So, without further fan fare, here are the necessary steps to becoming a licenced bail bondsman in California:

1. You must have lived in California for least 2 years and be prepared to provide proof.
2. You must be 18 years old or older.
3. You need a clean record. Kind of an obvious one since you are working within the legal system, but many people don’t realize that to be a bail bondsman, you must have no felony convictions on your record. (Unlike the NFL which employs many people without clean records.)
4. The California Department of Insurance regulates the bail industry. For someone interested in becoming a bail bondsman, you will spend a bit of time with this department. At the DOI, as it’s known, you will find all the necessary forms for becoming a bail agent. There’s quite a list of fees, forms, and applications, so be prepared to put a side a weekend to get through everything.
5. You must also get 12 hours of classroom study, called Pre Licensing Education. Usually available on weekends. Make sure they are approved providers.
6. After taking the class there is an exam that must be passed (that’s next up for me). Find an actual examination site through the DOI’s website. Online examinations are also available, fill out form Individual Application, Form LIC 441-9 and provide your email address and the DOI will email you an online examination schedule for you to choose from.
7. With the test passed, fingerprints are done (for another fee, of course), and all that’s left is finding a surety – an insurance company to underwrite your bonds. Then, filing the necessary applications and paying the fees to the Department of Insurance.

A final word about starting a bail bonds business: Writing bail is risky and at times can get very complicated. Sure, some of the smaller, $10K bonds, are quick and easy but you will learn in time that almost every bail bond is different. Obtaining the knowledge to make the right decisions can only come from working in the industry. It only takes one or two mistakes before you find yourself liable for a bail you shouldn’t have written and potentially out of business. So make sure you are mentored in to the bail bonds industry before you decide to go out on your own.

Good Luck!

(Assumedly, you already know how bail bonds work, so I’ll skip those details.) In order to survive as a bail bondsman, be prepared to be on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Any good bail bondsman or company will tell you, the entire livelihood of the company is generated from the 10% premium of the bail that is written. If you are not willing to take calls on Saturday morning at 3:00am, you probably won’t be in business for very long.

Additionally, doing all the necessary technical steps to becoming a bail bondsman are very straight forward, but becoming a bail expert is not. As a bondsman, you must use judgement and tolerate risk well. A bondsman is personally responsible for the liability of the full amount of every bond written. Although a bondsman is underwritten by an insurance company, as Greg points out in “What Makes A Bail Bond Different” the liability first falls to the bondsman. If you don’t have good judgement, you’ll be bankrupt in no time. Ready to take on hundreds of thousands in liablity?

So, if you don’t mind night owl shifts, birthday, Christmas and Valentine’s Day interruptions (and your friends and family understand this), and you have excellent judgement and a strong backbone for risk, you may be a good candidate to become a California bail bondsman.

Tune in tomorrow for recommended steps and qualifications in becoming a licensed bondsman. Now, I’m off to take my bail pre-licensing class…