House Bill 302 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Chip Brown Representative

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

Description

Under existing law, a professional bail bondsman is not qualified to own his or her own professional bail company until he or she has been licensed as a professional bail bondsman for at least three years, but that restriction does not apply to professional surety bondsmen.

This bill would require a professional surety bondsman to be licensed for at least three years before he or she could own his or her own professional surety company.

Under existing law, there is an annual recertification process for professional bond companies with certain reporting requirements the companies must follow.

This bill would require circuit clerks to prepare a report listing all professional bail bond companies authorized to operate in the circuit within 30 days of the presiding circuit judge issuing the authorization order.

Under existing law, the terms "apprentice" and "employee" are defined in the administrative rules of the board but not in the Code of Alabama 1975.

This bill would define the terms.

Under existing law, an apprentice bondsman HB302 INTRODUCED license expires after 120 days, and the Alabama Professional Bail Bonding Board may provide exceptions so that applicants who are 19 or 20 years of age may hold an apprentice license until they are 21 years of age.

This bill would extend the apprentice license expiration to 180 days, provide that an apprentice license can only be issued once, and require a 19 or 20 year old apprentice to complete an eight hour instructional course.

Under existing law, the Governor is responsible for appointing to the Alabama Professional Bail Bonding Board one circuit, district, or municipal judge who is currently serving and one municipal or circuit court clerk who is currently serving.

This bill would provide that the appointed judge and court clerk may be currently serving, supernumerary, or retired.

This bill would provide the Governor two additional appointments to the board, one serving sheriff, nominated by the Alabama Sheriff's Association, and one lay person, nominated by the Alabama Bail Bond Association.

Under existing law, the Alabama Professional Bail Bonding Board must select a new president and vice president each time a new member is appointed to the board.

This bill would rename the positions of HB302 INTRODUCED president and vice president chair and vice chair.

This bill would also remove the requirement that a new chair and vice chair be elected each time a new member is appointed to the board.

Under existing law, there is no late fee for submitting a license renewal application after the deadline.

This bill would impose a late fee on renewal applications submitted after the deadline.

This bill would impose an additional late fee for license renewal fees paid after the deadline.

Under existing law, there is no residency requirement to become a licensed bondsman in this state.

This bill would require applicants to be a resident of this state for at least one year to become a licensed bondsman.

Under existing law, there is no process for placing a bondsman license in inactive status.

This bill would impose a late fee on late license renewal and would provide a process for placing a license in inactive status as well as reverting an inactive license to active status.

This bill would also make nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update the existing code language to current style.

HB302 INTRODUCED.

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Subjects

Criminal Procedure