(a) A professional bondsman or recovery agent commencing business in any judicial circuit in this state on and after June 1, 2020, shall attend a 12-hour instructional course conducted by an educational provider approved by the board and pass an examination approved by the board and administered by an educational provider approved by the board. Upon completion of the course and passage of the examination, the individual shall be awarded an initial examination certificate by the board, copies of which may be submitted to the presiding circuit judge, or other judicial authority, along with the other requirements set forth in Section 15-13-159 or Section 15-13-160. Those professional bondsmen and recovery agents doing business immediately prior to June 1, 2020, are exempt from the initial 12-hour course and examination.
(b) Unless exempted pursuant to subsection (i), a professional bondsman or recovery agent making an annual filing in any circuit in this state pursuant to Section 15-13-159 or Section 15-13-160 on and after March 1, 2020, shall first complete eight hours of continuing education conducted by an educational provider approved by the board. A professional bail company owner, who is 55 years of age and has 10 years of experience in the profession, shall only be required to complete four hours of continuing education. The educational provider approved by the board shall provide the board with the name of all professional bondsmen or recovery agents completing eight hours of continuing education. Upon completion of the eight hours of continuing education, the individual shall request issuance of an annual continuing education certificate from the board, copies of which may be submitted to the presiding circuit judge along with the other requirements set forth in Section 15-13-159 or Section 15-13-160.
(c) The 12-hour instructional course, examination, or continuing education courses shall be taught or sponsored by an educational provider approved by the board, which must apply annually for authority to offer such examination or courses.
(d) A list of approved course providers shall be published on the website of the board.
(e) The cost of the 12-hour course shall be set by the approved course provider but shall not exceed five hundred dollars ($500) per course. Upon completion of the 12-hour course, the approved course provider shall issue a 12-hour course completion certificate in a form approved by the board. This completion certificate must be presented to the board in order to take the introductory examination. A 12-hour course completion certificate shall be valid for a period of 12 months.
(f) The cost of continuing education courses shall be set by the approved course provider but shall not exceed seventy-five dollars ($75) per hour. Any fee required to be paid by a course provider for reporting continuing education course completion to the board may be added to the maximum charges provided in this subsection.
(g) Each professional bondsman and recovery agent must renew his or her certification with the board by completing the eight hours of approved continuing education prior to November 1 each year. Late renewal within the next 12 months may be had by completing the eight hours of continuing education and paying a renewal license fee of twice the amount otherwise required. If a professional bondsman or recovery agent fails to renew a certification for a 12-month period, the professional bondsman or recovery agent will be required to take the initial 12-hour course and examination to again become certified.
(h) The board shall set the fees to be paid to the board in the administration of this section, not to exceed the amounts set forth below:
(1) Examination fee, a nonrefundable fee to be paid to take the examination and for the issuance of the initial examination certificate, per examination attempt: One hundred twenty-five dollars ($125).
(2) Annual continuing education renewal certificate fee, to be paid to receive the annual continuing education certificate: Fifty dollars ($50).
(i) Any professional bondsman who, on September 1, 2019, is 60 years of age and has 10 years of experience in the profession, shall be exempt from the continuing education requirements of this article.
(j) The board shall adopt rules necessary to carry out this section.
Last modified: May 3, 2021