How to Become a Bail Bond Writer

If you want to become a bail bond writer you need to have some exposure to law enforcement and criminal justice, because you will become part of the system. A bail bond writer is, in one sense, an insurance salesman. He writes the bonds that secure the bail that allows criminals to go free between the time they are arrested and their trial dates. The bail bond is the security that ensures they will return to face their charges.

Step 1
Get exposure to law enforcement either through a course in criminal justice or a job as a police officer. Either way, you need to familiarize yourself with how the criminal justice system works--specifically the rights the public and the accused do and do not have.

Step 2
Contact your state's insurance commission and find out what the requirements are to get your bail bondsman license. Usually, it requires 10 to 12 hours of classroom training, then the passing of a written test.

Step 3
Take the required classes to become a bail bondsman. Complete all the coursework and study to pass the exam, if your state has one.

Step 4
Apply for your Department of Insurance license, which is the license that allows you to write the legal bail bond (a form of insurance). When you receive the license make a copy of it.

Step 5
Complete your application for a Bail Agency Producer License through the FCS (Financial Casualty and Surety Inc.). You will need to download the application from its website.

Step 6
Open up your bail bonds "store." Rent a small commercial property near a busy road and install a lighted sign. Then start collecting clients and generating word of mouth advertising.

By S. Baselice, eHow Editor