Bail Bonds: Risky Business

The road to becoming a successful bail bonds agent can be a rewarding one, but also very risky. The application process differs from state to state, but only slightly. The procedures for posting and the subsequent reimbursement of bail are across the country.

The application process to become a bail bonds agent begins with your own criminal background. Regardless of the state in which you apply, you must be completely forthcoming about any marks from your juvenile and adult past with law enforcement. From your childhood and teen years every menial detail must be revealed. However, as an adult of 21 years or more, traffic violations and DUI convictions are the only concessions from the background information. Due to the fact that the responsibility of a bail bonds agent is so significant, the process should ensure one’s ability to execute this risky venture. Therefore, fingerprints will also accompany the application in order to submit to a thorough background check. This is when having a minor family or friend background can predispose you to sympathy for the accused.

The request to become a bail bond agent implies your readiness to undertake the assurance of an alleged criminals’ attendance in court. As the agent or agent firm, you require approximately 10% (up to 15%) of the set bail from the client and you post the remainder to the courts. The court will hold the money until the accused has shown up for all scheduled court dates. If you can manage to get the client to show up and face their charges, the process will continue to work well for you. When this process is complete, all of the bond will be returned to you or the firm, with the client’s paid percentage included. The entire bond process is to ensure that the accused individual shows up. This is where the risk is involved. 

Unlike other business ventures, the greater the risk the greater the profit does not apply. An alleged criminal may only have been released on $5,000 bail, but they decide to flee. Therefore, once your application has been approved, you must be prepared to handle flight risks. You can report a client to the law authorities at any point in the process. Or you can hire a bounty hunter to locate the missing individual in order to insure their attendance before their judge. This may be why becoming a bail bond agent is such an involved background check process because a lot of authority, risk, and stress are involved. It is an investment of time, money, and effort in order to ensure that it is a profitable venture for you. As long as you have a strategy, then like any other business opportunity it will be what you make it.