How to Become a Bounty Hunter in Arkansas

Arkansas is a state that’s built on pioneer spirit. In fact, Mountain View is known as the Folk Capital of America and takes great pride in its preservation of the way people lived hundreds of years ago when they first came West. It’s a beautiful country with hundreds of thousands of acres of streams, rivers, and lakes. Since becoming a member of the United States in 1836, this state has straddled the line between its proud history and traditions, and modern progress. It’s both the home of Wal-Mart and the leading producer of archery bows in the country. When fugitives from the law are on the loose in Arkansas, licensed bondsmen track them down and return them to justice. Here’s what it takes to become a licensed bondsman in Arkansas.

Bounty Hunter Requirements in Arkansas

There are no bounty hunters, per se, in Arkansas. It is a state law that no person may carry a title of a bail enforcement agent or bounty hunter. Rather, licensed bondsmen hunt down fugitives who have jumped bail in the state. Such bondsmen are licensed to hunt down fugitives by the Arkansas Professional Bondsman Licensing Board, or APBLB.

Basic State Requirements

• Education: Many licensed bondsmen in Arkansas pursue a background in economics, finance, or a similar degree. All prospective bondsmen must complete 8-hours of training through pre-licensing courses available through local colleges and educational institutions across the state. These are designed to train the applicant specifically for this line of work.
• Age: Licensed bondsmen must be 21 years of age at minimum.
• Degree: While no formal education is required, a bachelor’s or associate’s degree is held by many bondsmen and can help to prepare you for the rigors of the licensing exam.
• Experience: As you build experience as a licensed bondsman, your responsibilities and recoveries will increase. Likewise, those who hold more experience in related fields are more likely to find work as a licensed bondsman in Arkansas.
• Citizenship: In Arkansas, you must be either a U.S. citizen or a legal resident alien to work in this field.

Additional Requirements

• Background Screening: Licensed bondsmen are not allowed to have felonies on their record or any crimes related to moral grounds. As such, a criminal record check and fingerprinting by Arkansas State Police is required as part of your application. An FBI Release form is also part of this process.
• Personal References: Applying for your licensure requires three personal references.
• Power of attorney: Your bail bond company must issue a power of attorney form on your behalf.
• State exam: You will need to complete a state examination which is administered either online or at the Board Office in Little Rock. The test is offered the second and fourth week of each month, online on Tuesday and Thursday or in-person on Wednesday. The exam carries a $25 registration fee. To pass this exam you need to score at least 70%.

Arkansas Bounty Hunter License

• License Application: When you have gathered all of your information, you’ll submit your application, which carries a $125 fee. It’s important to note that this fee includes your exam fee, and the application is submitted before you take the exam.
• Licensure: Once you have submitted your application and passed the exam, you will be awarded licensure as a bail bond agent. This license is good for one year, with renewal required by December 31 annually. This renewal costs $100, and every year at least 6 hours of continuing education is required.

Degrees related to Bounty Hunters

Those wishing to become licensed bondsmen in Arkansas often pursue bachelor’s or associate’s degrees in other fields to supplement their training. These degrees include (among others) economics, finance, sociology, criminology, psychology, and criminal justice.

Major Cities in Arkansas

There are several large cities in Arkansas where licensed bondsmen are familiar sights. These include the state capital of Little Rock and the cities of Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Jonesboro, and North Little Rock. These and other large cities and towns across the state are your best bet to find work as a licensed bondsman in Arkansas

Job Duties of Bounty Hunters in Arkansas

Licensed bondsmen track down bail jumpers and return them to justice. To perform these duties, a bondsman must be trained in search and seizure, must always inform local law enforcement agents of their activities and information about the fugitive you’re chasing. Finally, you must have a certified copy of the bond, and the fugitive must be delivered to officials in the county of the original offense.

Related Careers

Private Investigators are very closely related to licensed bondsmen and the two professions share similar skills. Also, in Arkansas, Peace Officers also perform similar duties, hunting fugitives down and bringing them to justice. Finally, process servers who file legal paperwork and serve documents for courts are related professions.

Employment Numbers in Arkansas

Employment numbers in Arkansas for licensed bondsmen are not tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Judging numbers off of Private Investigators, a similar profession, it is estimated that jobs in this field will grow by about 5% over the next seven years.

Arkansas Bounty Hunter Salary

Again, basing the estimates off of the average salaries for private investigators we find an average salary across the state of just over $50,000 per year, while in the Fayetteville metro area, the salary on average hovers at nearly $57,000 annually.

Bounty Hunter Programs and Schools in Arkansas