BAIL RECOVERY AGENT

A bail recovery agent, also known as a bounty hunter or fugitive recovery agent, is an individual (other than an attorney or law enforcement officer) utilized by a surety company or bail bond agent to apprehend a defendant who was released on bail and who failed to appear in court when required. ARS § 13-3885(A) and (G)(3).

Bail Recovery Agent

WHO MUST BE REGISTERED?

Prior to retaining, employing, hiring as an independent contractor or otherwise utilizing you as a bail recovery agent, a surety company or bail bond agent must verify that you are qualified to act as a bail recovery agent.

Within 24 hours after retaining, employing, hiring as an independent contractor or otherwise utilizing a bail recovery agent, a surety company or bail bond agent must complete and submit Form L-BRA:Notice of Bail Recovery Agent Utilization (See DOCUMENTS section toward the bottom of this page).

The Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions does not issue licenses for bail recovery agents; however, you must satisfy certain requirements before acting as a bail recovery agent.

MEET THE MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT

You must be at least 18 years old.

PROVIDE YOUR FINGERPRINTS

Important!  Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) § 20-340.01(B) prohibits the Department of Insurance from issuing a bail bond agent license until the Department receives the results of the criminal history check, which can take up to four months from the date the Department receives your fingerprint card.

Pursuant to ARS §§ 20-142(E), 20-340.01(B) and 41-1750(G)(2), you must submit fingerprints to the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions as follows:

  • Have a clear set of fingerprints applied to the fingerprint card by the professional fingerprinting technician. Prometric, Arizona's insurance examination provider, along with some other vendors, use electronic systems to optically image fingerprints, which tend to produce more accurate results.
  • Make sure that the fingerprinting technician
    • verifies your identity using your government-issued photo ID;
    • completes Form L-FPV (Fingerprint Verification Form);
    • seals the completed Form L-FPV with the completed fingerprint card in a fingerprint card envelope;
    • writes his/her name across the edge of the flap of the envelope so that the upper parts of the letters are on the flap and the lower parts of the letters are off the flap (but on the envelope).
  • Submit the UNOPENED ENVELOPE containing the completed fingerprint card and Form L-FPV along with your license application.
     
  • Add the FBI fingerprint card processing fee to your license fee payment. The FBI fingerprint card processing fee is separate from the fee that a fingerprint card technician may charge you to apply your fingerprints to a fingerprint card and to complete Form L-FPV.

IMPORTANT!  The Department will refuse to accept a fingerprint card if the fingerprint card envelope appears to have been opened or if the Form L-FPV is not included in the envelope with the card.

Your fingerprints and Your Rights to Your Criminal History Record
Fingerprints that you provide in conjunction with a license application will be submitted to and checked against Arizona and FBI criminal history databases.  You have the right to review and challenge your own criminal history records.

Arizona Criminal History Record: To obtain a copy of your Arizona criminal history record in order to review/update/correct the record, you can contact the Arizona Department of Public Safety (ADPS) Criminal History Records Unit at (602) 223-2222. Information concerning the review and challenge process is available on the ADPS website at https://www.azdps.gov/services/public/records/criminal.

Federal Identity History Summary Checks: The procedures for changing, correcting or updating your FBI criminal history record are set forth in Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 28, Chapter I, Part 16, Subpart C (§§ 16.30 through 16.34). Information on how to review and challenge an FBI criminal history record is available from the FBI website at https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/challenge-brochure.pdf/view.

SUBMIT YOUR REGISTRATION

Submit the following to the Arizona Department of Insurance before acting as a bail recovery agent and on or before September 1st every third year after the initial submission (per ARS §§ 20-340.04(B)):

A sealed envelope containing your professionally applied fingerprints on a blue-outlined Form FD-258 fingerprint card with Form L-FPV completed by the fingerprinting technician.

Form L-BFP (Bail Recovery Agent Fingerprint Submission Registration Form), which must include a clear 2" X 3" photograph of your face.

The FBI Fingerprint Card processing fee.

REMAIN REGISTERED

To remain registered as a bail recovery agent, submit the following to the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions on or before September 1st every third year after your initial submission (per ARS §§ 20-340.04(B)):

  • ​Form L-BFP: Bail Recovery Agent Fingerprint Submission Registration Form (see DOCUMENTS section toward the bottom of this page), which must include a clear 2" X 3" photograph of your face.
  • FBI Fingerprint Card (Form FD-258)
  • Form L-FPV: Figerprint Verification Form (see DOCUMENTS section toward the bottom of this page), which must be completed by the fingerprinting technician and sealed in an envelope by the technician with the fully completed Form FD-258.

Notice to License Applicants

ARS § 41-1030(G) requires most Arizona government agencies to prominently print the provisions of ARS § 41-1030(B), (D), (E) and (F) on all license applications.  The following is the language in ARS § 41-1030(B), (D), (E) and (F):

B.        An agency shall not base a licensing decision in whole or in part on a licensing requirement or condition that is not specifically authorized by statute, rule or state tribal gaming compact. A general grant of authority in statute does not constitute a basis for imposing a licensing requirement or condition unless a rule is made pursuant to that general grant of authority that specifically authorizes the requirement or condition.

D.        This section may be enforced in a private civil action and relief may be awarded against the state.  The court may award reasonable attorney fees, damages and all fees associated with the license application to a party that prevails in an action against the state for a violation of this section.

E.        A state employee may not intentionally or knowingly violate this section.  A violation of this section is cause for disciplinary action or dismissal pursuant to the agency’s adopted personnel policy.

F.         This section does not abrogate the immunity provided by section 12-820.01 or 12-820.02.

DIFI INSURANCE LICENSING SECTION

Contact Hours Mondays - Fridays, 8 AM to 5 PM
Email [email protected]
Phone
  • Phoenix Metro Area: (602) 364-4457
  • In-state Toll-free: (877) 660-0964
Mailing Address DIFI Insurance Licensing Section
100 N. 15th Avenue, Suite 261
Phoenix, AZ 85007-2630