Are you looking for a fulfilling career that helps people get a second chance? Do you want to use your diligence and leadership skills to help people find their path? If so, then you should consider becoming a bail bond agent in North Carolina.
Doing so can help you unlock a unique and exciting career field. You can quickly learn the ins and outs of the bail bond business, then start building your own career. You go as far as you wish to take it!
See below for an in-depth guide on what nobody tells you about becoming a bail bondsman so that you can set the expectation for yourself.
1. Not All Clients are Compliant
The career of a bail bondsman is simple in theory—you give those that have lost their way a chance to correct themselves and find a better life. You’re the one that will be there to help them in their darkest hour.
After you bail them out, you’ll be the one that’s holding them accountable for showing up in court and attending their hearings. However, that’s not always as simple as it sounds.
There will be some people that have no interest in appearing in court. It will take a significant push for them to show up when they’re supposed to and, even then, might not listen. Even with significant penalties and jail time awaiting if they no-show, they won’t have the inspiration to do so.
However, you won’t be alone. As a bail bondsman, you will be seen as a tremendous asset to lawyers within your network. You and they will work as a team to ensure that the client shows up at all scheduled court hearings.
The better you are at getting clients to meet required hearings, the more that lawyers will refer you to clients in the future.
2. There Are Requirements to Become One
As you might imagine, the state of North Carolina won’t just let anyone be put in a position to bail offenders out of jail. They need to ensure that you’re compliant with the law yourself.
For that reason, North Carolina has a strict set of regulations to ensure that you have the proper skills, education, and temperament for the job. These regulations include the following:
- At least 21 years of age
- Have a high school diploma or higher
- Not have any outstanding bail bonds on your record
- Valid North Carolina driver’s license
- Never have been convicted of a felony anywhere in the United States
- Not have any misdemeanor drug violations in the past two years
As you can see, these regulations aren’t overbearing. They simply ensure that a bail bondsman getting registered in the state of NC is dedicated to following the law themselves.
Along with those regulations above, North Carolina also requires that you be a North Carolina resident for at least 6 months before applying for a bail bondsman license.
Lastly, you can’t be employed in a separate position within the legal system when you register for your license as a bail bondsman. That includes positions such as being an attorney, probation officer, law enforcement official, jailer, etc.
3. You Need to Get Personal With Your Clients
One of the biggest misconceptions about bail bondsman is that they can remain hands-off and treat their clients as any other business would.
As we mentioned earlier, you’ll be coming across people in their darkest hour. That means that you’ll have to get personal and ask some pretty hard-hitting questions to get the information you need.
To ensure that your clients appear in court when they’re supposed to, you have to understand what makes them tick. What inspires them? What gives them hope for a chance? What issues or problems pushed them to commit the crime in the first place?
Some bail bond agents love this part of the job. For others, it can be tough to get to know people on a personal level. It’s better to know that ahead of time.
4. You’re Required to be Supervised (At First)
Understandably, the state of North Carolina can’t allow rookie bail bond agents to run around without much experience. It could complicate the state’s legal processes.
To help give those new bail bond agents guidance and financial support, North Carolina requires that all bail bondmen are supervised by a trusted bail bond agency.
You’ll need to find a bail bond agency that’s been licensed for at least 2 years or more. You only need to be supervised for your first year.
5. Proper Education is Necessary
As you might imagine, up-and-coming bail bond agents must be properly educated on their position and North Carolina’s legal system.
However, contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to attend college to do so. First, you start by taking a pre-licensing course for bail agents. After that, you’ll apply for a bail bondsman license in the state of North Carolina.
Once your application has been processed and approved, you have permission to take your exam to become a bail bond agent. After that’s done, you can begin your practice while being supervised by a bail bond agency.
Become a Bail Bond Agent Today
Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on what nobody tells you about becoming a bail bond agent, be sure to use this information to your advantage.
Be sure to read this article for more information on the 7 common bail bond agent mistakes and how you can avoid them in your future practice. For those of you looking to become a bail bondsman, be sure to apply now and get the process started.