Arkansas Laws Regarding Bail Bonds & Bounty Hunters
Below is basic information on bail bond laws for Arkansas concerning Bail Enforcement, Bounty Hunters, Fugitive Apprehension and Bail Bondsman. This is not legal advice. Laws change frequently, please check the links provided for possible updates and current information.
- Arkansas bail bond law state statutes and state court rules:
- Arkansas Code (AC) Title 5 Criminal Offenses. Subtitle 5, Chapter 54. (5-54-120 re failure to appear);
- AC Title 16, Practice, Procedure, And Court Subtitle 6, Chapter 84 Bail Generally.
- AC Title 17 Subtitles 2. Chapter 19. Bail Bondsmen [17-19-101 to 403].
- Arkansas licensing requirements for Bail agents:
- A. TYPE OF LICENSE.
- A licensee is a professional bail bond company or a professional bail bondsmen. [17-19-101(5)]
- A professional bail bondsmen is an Arkansas(AR) resident who transacts business through the authority of a professional bail bond company. [17-19-101(6)] A bondsman must have a valid appointment from the company and a numbered power of attorney. [17-14-201(b)]
- A professional bail bond company is a resident of an Arkansas firm, partnership, corporation, or foreign corporation authorized to conduct business in Arkansas. [17-19-101(7)]
- An insurer is any company qualified to transact surety business in Arkansas [17-19-101(3)]. To write bail bonds, the insurer must be licensed as a professional bail bond company [17-19-201(6)].
- Certain employees of a professional bail bond company who are employed for clerical, investigation, or administrative duties need to not be licensed. [17-19-201(e)]
No one can engage in the bail bond business unless licensed in accord with the above. [17-19-201]
B. Application [17-19-202]
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1) Both the application for professional bail bondsmen or professional bail bond company application must be on forms provided by the Board. [17-19-202(a)]
2) The bondsman’s application shall be accompanied with a power of attorney from the company for whom the bondsman will act. [17-19-202(6)]
3) The company’s license application must be accompanied by proof that it is an Arkansas corporation or if a foreign corporation, that is registered to do business in Arkansas. Proof of its most recent payment of the annual franchise tax is also required [17-19-202(c)].
4) A company license fee is $1,000 [17-19-202(d)(1)].An individual bondsman’s license fee is $100 [17-19-202(d)(2)].
Fees are annual.
5) Each bondsman applicant shall provide three character references, fingerprints, background check as required to show good character and a trustworthy business reputation, no felony or moral turpitude convictions [17-19-203].
6) Each bondsman applicant must take and pass a written examination at a time and place determined by the Board and pay a non-refundable fee of $25 for an examination permit valid for 90 days. [17-19-204].- Completion annually of 8 hours of education in pertinent subjects [17-19-212] [17-19-404] except for bondsman 65 years or older licensed for 15 years or more [17-19-107].
7) A company applicant shall file with the Board an irrevocable letter of credit from an Arkansas chartered bank or a federally chartered bank in Arkansas. The minimum amount for company licensed before July 1, 1989 shall be $25,000, After July 7, 1989, the amount shall be $100,000. [17-29-205]
* A license expires on December 31 following the date of issuance. It is renewed by filing a renewal application.
C. Regulatory Body.
- The regulatory body is the Arkansas Professional Bail Bond Company and Professional Bail Bondsman Licensing Board comprised of seven members approved by the governor for seven-year term. [17-19-106]
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