Did you know that the average salary for a bail enforcement agent in South Carolina is between $35,683 and $43,807?
A bail enforcement agent provides an important service to the court and justice system. When people are arrested, they can pay a certain amount of money and get bail. Bail enforcement agents work to investigate, locate and apprehend fugitives who have skipped bail and missed their court dates.
If you’re looking to learn more about how to become a bail enforcement agent, keep on reading. Following these 5 steps, you can become a bail enforcement agent and start the career of your dreams.
Why Should You Become a Bail Enforcement Agent?
Let’s first talk about why becoming a bail enforcement agent may be the right career choice for you. We have all seen a lot of movies, but being a bail enforcement agent is not about car chases and breaking down doors. It requires intelligence, focus, and commitment.
Be Your Own Boss
One of the biggest reasons to become a bail enforcement agent is to be your own boss. Rather than taking direction, you get to decide what works best for you. You get to choose what cases you want to take on.
Flexible Hours
Rather than working a 9 to 5 job at a desk, you can choose your own hours. There’s still a lot of paperwork and regulations to understand, but you set the hours the work for you. It’s great for someone with family commitments or other obligations that allows a work-life balance.
Work With People
If you are a people person, this is a great job for you because you do get to work with a lot of interesting people. A part of your job is to develop contacts everywhere you go. These contacts can help make your job easier and help you increase your income potential.
Income Potential
At the end of the day, you also get to decide how much you want to work and how much you want to make. You can choose the best bail bonds that meet your income needs. You can take on less or more work, depending on your needs that week or that month.
What Steps Do You Need to Take to Become a Bail Enforcement Agent?
There are some steps you need to take to become a bail enforcement agent. Remember only licensed agents can be bail agents in South Carolina.
Step 1: Make Sure You Are Eligible
First, make sure you meet the requirements to be a bail enforcement agent. You must be over the age of 18 to be a bail enforcement agent. You must also be a resident of South Carolina.
Another requirement is that you must have good moral character. You also cannot be convicted of a felony in the last 10 years.
One of the best parts of becoming a bail enforcement agent is that you don’t need to have a degree to apply for a license. Of course, understanding criminal justice can only be an asset to you. This is why many bail enforcement agents end up pursuing higher education in forensics, criminology, or psychology.
Step 2: Complete Educational and Training Requirements
You will need to complete at least 20 hours of education training through a pre-licensing course. There are certain approved schools that can provide these courses. Once you finish the course, you need the instructor to sign a certificate that states that you have completed the pre-licensing education requirements.
Step 3: Pass Your Licensing Exam and Apply for Your License
Once you finish the course, you have to sit for the licensing exam. The exam has 60 questions and you will have an hour to finish it. It costs about $45 to register for the exam.
The exam will cover insurance regulations, legal framework, and bail bond principles and practices. If you pass the exam, you can pay $400 and apply for your license.
Your license needs to be renewed annually by paying $200 and showing proof that you completed 8 hours of continuing education. All licenses expire on June 30 of each year and can be renewed online.
Step 4: Develop Contacts in the Industry
Now you are ready to be a bail enforcement agent. The work does not stop here. In fact, now the real work will start to build your career as a successful bail enforcement agent.
The first thing you need to do is to network with other bail bond agents. Success as a bail enforcement agent is all about building your network and your contacts. The more people you know, the easier your job will be.
Step 5: Understand the Business
Your training may teach you the basics, but there’s still a lot more to learn. You need to understand basic bail bond terminology that will get you started. More than that, you need to understand how to run your own business including registering your business name, maintaining records, and getting business cards.
You will need to understand how to conduct investigations, find fugitives, and get paid. These are all necessary steps to increasing your income potential and starting your career as a bail enforcement agent. Every day will be a learning experience and over time, your success rate will increase as well.
Apply Today to Become a Bail Enforcement Agent
Now you know exactly what is required from a bail enforcement agent. Taking these 5 steps, you can be on your way to becoming a bail enforcement agent in no time. Rather than working a 9 to 5 office job, you can begin a career that allows you to be your own boss, be creative, and feel like you have a purpose in life.
If you are a committed self-starter who is looking to become a bail bonds agent in North Carolina, South Carolina, or Virginia, then you have come to the right place. Apply today and we will help you to set up your business, maintain records, post bonds, and everything else that you need to know to excel at being a bail enforcement agent.