you need to go to school to become a bail bonds agent. To find out information about bail bonds licenses you can contact your states Department of Insurance for information about schools that offer courses. Some states have a number of requirements that need to be met before becoming a bondsman. Some areas require that a written test must be taken on bail laws in addition to completing 40+ hours in a classroom. Not all states require people to go through classroom courses to become a bail bondsman though. Some states, such as Florida, provide apprentice programs. This involves apprentice bail bondsman to work for a licensed bondsman for six months to a year. This gives the apprentice first hand and on-the-job experience. After completing the apprenticeship a person can legally open their own bail bonds agency.

Like Dog the Bounty Hunter some bail bonds agents take it upon themselves to apprehend people fleeing on bail. While this may be exciting and challenging there are limitations depending on where you live and operate. In some states, such as Texas, the use of bounty hunters is strictly prohibited except when performed through private investigators. In other states, such as Florida, only a licensed bail bondsman can chase and apprehend fleeing fugitives. This may take some of the fun out of the whole bounty hunting aspect but as a bail bondsman agent you must uphold the law that is set upon you.

If you are becoming a bail bondsman for the money you may want to think of the risks before jumping in. Salaries for bail bondsman vary widely from $50,000 up to $150,000 or more for more successful bondsman. This is not to say that once you are licensed you’re going to make $150,000 right off the bat. Most newly licensed bail bondsman make between $10 and $15 per hour. It is important to remember that a certain amount of personal money must be put up.

Author Bio: If you\’re looking for a bail bond company in Colorado, visit the All Day All Night Bail Bonds website to learn more about the process and how they can help.

Category: Legal
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