Think that you have what it takes to become a bail bondsman?
Interested in bringing criminals to justice, working to keep your community safe, and entering into a career that’s just as exciting as it is personally and professionally rewarding?
Before you decide that you want to work any number of bail bond jobs, you need to make sure that you understand the process of how to become a bail bondsman.
From knowing what you need to study to learning how to properly apply for your license, this post is here to walk you through it all.
By the end, you’ll have the information that you need to start your journey towards becoming a bail bondsman.
1. Get Familiar with the Laws in Your State
Step one in becoming a bail bondsman?
Make sure that you’ve studied up on your state laws and regulations.
You’ll need to ensure that you can actually use private bail bonds within the state where you want to work. For example, if you live in Oregon or Kentucky, you can’t work within commercial bail bonding.
You might also have special, more specific, regulations and registration processes depending on your state. For example, if you yourself are a convicted felon, you may not be eligible for bail bond jobs.
Additionally, look into the education requirements. Even if a law or a business degree isn’t required, could having one give you an upper hand on the competition?
Finally, make sure that you know the physical and personal risk of becoming a bail bondsman. You don’t want yourself or members of your family to come to harm or to receive threats because of what you do.
We suggest meeting with a bail bondsman on your own to have a frank discussion about the dangers associated with the profession. If you feel as though it would put your family at too great of a risk, you may need to back out.
2. Study up on Your State’s Licensing Process
Once you have an understanding of the more basic requirements, it’s time to start pursuing your license.
In some cases, this means that you might have to take classroom courses and pre-licensing exams before you can get your license. You can always check in with the Department of Insurance in your state to learn more.
And even if classroom learning isn’t a hard requirement in your state?
It’s always a smart idea to enroll in one.
You’ll then be much more likely to pass any exams you might have to take. Only once you’ve been approved for your license will you take your exam.
You’ll likely also undergo a serious background check.
You should also expect to be fingerprinted depending on your state, and you’ll be responsible for covering the cost of those fingerprints on your own.
Before you’ve passed the exam, (if needed) you’ll need to actually apply for the license itself. As you’ve likely guessed, this will require any fee, as well as a submission of your exam score and background test results.
Always make sure that you also take the time to get familiar with any continuing education opportunities in your state.
This won’t just give you a competitive advantage, it can also help to keep you safer while you’re out on the job.
3. Decide on Your Next Steps
So, you’ve gotten your license and you’ve passed your examination.
Now, you’re ready to actually get the ball rolling on your career as a bail bonding professional.
The first thing that you’ll need to decide is if you’d like to start your own company, or if you’d like to join an established bail bonding professional business.
Especially if you’re just getting started, we strongly suggest that you choose the latter option.
Not only is starting your own company incredibly expensive and time-consuming. You also simply won’t yet have the experience that you need to win clients over. You might even end up putting yourself in a dangerous situation, simply because you’ve never encountered it before and aren’t sure the best way to react.
Contract yourself out to bail bonding agencies to get a feel for the more specific type of work that you’re interested in doing.
Additionally, while you’re working as a contractor?
You can start thinking about what you want the future of your career to look like.
Now is the time to start writing a personal blog to advertise your services, as well as to decide the state in which you’d most like to practice. Plus, you’ll have the chance to create some valuable networks, which will serve you well in the future.
Have What It Takes to Become a Bail Bondsman?
We hope that this post has helped you to decide if you truly have what it takes to get into the bail bondsman profession.
Though this lifestyle certainly isn’t for everyone, and although it requires serious commitment and training, there’s never a dull moment on the job.
Looking to connect with a bail bonding agency that you can become a part of?
Once you’ve gotten your license and are looking for some of the best ways to truly jump-start your career, we invite you to consider working with us.
You can become a contracted bail bondsman with us in order to gain work experience and get professional advice from those who have been in the business for many years.
Ready to start your journey?
Apply online to make it happen today.