A bail recovery agent is the preferred title for a “bounty hunter”, and they are also referred to as “fugitive recovery agents”. This is because the term brings to mind the Wild West and the term “dead and alive”, whereas their job now is to bring in fugitives on behalf of bail bondsmen. People in the job report that they find it a little more eventful than slaving away in a library, an accounts department or at a sales desk, though they do concede that it be potentially be more dangerous. Earnings can be high: an experienced agent working weekends and over a few evenings can make up to $50k a year, with a full-time agent having the potential to average more than $100k a year.
Needless to say, to make anything like good money, fugitive recovery officers need to be experienced and know how to track down and apprehend fugitives. If they don’t get their man they do not get any pay, it’s as simple as that. Top of the priority list before you can work as a bounty hunter is getting expert bail enforcement agent training that will lead to official licensing. Ensure that the people in your state who oversee the licensing approve whatever training you decide on. Your jurisdiction’s departments of justice, police and insurance should be able to give you extra details about this.
Studying for a degree in law enforcement or criminal justice would be a great way to start if you really are serious and academically-minded. The most practical bail enforcement agent training is to have been a sheriff’s deputy or police officer. Bear in mind that as well as passing an exam, you will have to submit to a background check before being hired.
Unless you been a cop or in another branch of law enforcement, going straight into work as a bail enforcement agent on your own can be difficult. Joining an agency is a often good idea for new bail enforcement agents. As a self-employed agent, you’ll be asked to come up with a bond deposit of something like $5k, so many fugitive recovery agents will work for an agency until they earn enough cash to pay this deposit and work on their own.
Networking with your local and regional police is a great idea. Being familiar with your town’s law enforcement officers will most definitely help you in the long run. You can build up a more useful network by including people in the department of criminal justice, as well as judges and defense and prosecuting attorneys. You will discover that these relationships could become essential to your new business, especially if you plan to work for yourself and build up your own team of bail enforcement agents.
There is so much more to know about the job of Bail Enforcement Agent. More resources about Becoming A Bounty Hunter here.