Bail bondsmen, also known as surety agents, are individuals who arrange bail for criminal defendants. They essentially coordinate a bail payment, which allows a suspected criminal to be released from prison pending trial. A bail is arranged by pledging either cash or assets. Average annual bail bondsman salaries in 2011 were $20,000, according to SimplyHired.com. Training in this field is available at multiple online schools, allowing students to learn about the industry from the convenience of their own homes.
University of Florida
The University of Florida offers a bail bondsman course online. The course covers terminology and industry principles for aspiring bail bond agents and is required by the Florida Department of Financial Services to pursue a professional bail bondsman license. During the course, students complete 10 lessons and five graded assignments. They have a year from the enrollment date to complete the course. At the conclusion of the course, students are required to complete an exam that is administered by a proctor at an educational institution.
California Bail Education School
The California Bail Education School offers an online 12-hour bail agent pre-licensing course. The class is taught by a California Department of Insurance licensed bail agent and bail bond business owner. The bail bondsman course covers topics such as an overview of bail agents' functions, bail collateral studies, criminal and courtroom procedures, relevant penal codes and lawful bounty hunting. Live seminars and online courses allow students to work at their own pace.
CompassPoint Investigations
CompassPoint Investigations provides online bail enforcement training courses that are written and edited by experienced industry professionals. All of the school's materials are updated monthly to ensure the latest information is available to students. The online material mirrors the information covered at the school's three-day workshops and simply allows students to complete the coursework more conveniently on their own schedule. Students go over concepts such as setting fees and marketing their bail services using a 173-page online electronic textbook.
Bail Bond Academy
Aspiring bail bondsmen can complete an online course through Bail Bond Academy, which prepares students to pass the New Jersey state exam for a limited liability producer authority in bail bonds. The 10-hour course is given by the Insurance Institute of New Jersey and includes an outline, study guide, practice quiz, answer guide and an online exam that students must pass to receive their certificate of completion. During the class, students learn about the day-to-day operations of a bail bond business.
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YaShekia King, of Indianapolis, began writing professionally in 2003. Her work has appeared in several publications including the "South Bend Tribune" and "Clouds Across the Stars," an international book. She also is a licensed Realtor and clinical certified dental assistant. King holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Ball State University.