How to get hired as a bounty hunter

BY | June 6, 2024

When you see the term “bounty hunter” you start to think of a specific type of person. Your mind wanders to TV shows where someone drives around in a massive truck and hunts down criminals. In reality, this term isn’t used that often - most people call themselves recovery agents, bail enforcement agents, or fugitive recovery specialists.

They all relate to the same profession - but what is a bounty hunter and how do you become one?

What Is A Bounty Hunter?

Despite what you might believe, a “bounty hunter” won’t run around picking up “bounties” and capturing people for money. As noted, they’re mainly referred to as bail enforcement agents, which gives a quick clue as to the nature of their job.

When we talk about “bounty hunters”, we’re talking about individuals who work closely with bail bond agencies to recover people who’ve jumped bail. This means someone has violated the terms of their bail bond agreement and needs to be brought in. They’re technically classified as “fugitives” so a recovery agent tracks them down and presents them to the bail bond agency who will then take them back to jail.

A bounty hunter may also be called upon to recover lost assets when someone skips bail. This can involve seizing collateral assets or at the very least informing individuals of the bail bond agency's right to seize these assets.

Can Anyone Become A Bounty Hunter in California?

Yes, anyone can technically become a bounty hunter in California. There aren’t any strict licensing requirements for this role - you’re just encouraged to follow the Bail Fugitive Recovery Persons Act which provides guidelines on how to conduct yourself as a professional recovery agent.

A lot of bail bond agents act as bounty hunters themselves as it’s sometimes easier to handle recovery work in-house. Private investigators are also commonly hired as bounty hunters by some bail bond agencies to locate fugitives and return them to the jails or courts.

You can, of course, become a bounty hunter yourself by meeting these key requirements:

Must be at least 18 years of age
Must be a legitimate US Citizen
Must be a California resident
Must not have any prior felony convictions
Must complete a 40-hour Polic Officer Standard Training Power of Arrest course
Must complete a 20-hour Department of Insurance-approved pre-licensing bail education class

Other than those stipulations, nothing really stands in your way of becoming a bounty hunter in this state. There are no licensing requirements per se, though you will need to complete 6 hours of continuing education every year to remain a legal bounty hunter. You don’t even need a degree or diploma to pursue this career - though they can help to advance your career prospects.

How To Get Hired As A Bounty Hunter

To begin your career as a bail enforcement agent you will need to follow the educational steps explained above. This will involve the 40-hour police training and the 20-hour bail education class. To legally operate as a recovery agent in California you must have the certificates proving you completed these classes.

While having a license isn’t a legal requirement, you may want to complete a bail license application in your spare time. Why do this? Having a license makes you appear more serious and legitimate, which could help you find more work as a bail enforcement officer. Bail bond agencies are more inclined to trust you if you have a license, though it’s not technically essential.

Next, you need to find places or people who will hire you for your services. This largely means contacting bail bond agencies - though as previously touched upon, some bail bondsmen make arrests themselves when a client skips bail. Regardless, it’s useful to strike up relationships with as many bail bond agencies as possible. The more people you know, the more likely it is someone will contact you with work. If you do your research you can figure out which areas of California have the highest rate of people skipping bail. This implies there will be more work for bail enforcement agents in these areas, so it’s worth contacting bail bond agents here before elsewhere.

From this point on, you’re largely playing a waiting game. You can’t do work as a bounty hunter unless someone jumps bail and needs to be brought in. When that moment arises - and one of your contacts gets in touch with you - you can head out and bring the person in.

Ways To Improve Your Chances Of Getting Hired As A Bounty Hunter

In principle, getting hired as a bounty hunter doesn’t seem that challenging. In reality, you will compete with many other bail enforcement agents in the area - not to mention private investigators or bail bondsmen who carry out the work themselves.

This will make it hard to find consistent work, so here are a few ideas to help you boost your chances of being hired:

Obtain a relevant degree - Again, this isn’t essential but having a relevant degree in law enforcement or criminology can help you greatly. It makes you look more respectable as a bounty hunter and shows you know what you’re talking about.
Gain experience with other bounty hunters - You might be able to contact experienced bail enforcement agents and ask them to take you under their wing. You can act as an intern and go with them on jobs, slowly gaining relevant experience. This also helps you start building a network as you’ll have contact with different bail bond agencies.
Offer your services for free - This is a temporary solution, though it’s often the best way to appear on a bail bond agency’s radar. Offer your services for free and they’ll be more inclined to pick you. Consider it a “welcome offer” for new clients; the first two or three jobs are completely free, and then you charge after. It’s not ideal, but this helps you get your foot in the door with some key contacts. You’ll prove your skills and efficacy for free, so they’re more likely to contact you again for paid work in the future. The next time someone forfeits bail, you’ll be the first person the agency gets in touch with!

The biggest challenge is proving to the bail bond agency that you do a better job than them at tracking down clients. If you can provide swift solutions, they’re going to keep calling you again and again. It starts hard, but with great outcomes, you’ll soon be the talk of the bail bond enforcement industry.

Key Things To Know When You Work As A Bounty Hunter

You must understand a few crucial things before starting work as a bail recovery agent. These things are important from a legal perspective and to protect you while you work:

You should obtain insurance - It’s advisable to get specialist bounty hunter insurance to protect you in case things go wrong or you cause excessive damage while on the job. Bounty hunters have some legal rights, but they’re not immune from consequences. Having insurance offers a financial safety net while you work.
It’s illegal to misrepresent yourself - Some bail enforcement agents fall foul of this all the time. You must not make it seem like you have more authority than you do. As a bail enforcement agent, you are not an officer of the law. You can’t wear any clothing or badges that may suggest you’re a police officer or a federal law enforcement agent. You must be clear at all times as to your station and what you are doing. If a fugitive is led to believe you have more authority than you do, it can be used against you in a court of law and you may face charges.
You must inform law enforcement before taking someone into custody - Bail enforcement agents work alongside the law, not as separate entities. If you are tasked with taking someone into custody, you must speak to the local law enforcement agency. Explain your role as a bail enforcement agent and that you’re approaching a fugitive to take them in. Failure to do this can cause legal complications.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we don’t use the term “bounty hunter” often in the real world. It’s reserved for television shows, and the real job is a bail enforcement agent or bail recovery officer. Regardless of what you call it, this line of work involves pursuing fugitives who’ve not complied with their bail bond conditions and must be brought back into custody. Anyone can be a bail enforcement agent in California, provided you’re 18 or above, have no prior felony convictions, are a registered US and Californian citizen, and complete the required training programs. Finding work can be difficult, but if you differentiate yourself from other bail enforcement agents then the bail bond agencies will be queuing up for your services!

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