Becoming a Bail Bondsman in South Carolina

Eager to pursue a career that offers unique learning experiences and diverges from the typical nine-to-five schedule? Consider becoming a bail bondsman in South Carolina if working in an office has lost its appeal for you.

Never a Dull Day at Work

When people are accused of a bailable crime and are taken into custody, they may stay out of jail by paying the full amount of their bail (cash bond). Defendants who do not have enough cash on hand can pay bail by giving the court the liens or legal claim to his or her property, which must be equivalent to the bail amount (property bond).

As a licensed bail bond agent working with Amistad Bail Bonds, you’ll provide defendants and their families a third type of bail that’s more affordable and attractive than a cash bond or property bond: surety bonds.

With this type of bond, you will act as a surety and guarantee to the court that a defendant will make all it to all of his or her required court appearances.

High Earning Potential

You must be wondering now how and how much you’ll earn as a surety for defendants in South Carolina. In return for your services and bail guarantee, you will receive 15% of the bail amount in an upfront fee.

Providing surety bond for a defendant with a DUI charge and bail amount of $2,500, for example, will net you $375. Another example is for general kidnapping arrests, which often require a $100,000 bail bond. You could receive $15,000 as the surety bail bondsman for the defendant in this type of case.

You can have unlimited earning potential as a bail bondsman, more so if you start your own bail bonds business in South Carolina.

Other Career Benefits

Besides the financial benefits, building a career as a surety bail bondsman with Amistad Bail Bonds gives you plenty of personal and career benefits:

  • Help people stay out of jail – The principle behind bail bonds is that a defendant is innocent until proven guilty. You can ensure that charged individuals don’t have to stay a minute longer than they have to in jail. They can spend their time preparing for their case, instead.
  • Enjoy a flexible work schedule – There are no set hours for surety bond agents; you’re free to work at whatever time is convenient for you. You must, however, keep your business number available at all times so a client can reach you anytime.
  • Hire a team at your leisure – When you’re getting more calls than you can manage, you can hire assistants to help manage your workload. While it’s helpful to have a licensed bail bonds agent working for and with you, it’s not necessary when you’re just starting your business.
  • Achieve job security – Accidents can happen at any time and place, and people can get involved in situations that merit an arrest. There will always be people who will need your services as a surety bond agent.
  • Become self-employed – The high-income potential and flexibility of this job, along with the training and support Amistad Bail Bonds provides to agents, empowers you to become self-sufficient. More importantly, self-employment can take you a step closer to business ownership.

Not everyone can achieve their career goals and, at the same time, be of service to their community. As a surety bond provider, you can earn substantial financial benefits, provide jobs, and offer relief to defendants and their families.

 

How to Become a Bail Bond Agent

The road to becoming a surety bondsman in South Carolina is straightforward:

1. Meet the base requirements of the state.

Aspiring bail bondsmen must meet these criteria by the time they apply for a license:

  • 18 years old or older
  • A resident of South Carolina
  • A person of good moral character
  • Has no felony conviction or crime involving moral turpitude in the last ten (10) years

These requirements are easy to fulfill, suggesting that anyone willing to put in the hours for learning and training can become a licensed bail bondsman.

2. Complete the required training for bail bonds agents.

The Pre-Licensing Course for Bail Bondsmen is a mandatory, 30-hour course that covers general insurance and its regulations, the legal framework of contracts, Chapter 53 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, and the principles of bail bonding.

There are six Pre-Licensing Education Course Sponsors in South Carolina, and you’ll need to secure a certificate of completion from any of these institutions.

3. Take and pass the state licensing exam.

Register for the SC Professional Bail Bondsman/Runner exam at PSI Exams to schedule a time and date. The test will take around 65 minutes and requires a $45 exam fee. Below is the outline of the exam:

10% – Insurance Regulation

29% – The Legal Framework

61% – Bail Bond Principles and Practices

Your exam score will be valid for the next 12 months; if you pass, you can proceed with your license application within the year.

4. Obtain a limited lines producer license.

South Carolina requires all surety bondsman license applicants to get a limited lines producer license first. Register for the SC Surety Insurance Producer exam at PSI Exams and pay $45 for the exam fee. The test will take 60 minutes, and your exam score will also be valid for 12 months.

To apply for your producer license, apply online at the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), pay the $25 licensing fee, and schedule an appointment with IdentoGo for fingerprinting. For more details, visit the SC Department of Insurance website.

5. Apply for a Surety Bondsman License.

Visit the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) and apply for a Surety Bondsman license. You’ll also need to provide the following:

  • Limited lines producer license
  • Licensing fee of about $40
  • One passport-sized photograph
  • Certificate of Completion of your pre-licensing course
  • Your licensing exam report from PSI
  • Two fingerprint cards (a separate requirement from your Producer License)
  • Proof of net worth or cash deposits of at least $10,000 (Not needed with Amistad partnership)

Become a Surety Bondsman with Amistad Bail Bonds

While it’s possible to carve a career in surety on your own, Amistad Bail Bonds offers a more promising opportunity: to become a professional and eventually have the chance to establish your own business with our guidance.

Working as a licensed bail bonds agent of Amistad Bail Bonds gives you a significant advantage:

  • Guidance for your licensing exam preparation
  • Supervision during the first months of your career
  • 24/7 live support for all agents
  • Website creation and marketing assistance for your business
  • Training on client relations, posting of bonds, handling forfeitures, and more
  • Documentation tools and CRM software
  • Continuing education on business management and the industry at large

Amistad Bail Bonds goes the extra mile in educating agents and providing the assistance they need. With our guidance, you can look forward to a rewarding career as a surety bondsman in South Carolina.

We’d love to talk more about how we can help you start your career in surety. Give us a call and let’s schedule an appointment.