The job description of a bail bondsman and that of a bail recovery agent is often confused. The work of a
bail bondsman is to provide funds needed by a criminal offender before they appear in a trial. The offender is given the money in exchange for a secured property pledge known as collateral. Their specialization areas are determined with the type of bond they avail since there is a wide range of crimes that an individual can be charged for. Examples of bonds include immigration bonds, surety bonds, and federal bonds. Each bond type has a different level of financial risk hence has high risks.
General bail Bondsman
They have licenses to provide bonds to offenders who are accused of committing a variety of crimes including capital murder. They are referred to as surety bonds and are the most common. This
type of bond serves as an assurance that the defendant will appear in court and sometimes they are given a certain fee percentage. However, the criminal is required to provide collateral such as valuable property, real estate, or someone to assure the defendant will be in court i.e. a co-signer.
Federal bonds
People incriminated for committing federal crimes are given a federal bond. They however do not serve as a surety that the criminal will appear in court. They are given conditions such as limited traveling, drug testing, or restricted business activities. The entire bail amount can be penalized if the defendant fails to fulfil these requirements. The fee charged and accepted collateral are a bit higher compared to that of surety bonds. Bail Bondsmen who offer search bonds are conversant with state laws and the federal court system.
Immigration bonds
They are needed by defendants who are in an immigration detention facility. This type of bond has the highest risk level since the offender is not well known and may flee instead of appearing in court to be deported or imprisoned. The bail bondsmen who offer immigration bonds are very few and always charge a high free that can equally compensate.
The following are the steps to becoming a bail bondsman
1. This profession requires financial and criminal law knowledge, and anyone interested is expected to meet the following requirements.
● Pass licensing exam
● Have adequate financial sources
● Be 18 years and above
● Finish a pre-licensing course
● Be sponsored by a surety company
● Have a high school diploma education
2. Education in fields of finance, business administration law, economics is useful in executing a bails bondsman duty. However, one can take a pre-licensing course that provides basic knowledge on the principles, steps, practices, and laws of becoming a bail bondsman. Those who attend this course are trained by experienced experts.
3. There are several licensing test providers. An individual is required to sit for a licensing exam and repeat in case they fail. The trainees must carry specific document requirements before being given the exam failure to which one is disqualified.
4. Before one can start practicing bail bondsman duties, they must obtain a state license that takes a process of one to three years.
5. Finally, to begin working a newly licensed bail bondsman needs to join an existing bail company or establish and register a new one.
Conclusion
The job of a bail bondsman may be like those of loans and financial managers but are distinct since they provide the money to a specific group or type of clients i.e. criminals. Their work involves a lot of risks the main one being financial risk. Collaterals and a fee of the bond money serve as security and surety of compensation in case of forfeits. The type of bond and crime always dictate the amount of money allocated for loss recovery. They work hand in hand with bounty hunters who serve to pursue and ensure a criminal appears in court.
