Everyone makes a few mistakes here and there. However, sometimes those mistakes can end up landing us or our loved ones in jail. The last place you want to be or see your loved ones in is behind bars. Thankfully, bail bondsmen are there to ensure that arrested individuals can leave jail as soon as possible to return to the homes that love them.

However, in order to understand how a bail bondsman can help you or your loved ones out of jail, there are a few things you need to know about bail, bail bonds, and bail bondsmen.

What Is Bail?

Bail is the amount set by the court that is needed upfront in order to allow arrested individuals to be released from jail in a timely manner. The amount of bail set in each case will vary greatly depending on the type and circumstances of the crime. The bail money is used as a way to ensure the defendant will attend their court dates. Those who post bail and attend each and every court date will have their bail money returned to them, minus court costs and other charges. Those who post bail and fail to show up will get nothing back and the court will keep the money instead.

If the person fails to or chooses not to post bail, then they will have to stay in jail until their court date and be escorted there.

However, those who are arrested, but cannot afford their bail payment have another option at their disposal known as bail bonds.

What Are Bail Bonds?

Unfortunately, bail is often expensive. Most people do not have that kind of money handy for these kinds of situations either. Price aside, court dates aren’t set soon after the individual has been arrested, meaning that those who cannot post bail could find themselves in jail for a long time. The time spent in jail waiting could end up costing them their job or hurt their ability to care for their dependents.

This is why bail bonds are such a crucial option for those who cannot afford bail and need to be back home.
Bail bonds allow arrested individuals to return home to await trail at only a fraction of the cost of their bail amount. While they are still required to make it to their court date, this allows them to continue working, caring for family, and doing any preparation that might be needed for their court appearance.

However, not just anyone can provide you with bail bonds or assist you with the bail bonds process.

What Is A Bail Bondsman?

A bail bondsman is a specialist that does a type of private loaning in order to help people get out of jail. When someone has been charged with breaking the law and wants to use bail bonds in order to get out of jail, it is a bail bondsman that handles the process and assisted the arrested individual. To do so, the bail bondsman covers the entire bail amount while demanding only a fraction of what the bail costs you.

Not only does the bail bondsman provide you with the money needed to get out of jail, but they assure the court that you will be there for your court date. When you do appear for your court date, the bail bondsman will receive the full amount of bail back. However, if you choose not to appear, then you will owe them the full amount of bail and the courts will grant them the right to track you down and take you to court for doing so.

Interested in starting a new and exciting career in bail bonds?

Here at Amistad & Associates, we are dedicated to helping you begin a rewarding career in bail bonds. With our wealth of experience in North Carolina laws and regulations, we know exactly how to get your career started off on the right foot. We offer all of our bail bondsman trainees the best resources, technology and information available to ensure you get the most out of your experience.

If you are ready to start a new career in bail bonds or have any questions about our services, don’t hesitate to give us a call!

Rightly or wrongly, people are incarcerated in North Carolina every day. Thankfully, the bail bonds industry is committed to helping those who need it most. A career as a bail bondsman is a career in compassion. When loved ones are behind bars, it is you who gets them back home as soon as possible and at a price or payment plan that won’t burden them financially.

However, that isn’t the only reason you should be looking at a career in bail bonds. A few benefits of becoming a bail bondsman include:

1. Rapid credentials

In order to become a bail bondsman, you are required to take two-day classes that are held on weekends throughout the year. You can typically find most of these classes being held in Raleigh, where it isn’t hard to find and file any paperwork or access any resources you may need to get started.

2. Low up-front investment

While there are some fees required in order for you to achieve your bail bond credentials, you won’t need much else when it comes to your credentials or equipment. As long as you have a working computer and a place to do your work, you should have no trouble beginning your bail bondsman journey.

3. Great potential for business growth

With the growth of North Carolina, there will be more and more people in need of a bail bondsman’s services. In fact, North Carolina has been said to be the fastest growing state in the United States with a growth rate of 3.3 percent since 2010. This rate more than outpaces the 2.4 percent national average. With this, you can rest assured that your services will be needed for a long time.

Why You Should Start Your Own Bail Bonds Business

After you have gotten at least a year of experience under your belt, you can even start your own bail bonds business.

Having your own bail bonds business means that you are your own boss. You decide how to run the show, as long as they stay within business guidelines. Don’t feel like working today? You don’t have to! Need to have a flexible schedule in order to manage your busy or hectic lifestyle? No problem. Not only does this make every day on the job more rewarding, but it allows you to live your life stress free. In fact, you can work straight from home if want.

However, before you can start your own bail bonds business, you must first become a licensed North Carolina bail bondsman.

Getting Your Bail Bondsman License In North Carolina

In order to become a bail bondsman in the state of North Carolina, you must have the following qualifications:

• You must be at least 18 years old
• You must hold a high school diploma or its equivalent
• You cannot have any outstanding bail bonds
• You cannot have any misdemeanor drug violations within the last 24 months
• You need to hold a valid North Carolina driver’s license or valid North Carolina identification issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles
• You cannot have any felony convictions
• You must be a resident of North Carolina for at least 6 months before applying for a license as a bail bondsman
• You cannot be employed as a sheriff, sheriff’s deputy, attorney, judicial attorney, parole officer, probation officer or any other type of public employee or law enforcement officer.

Once or if you qualify, you must then take pre-licensing classes, take and pass the certification testing, and then work with a licensed bail bondsman for a least a year before acquiring a license of your own. After you have obtained your professional license, you are then legally able to conduct and begin a bail bond business of your own.

Beginning Your Bail Bonds Business

Once you have your professional license, you will be required to post a $15,000 security deposit that will be able to cover any bond forfeitures that may end up happening in the future. Additionally, this will give you the ability to hold yourself out as a legally licensed agent or bondsman.

Still not sure where to begin?

Here at Amistad & Associates, we are committed to your success. That is why we provide you with the best resources and information available to ensure you can live your dream of becoming a bail bondsman and of starting your own business right from the comfort of home.

Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you!

Have you ever wanted to make a difference in someone’s life? Do you want a rewarding career where you can lend helping hand to those who need it? Have you ever considered becoming a bail bondsman?

Becoming a bail bondsman is more than just posting bail for criminals, it is about answering the call and helping those who just need a second chance.

We all make mistakes and for some, those mistakes land them behind bars. But those mistakes don’t change the fact that these are real people behind those bars. People with families who love them dearly and need them to come home. People with jobs that need doing to support those they care about. People who are in a really rough spot right now and could use a helping hand.

As a bail bondsman, you can be that helping hand and give a second chance to those who need it most.

The Bare Minimal

Before you get ahead of yourself, there are a few requirements you will need to meet first. As a NC bail bondsman, you will need to have a valid NC driver’s license or NC id issued by the state. You will also need to have a record that is clean of any prior felony convictions.

Once you meet all of these requirements, you are free to take the next big steps towards getting your license to become a certified bail bondsman.

Getting Your License

In order to become a bail bondsman in the Mecklenburg County area, you will need to successfully complete a multi-day training course and pass an exam. Once you have passed your exam, you will then be fingerprinted and then allowed to apply for your bail bondsman license.

This license will be good for one year and during that period of time, you are required to work under a bail bondsman who has been licensed for at least two years. After successfully completing a year, you will then be eligible to apply for your Professional Bondsman license.

Here at Amistad & Associates, we are committed to helping you begin a rewarding career in bail bonds. With our wealth of experience in North Carolina laws and regulations, we know exactly how to get your career started off on the right track and provide you with only the best in bail bondsman classes and training.

If you are ready to start a compassionate career in bail bonds, don’t hesitate to give us a call!

Becoming a bail bondsman is a wonderful career change for those who want to make a difference in the world, but also want the freedom of being their own boss. However, to begin your own bail bond business, you are going to have to take the following steps:

STEP 1: Meet North Carolina’s requirements for becoming a bail bondsman

For you to be able to qualify, you will need to meet the requirements for becoming a bail bondsman. These requirements include: having a valid NC driver’s license or NC id issued by the state and no record of any prior felony convictions.

STEP 2: Contact the North Carolina Department of Insurance for an application

By either calling them directly at 919-807-6800 or going straight to the DOI website, you can obtain the required application. Since there is only one application form used for becoming a bail bondsman, surety agent, and runner, you must specify which one you are applying for on the form.

STEP 3: Enroll into a Pre-Licensing class

While you should already have the application form, you will not be able to complete it until you have enrolled into and completed a Pre-Licensing class. In fact, you will be taught in class how to accurately complete your bail bondman application. There is also a $500 pre-licensing fee that is required to accompany your application.

STEP 4: Send in your application to the North Carolina Department of Insurance

Make sure to include the filing fee required for the bail bondsman position that you are applying for. Additionally, you will also need to include:

• Copy of your North Carolina driver’s license or state ID
• Copy of your Pre-Licensing Education certificate
• Documents that prove 6 months of continuous North Carolina residency passport-sized photo
• Set of fingerprints taken by a local law enforcement

STEP 5: Take the written North Carolina bail bondsman exam

This exam will be given through Pearson VUE and the required exam fee is $51.50. You will be required to finish the exam within a 2 hour period with a score of at least 70%. However, if you are unable to pass the exam, you will need to wait at least a year before retaking it. If you have passed your exam, you can expect your license to arrive within 7 to 10 business days.

STEP 6: Follow the instructions of your license

Once you have your license, you must post a $15,000 security deposit that will be able to cover any bond forfeitures that may happen in the future. This will also allow you to hold yourself out as a legally licensed agent or bondsman.

Here at Amistad & Associates, we a committed to your success. That is why we offer you the best resources and information available to ensure you can live your dream of becoming a licensed bail bondsman. Contact us today to learn more about how you can start your very own bail bondsman business!

One of the hardest things about being a Bail Bond agent is being available to help people out of their situations at all hours of the day. You never know what late hour of the night someone will get arrested for a DUI and need you to bail them out.Luckily we’ve entered the digital age where documents are able to be emailed around.

Set Up A Business Phone Line

The first thing you should do is to set up a business phone line for yourself. You should be prepared to carry it around with you at all times, and list that number publicly for people to call at any time when they are in trouble. If you bring the phone with you wherever you go, you can continue carrying on with your life while also running your business.

Set Up An Email Address

Email addresses are usually free to create. Set one up with a professional name, and also post that to your website for people to use. You will need to put this email address on your phone and your tablet so that you have easy access to it wherever you go. This will be your lifeline for contacting clients and sending out documents.

Getting The Documents

Once you have your lines of communication set up and open, you will be able to communicate with any potential clients. You will be able to email them the proper documents at any hour of the day or night, allowing you to help them from the comfort of your own home. Documents can be delivered through email, signed with a e-signature and then sent to the proper locations. All you will need is a reliable internet connection and you are good to go.

Office Setting

If you prefer going to work in an office and not taking your work wherever you go, we also have an office location. You would have access to the office location and be able to make phone calls and emails right from a desk. Some people work better with their own desk location, while others prefer the flexibility to work anywhere. It is really a matter of preference and your work ethics, and we are flexible to help you get started in either direction.

If the bail bonds business sounds like something that interests you, give us a call today. We’d love to have you join our team. This line of work is satisfying because you are helping people to get where they need to go, and most of the time they are very grateful for that. Our local office is less than a mile from the jail, so you’ll have plenty of business and not far to travel. Let us know how we can help you get started on the path to a new career!