Requirements To Become A Bounty Hunter
License requirements to become a bounty hunter vary from
state to state so before going any further, I want to warn you
that this is not legal advice and you should check your states
specific laws.
Now that’s out of the way. You should know that bounty hunting
is restricted in many states. As a matter of fact it is outright
banned in Illinois, Kentucky, North & South Carolina, Wisconsin
& the District of Columbia
States that have laws outlining the
requirements to become a bounty hunter or bail bondsman
include New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Alaska,
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware,
Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire,
New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington,
West Virginia, Wyoming
Why some states have strict requirements to become a bounty
hunter and others don’t allow the practice doesn’t make much
sense. Just look at the good they do for the law enforcement
community and society at large.
For example bounty hunters also known as
bail enforcement agents
capture criminals out on bail who don’t show up for their court
date. They do so with out the same legal authority as a police
officer but still face the same dangers.
Bounty Hunter
Requirement: 1
Know all state requirements backward and forward. Not doing so
can put you on the wrong side of the law yourself. While doing
research I ran across a story of a Maryland bounty hunter who
was arrested in the District of Columbia.
He had a tip on the whereabouts of a wanted fugitive so he
contacted the local police for back up. Instead of getting his
man. He was arrested for possession of a fire arm and let the
fugitive go.
Apparently he didn’t follow the letter of the law and had to pay
a steep price for his ignorance. So to repeat. The #1
requirement of a bounty hunter is know the law!
Bounty Hunter Schools: teach courses in
investigation techniques, psychology and surveillance among
others. In these classes you learn critical skills to maximize
your safety and effectiveness as a bounty hunter.
When conducting investigations a bail
bondsman / bounty hunter needs to know how to perform
background checks to help solve the case. By finding out as much
information about the fugitive as possible they are able to put
the pieces of the puzzle together.
The specific requirements of becoming a bounty hunter are state
specific, so start there first. Once you’ve decided that this is
the career you want to pursue, It is definitely worth the
investment of time to check out a bounty hunter school
for training