Whoever said that “crime doesn’t pay” should really think about rephrasing that statement. It may be true that criminals who commit crimes often times don’t prosper, but some of the people around them do. Police get to paid to catch them, lawyers get paid to represent them, and bail bondsmen make money getting them out of jail. So, in fact, many people actually do prosper from crime. Since crime is a frequent occurrence throughout the United States, one might as well make an honest buck off of it. So if policing the streets scares you and law school costs too much, looking into becoming a certified licensed bail bondsman may be an option.
How to Get Licensed
Like all trades in the world, there are certain requirements and prerequisites that need to be met when becoming a bail bondsman. Some of these prerequisites are as simple as meeting an age requirement, that age being 18 years old, and being a resident of the state you wish to operate in, this excludes Illinois, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Kentucky as bail bondsman are illegal in these states. Others include having a criminal background check done, submitting your fingerprints to local authorities, and meeting with the Department of Insurance. After all these prerequisites are met training can begin. This can be as easy as filling out an application for a bail bondsman licenses and waiting 90 days.
After hearing back from the Department of Insurance a written test must be completed in order to become a licensed bail bondsman. Again, depending on the state, there may be other requirements such as a criminal justice education, firearms training, or an apprenticeship with an established bail bondsman, as are the rules in Florida.
Paycheck
It may not sound very legit, but in this case crime will be paying your salary when you become a bail bondsman. On average, the starting salary for a bail bondsman is around $24,000 per year. This may not seem like a lucrative deal but it is unrealistic to think that you will be making as much money as a veteran bondsman at the start of your career. An established bail bondsman salary is nothing to scoff at though, as successful bondsman can earn over $150,000 a year. Despite having a nice paycheck at the end of the road a career as a bondsman is filled with risks that can make or break your wallet in the end.
Safer But Not for the Squeamish
Working as a bail bondsman may be safer than walking the beat as a police officer but that is not to say that it doesn’t have its own intrinsic risks. Depending on where you live becoming a licensed bail bondsman could require a certain amount of firearms training as well as training with tasers and self defense training. You may be wondering why in the world a bail bondsman would need a gun that answer is simple enough. Bounty Hunting. In some states bail bondsman are expected, or more than willing, to recover criminals skipping on bail that they posted. This is where the job is more dangerous than glamorous.
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