Being a Bail Bonds Agent in Rancho Cucamonga is not as easy as one thinks. It is a highly regulated profession and requires financial savvy. It is not a bounty hunter’s job, rather, it is more of an insurance agent job. The bail bondsmen and all the bail bonds he issued are strictly validated and certified by the Department of Insurance in California and the Insurance Company acting as the surety to the bond.
Bail bonds are issued by the bail bondsmen to guarantee to the court that the defendant will appear in his court hearings. The defendant only needs to pay a premium to get the bond. However, the bail bond agent will be responsible for paying the full amount of the bail should the defendant skips court. Issuing a bond is the risk a bail bondsman has to manage day in and day out. The bail bonds agent does not sleep because the jails are always busy.
As such, an ideal bail bondsman must have the confidence to deal with people and financial savvy to know which risks he can take, and from which ones to walk away.
If you think you have what it takes to be successful in this field, here are the necessary qualifications and requirements.
Are you Eligible?
Here are the primary qualifications to join the bail bondsman profession.
- At least 18 years of age
- A California resident for at least two years
- Pass criminal background check
- A person with good moral character. You should not have any felony or misdemeanor convictions
- Attended a pre-licensing course
- Satisfactorily pass the licensing examination
- Must have the sponsorship of an insurance company
What training and Sponsorship do you need?
Most of the bail bondsmen have a background in business and finance. A strong background in the said field is necessary because of the financial management skills the job requires. You will be issuing bail bonds in Rancho Cucamonga, and you will be responsible for assessing that the persons you issue it to are capable of meeting their end of the bargain. In this case, it is to keep the defendant present in all of his court appointments.
Aside from a Bachelor or Associate Degree in Business or Finance, you are required to attend a 20-hour pre-licensing course specially developed for bail bonds agent. The course is a preparation for the license exam and the real work ahead. The course will cover the following subjects:
- Licensing
- Ethics
- Bail laws and regulations
- Rights of the accused
The California Department of Insurance does not endorse a specific training school but you can refer to the following link for listed Bail Agent course provider in their website. https://interactive.web.insurance.ca.gov/providercourselookup/front?event=provider&function=providerCourseSearchForm
Aside from your training, you should start looking for an insurance company in Rancho Cucamonga that can back you up. A legitimate insurance company should act as the surety for the bonds you will issue, or else, they are useless. Looking for a sponsor might be the toughest requirement, but you can intern or be a regular worker in surety companies, same as how most of the bail bondsman started. Or, there are insurance companies that would be willing to sponsor you in exchange for collateral as a guarantee.
How can I apply for the license?
You need to go to the California Department of Insurance (DOI) to apply for your license. The DOI regulates and certifies all bail bonds agents in Rancho Cucamonga. Here are the requirements that you need to submit.
- Filled out Bail Application for Insurance License form
You can download the application form from the DOI Website.
- Licensing fee payment to the California Department of Insurance
The licensing fee only covers the license. You need to pay separately for the examination fee and fingerprinting fee. Please head to the DOI Website for the updated fees schedule.
- Proof of completion of the pre-licensing course
You need a certificate as evidence that you attended the required course.
- Sponsorship Confirmation from the insurance company
You can get this from the insurance company that confirmed your sponsorship with them.
The California Bail Agent License is valid for two years. You can renew it prior to expiration upon completion of the required 12 hours continuing education training. You need the complete the new training before you renew the license to keep you updated on the current regulations and practices for your profession.
For your convenience, here is the link to the California DOI website:
http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0050-renew-license/0200-requirements/bail-agent.cfm
When Can I Take The Examination and Get My License
The examination schedule will be given to you after you submit your complete license application requirements and pay the license fee. A separate exam fee should be paid once you get your exam date. The exam has 75 items of multiple choice questions that you need to finish within two hours.
For your guidance, you may access the following link (http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0030-seek-pre-lic/0100-requirements/prelicensing-educational-objectivies.cfm) then click on “Bail Educational Objectives” to know the pre-licensing objectives of the California bail agent examination and have an idea on the coverage of the license exam.
The passing grade is 70%. Try to ace the exam on your first try but do not worry if you did not make it because there is no limit to the times you can retake the exam. Your only concern about retaking it is paying the exam fee again and again which could get expensive.
Once you pass the Bail Agent Commissioner’s Exam, you will be ushered to be fingerprinted. This print will be used to conduct a thorough background check so make sure that you are truthful in answering your application because you will not be granted a license if you have any criminal record.
After the background check is cleared, you will receive the following from the Department of Insurance in around six weeks.
- Your Bail Agent License number
- Your Bail Agent card
- Bail Agent Certificate