While reality TV shows portray bail bondsmen apprehending fugitives through dramatic confrontations, the job in real life usually involves non-violent apprehensions. However, as bail bondsmen deal with unpredictable suspects, their work can be dangerous. Some bail bondsmen carry guns for protection, but they must be licensed like regular citizens. Training and background checks are required to obtain a firearms license. Bail bondsmen are also bound by laws limiting unnecessary force and governing appropriate gun use, but they may need to defend themselves in dangerous situations. Their goal is to apprehend suspects without incident through preparation and backup support.

1. Do Bail Bondsman Carry Guns?
By Tori Edwards
Since reality TV has found its
way into American homes,
shows such as “Dog the Bounty
Hunter,” and National
Geographic’s “Bounty Hunter,”
have filled living rooms with
with tough-as-nails characters,
colorful storylines, and scenes of
busting down doors and tackling
fugitives. Dog the Bounty
Hunter has become a household
name. But while these shows
make for good entertainment,
they hardly show what life is
like for real bail bondsmen.
While bail bondsmen apprehend
bail skippers on a daily basis, confrontations as dramatic as those shown on TV are few and far
in between. Still, apprehending unpredictable fugitives can be a dangerous job, and bail
bondsmen must take proper precautions.
When a defendant is arrested and is unable to afford the bail amount set by the judge, he usually
gives a bail bondsman a call. After collateral is agreed upon and the paperwork is signed, the bail
bondsman provides the bail money and the defendant goes free. The bondsman then ensures that
the defendant shows up in court. Most of the time, everything goes as planned; however, there
are also times when the defendant skips out on bail hearings, and the bail bondsman must
apprehend the “skip” and take him back to jail. Though these confrontations usually aren’t
violent, some bail bondsmen carry guns as an extra precaution.
A common question asked of experienced bail bondsmen is whether becoming a bondsman
guarantees you get to carry a gun. What many people don’t realize is that bail bondsmen are
subject to the same rules and regulations as regular citizens. They are not allowed carry guns
unless they have a proper license issued by the state in which they live. Bail Bondsmen are
required to take courses specific to the firearms they will carry, and the courses must be
administered by organizations approved by the Criminal Investigations and Technical Services
Division.
The rules and regulations regarding guns vary from state to state. For this reason, it is essential
for anyone wishing to become a bail bondsman to be familiar with the rules specific to the state
in which he or she resides, including rules regarding brandishing and discharging guns in public.
Though bail bondsmen are allowed to carry guns and are allowed to apprehend suspects, they
still must obey the same firearms statutes that regular citizens are expected to follow.
Photo courtesy of Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

2. In addition to going through certification
and training in order to carry a gun, bail
bondsmen must pass criminal background
checks. If they have prior convictions, they
are not allowed to carry guns. Recently, a
bail bondsman in Maryland was arrested for
having a .38 caliber revolver in his
possession. Because of a prior theft
conviction, he was prohibited from carrying
a handgun.
A bail bondsman must be familiar not only with the laws regarding guns, but with laws regarding
arrest and detention of suspects as well. If a bail bondsman uses unnecessary, excessive force
when apprehending a defendant, or arrests the wrong person, he faces potential lawsuits or even
criminal charges. Though the instances are few, there are times when bail bondsmen encounter
dangerous “skips” who do not want to be detained. In such situations, when a bail bondman’s life
is on the line, the question arises: When is it okay for a bail bondsman to fire a weapon in
defense?
In 2008, a Washington man who skipped bail on several outstanding criminal charges was
confronted by four bonds agents. The suspect backed his car into one of the agents and the agent,
fearing for his life, fatally shot the man. In a separate incident in 2012, it was two California bail
bondsmen on the receiving end of the fatal shot, killed while trying to apprehend a defendant
who had skipped bail on a drug possession charge. Bail bondsmen have to be prepared for
anything. They know that backup is essential, as even one violent incident with a skip can be one
too many.
David Viele, a 10-year bail bonds veteran, says that although he carries a gun, he’s never had to
use it, because in most cases, the suspect surrenders. So while the jobs of real bail bondsmen
aren’t the drama played out on reality TV, a bail bondsman’s job can be dangerous and
unpredictable. This is why some choose to carry guns. However, bail bondsmen know they are
subject to the same gun laws as regular citizens. For this reason, they are required to go through
firearms training prior to becoming a bail bondsman, and they are held accountable for the way
they use their guns.
Sources:
Dubroff, M. Dee. 2012. “Bail Bondsmen and Danger: Two Ends That Sometime Meet.” http://
www.bailbondsman.org /news/bail-bondsmen-and-danger-two-ends-that-sometimes-meet-
10202/ (accessed June 25, 2013).
Seigle, Max. 2012. “Powers Bail Bondsmen on the Hunt for Suspects.” http://www.thv11.com/
news/article/212107/2/At-10-Powers-of-bail-bondsmen-on-hunt-for-suspects (accessed June
25, 2013).
Photo Courtesy of Kittisak / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

3. TheBaltimoreSun.com. 2011. “Bail Bondsman Arrested on Handgun Charge.” http://weblogs.
baltimoresun.com/news/crime/blog/2011/05/bail_bondsman_arrested_on_hand.html
(accessed June 25, 2013).
Turnto23.com. 2012. “Bail Bondsmen Brothers Found Fatally Shot.” http://www.turnto23.com/
news/your-neighborhood/southwest-county/bail-bondsmen-brothers-found-fatally-shot
(accessed 6/26/13).