I want to become a Bail Bondsman in Tennessee
Have you ever thought about becoming a bail bondsman in Tennessee? If you like working with people, respect the legal system in your state, don’t mind a little pressure now and then and can work independently but also as part of a team, than being a bail bondsman might be right for you.
In the State of Tennessee, a bondsman is a licensed professional who will enable a defendant to be released from jail when they cannot afford to pay the bail amount on their own. A bondsman will charge a fee for this service. This makes the bonding company responsible for paying the full amount of the bail bond to the court if the defendant does not show up for their assigned court date after a certain amount of time following the defendant’s failure to appear.
To start the process and add your name to the list of bail bondsman in Tennessee, you start by submitting your application to the TN Department of Commerce and Insurance as a licensed bail bond agent. There is a $50.00 application fee. This application can be found online at www.statebasedsystems.com.
You will also have to take an initial as well as yearly bail bond classes so that you are familiar with Tennessee bail bond laws. The TAPBA Tennessee Association of Professional Bail Agents offers membership and is the only entity authorized to teach continuing education bail bond classes in the State of Tennessee. Many locally owned bail bond agencies would welcome an additional bondsman to their agency and will be more than happy to help walk you through the licensing process. After all, they have had to do it themselves already.
Be prepared for the entire process to take 1-2 months in Tennessee, because there is a screening process that needs to take place. The following is a brief sequence of events that will take place as a part of the licensing process and becoming a bondsman.
- The Department of Commerce and Insurance will perform a criminal background check on you.
- If there are any issues with the background check you will be notified and have to address them.
- You will also be screened to see if you have/or have had any disciplinary actions taken against you.
- After you received your license, you will need a bail bond company to appoint you as an agent of the insurance company that the company is underwritten by.
- The bonding company will file a petition with the court to qualify you as an agent of that bail bond company. Upon the filing of the petition, the court will set a court date for a hearing to approve you as an agent of the bail bond company. You may or may not have to testify in court at this hearing. You need to prepare yourself to become accustomed to, prepared for and comfortable with appearing and/or testifying before a judge as a bail bond agent.
If you are looking to become a bonding agent in the greater Memphis area, United Bonding Company offers a great opportunity to it’s bail bond agents. Located at 200 Poplar Avenue, Suite 101 in downtown Memphis, just across the street from the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center at 201 Poplar Avenue, they offer a convenient professional service location with agents that are available 24/7. United Bonding Company has been in business for 12 years and is growing so they are always looking for new bail bond agents in the surrounding counties and all other counties throughout the State of Tennessee.
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