Training, insurance, a basic understanding of the legal system, an understanding that the job does not follow a set schedule, and an understanding that employment in the bail bonds industry does not allow for much growth opportunity are all required to become a bail bondsman.
A bail bondsman is a representative for someone who has been arrested, appeared before a judge, and had their bail amount set. The arrested party contacts a bail bondsman, informs the bondsman of their bail amount, and the bondsman informs the arrested party of the amount they must pay in order to be released until their next court appearance. The bail bondsman typically charges a percentage (10-15%) of the total bail amount set the judge, and may also request additional collateral to reduce the risk of the potential client fleeing the area and failing to appear at his or her next court hearing. The percentage charged to the client is profit for the bail bondsman, not profit for the client. If the client shows up for the scheduled court appearance, the additional collateral given to the bondsman is returned to the client.
Because the bail bondsman deals with people who have been accused and charged with crimes, he or she needs to be trained in the characteristics of a variety of crimes, such as armed robbery vs. theft or drug sales vs. drug possession, for example. Furthermore, prior to investing significant time and money into licensing programs to become a bail bondsman, a person should thoroughly assess the potential physical dangers of dealing with criminal offenders as well as the financial risks associated with assuming responsibility for their clients.
Once licensed, the bail bondsman must purchase insurance to protect themselves financially from clients who fail to appear at their scheduled court date, also known as jumpers. If the client fails to appear in court, the bail bondsman must pay the full amount of the offender’s bail as set the judge within a certain amount of time. Bond amounts can range from a few hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the nature of the crime, the offender’s background, and other factors like prosecuting and defense attorneys’ input. Because the nature of a criminal personality lends itself to less-than-ideal moral values, the bail bondsman faces a high likelihood that a significant number of his or her clients will fail to appear at their court dates. Bounty hunters are used bail bondsmen to track down offenders who have skipped bail, apprehend them, and return them to the jail from which they were released.
The working day of a successful bail bondsman does not follow a traditional nine-to-five schedule. The bondsman is frequently contacted in the early morning hours and is available seven days a week. Though reality television shows have glamorized the careers of bail bondsmen and bounty hunters, the work is dangerous and unpredictable, as well as physically and psychologically demanding, and is not a good fit for many people.
For more information on how to become a bail bondsman, you can contact professional bondsman organizations.