Minnesota Laws Regarding Bail Bonds & Bounty Hunters
Below is basic information on bail bond laws for Minnesota concerning Bail Enforcement, Bounty Hunters, Fugitive Apprehension and Bail Bondsman. This is not legal advice as laws change frequently. Please check the links provided for possible updates and current information.
- Minnesota bail bond law state statutes:
- Minnesota Statutes Annotated General Rules Of Practice For The District Courts Title VIII. Rules Relating To Criminal Matters Rule 702. Bail.
Minnesota Statutes Annotated Criminal Procedure Chapter 629. Extradition, Detainers, Arrest, Bail Warrants; Bail Bonds
- Minnesota licensing requirements for Bail agents:
- Minnesota’s statutes currently do not contain regulations for regarding the licensing of bail bond recovery or bail enforcement agents. The closest equivalent in the MN statutes are the following regulations for those in the “bail bond business.”
Minnesota Statutes Annotated General Rules Of Practice For The District Courts Title Viii. Rules Relating To Criminal Matters Rule 702. Bail
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(a) Approval of Bond Procurers Required. No person shall engage in the business of procuring bail bonds, either cash or surety, for persons under detention until an application is approved by a majority of the judges in the judicial district. The application form shall be obtained from the court administrator. The completed application shall then be filed with the administrator stating the information requested and shall be accompanied by verification that the applicant is licensed as an insurance agent by the Minnesota Department of Commerce. The approval granted under this rule may be revoked or suspended by the chief judge of the judicial district or the chief judge’s designee and such revocation or suspension shall apply throughout the State of Minnesota.
(b) Corporate Sureties. Any corporate surety on a bond submitted to the judge shall be one approved by a majority of the judges of the judicial district and authorized to do business in the State of Minnesota. - Minnesota bail agent’s arrest authority.
- Minnesota Statutes Annotated Criminal Procedure Chapter 629. Extradition, Detainers, Arrest, Bail Warrants; Bail Bonds 629.63. Conditions under which surety may arrest defendant
- If a surety believes that a defendant for whom the surety is acting as bonding agent is (1) about to flee, (2) will not appear as required by the defendant’s recognizance, or (3) will otherwise not perform the conditions of the recognizance, the surety may arrest or have another person or the sheriff arrest the defendant.
- If the surety or another person at the surety’s direction arrests the defendant, the surety or the other person shall take the defendant before the judge before whom the defendant was required to appear and surrender the defendant to that judge.
- If the surety wants the sheriff to arrest the defendant, the surety shall deliver a certified copy of the recognizance under which the defendant is held to the sheriff, with a direction endorsed on the recognizance requiring the sheriff to arrest the defendant and bring the defendant before the appropriate judge.
- Upon receiving a certified copy of the recognizance and payment of the sheriff’s fees, the sheriff shall arrest the defendant and bring the defendant before the judge.
- Before a surety who has arrested a defendant who has violated the conditions of release may personally surrender the defendant to the appropriate judge, the surety shall notify the sheriff.
- Minnesota bounty hunter (fugitive apprehension) provisions:
- At this time, there appear to be no specific regulations for “Bounty Hunters” in the Minnesota statutes.
- Links to State and Local Authorities:
Please check with the Minnesota’s Department of Insurance, Licensing Board and/or Local Law Enforcement for the most recent updates. If you know of any updates to Minnesota’s bail bond laws, please provide as much detail as possible and send to us using our contact form.
