House Bill 302 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Chip BrownRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Bail and surety bonding; requirements for professional surety bondsman and professional bail bondsman further provided for, requirements for apprentice bondsman further provided for, to require circuit clerks to report the authorized professional bail bond companies, appointment of additional members to the Alabama Bail Bonding Board provided for, and late application and license renewal fees provided

Summary

HB302 would overhaul Alabama's bail bonding rules by tightening licensing, reporting, education, and governance for bondsmen, companies, and apprentices.

What This Bill Does

The bill tightens licensing rules by requiring professional surety bondsmen to be licensed for at least three years before owning a professional surety company. It adds reporting requirements, requiring circuit clerks to list all authorized professional bail bond companies within 30 days after the judge issues authorization and to share that list with the Alabama Professional Bail Bonding Board. It changes board structure and leadership, adding two governor-appointed members (a sheriff and a layperson), allowing current judges and clerks to serve, and renaming leadership roles while removing the automatic election of a new chair after each appointment. It also expands apprenticeship and residency rules, imposes late fees for license renewals and late renewals, requires a one-year Alabama residency to become licensed, creates an inactive license status with a reactivation process, and makes other technical updates to the code.

Who It Affects

• Bail bond professionals and companies, including professional bondsmen, professional surety bondsmen, owners, and apprentices, who would face new licensing criteria, definitions, education requirements, residency rules, and reporting duties.
• Circuit clerks, the Governor, and the Alabama Professional Bail Bonding Board, who would implement new reporting processes, board appointments, and governance changes.

Key Provisions

• Require professional surety bondsmen to be licensed for at least three years before owning a professional surety company.
• Circuit clerks must prepare and submit a list of authorized professional bail bond companies within 30 days of authorization and provide it to the Alabama Professional Bail Bonding Board.
• Define apprentice and employee in the Code; extend apprentice license to 180 days; apprentice license can be issued only once; require an eight-hour course for 19- or 20-year-olds.
• Governor to appoint two additional board members (one sheriff and one layperson); judges/clerks may be serving, supernumerary, or retired.
• Rename leadership roles from president/vice president to chair/vice chair and remove the automatic election of a new chair after each appointment.
• Impose late fees for license renewals and for renewals paid after the deadline; create an inactive license status with a reactivation process.
• Require one year of Alabama residency to become licensed; continue education requirements for ongoing licensure.
• Make nonsubstantive technical revisions to update code language and update corporate surety bond and escrow requirements (including potential higher minimums in counties with 200,000+ population).

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 12, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Criminal Procedure