Table of Contents Sec. 29-152e. License required. No person shall, as a surety on a bond in a criminal
proceeding or an agent of such surety, engage in the business of taking or attempting
to take into custody the principal on the bond who has failed to appear in court and for
whom a rearrest warrant or a capias has been issued pursuant to section 54-65a unless
such person is licensed as a professional bondsman under chapter 533, a surety bail
bond agent under chapter 700f or a bail enforcement agent under sections 29-152f to
29-152i, inclusive. Sec. 29-152f. Application for license. Any person desiring to engage in the business of a bail enforcement agent shall apply to the Commissioner of Public Safety for
a license therefor. Such application shall set forth under oath the full name, age, date
and place of birth, residence and occupation of the applicant. It shall also set forth under
oath a statement of whether the applicant has been charged with or convicted of crime,
and such other information, including fingerprints and photographs, as required by the
commissioner. The commissioner shall submit the applicant's fingerprints to the Federal
Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history record check. Within five years
prior to the date of application, the applicant shall have successfully completed a course
in the criminal justice system consisting of not less than twenty hours of study approved
by the commissioner. No person who has been convicted of a felony or any misdemeanor
under section 21a-279, 53a-58, 53a-61, 53a-61a, 53a-62, 53a-63, 53a-96, 53a-173, 53a-
175, 53a-176, 53a-178 or 53a-181d, shall be licensed to do business as a bail enforcement
agent in this state. No person engaged in law enforcement or vested with police powers
shall be licensed to do business as a bail enforcement agent. Sec. 29-152g. Issuance of license. Upon being satisfied, after investigation, that
the applicant is a suitable person to receive a license as a bail enforcement agent, and
that the applicant meets the licensing requirements of section 29-152f, the Commissioner
of Public Safety may issue a license to such applicant to do business in this state as a
bail enforcement agent. The fee for such license shall be one hundred dollars. Each such
license shall be for such term not exceeding one year as said commissioner determines.
Any bail enforcement agent holding a license issued pursuant to this section or section
29-152h shall notify the commissioner within two business days of any change of address. The notification shall include the bail enforcement agent's old address and new
address. Sec. 29-152h. Renewal of license. Each person licensed as a bail enforcement
agent under the provisions of sections 29-152f to 29-152i, inclusive, may apply for a
renewal of such license upon renewal application forms provided by the Commissioner
of Public Safety and requiring the disclosure of such information as said commissioner
requires in determining whether or not such agent's suitability to continue in such business has changed since the issuance of any prior license. The fee for renewal of a bail
enforcement agent's license shall be one hundred dollars. Sec. 29-152i. Suspension or revocation of license. The Commissioner of Public
Safety may suspend, revoke or refuse to renew the license of any bail enforcement agent,
provided notice shall have been given to the licensee to appear before the commissioner
to show cause why the license should not be suspended, revoked or refused renewal,
upon a finding by the commissioner that: (1) The licensee has violated any of the terms
or provisions of sections 29-152e to 29-152m, inclusive, or section 38a-660a or any of
the regulations adopted under section 29-152o; (2) the licensee has practiced fraud,
deceit or misrepresentation; (3) the licensee has made a material misstatement in the
application for issuance or renewal of such license; (4) the licensee has demonstrated
incompetence or untrustworthiness in the conduct of the licensee's business; (5) the
licensee has been convicted of a felony, a misdemeanor specified in section 29-152f,
or other crime affecting the licensee's honesty, integrity or moral fitness; or (6) the
licensee is unsuitable. The suspension or revocation of, or the refusal to renew, any bail
enforcement agent's license shall also constitute the revocation of the bail enforcement
agent's firearms permit issued pursuant to section 29-152m. Any bail enforcement agent
who fails to surrender such license within five days of notification in writing of the
suspension or revocation of, or refusal to renew, such license shall be guilty of a class
C misdemeanor. Any party aggrieved by an order of the commissioner under this section
may appeal therefrom in accordance with the provisions of section 4-183, except venue
for such appeal shall be in the judicial district of Hartford. Sec. 29-152j. Notice to courts and police departments of names of professional
bondsmen and bail enforcement agents. The Commissioner of Public Safety shall
furnish to all courts and to all organized police departments in the state, the names of
all persons licensed as professional bondsmen under chapter 533 or bail enforcement
agents under the provisions of sections 29-152f to 29-152i, inclusive, and shall forthwith
notify such courts and all such police departments of any change in any such bondsman's
or agent's status or of the suspension or revocation of the license of any such bondsman
or agent to engage in such business. Sec. 29-152k. Notice to law enforcement agency prior to apprehension of principal. Prior to taking or attempting to take into custody the principal on a bond, a professional bondsman licensed under chapter 533, a surety bail bond agent licensed under
chapter 700f or a bail enforcement agent licensed under sections 29-152f to 29-152i,
inclusive, shall notify the police department or resident state trooper for, or state police
troop having jurisdiction over, the municipality in which the principal is believed to be
located of such bondsman's or agent's intentions. Sec. 29-152l. Wearing, carrying or display of uniform, badge or other insignia
of governmental official or employee prohibited. No professional bondsman licensed
under chapter 533, surety bail bond agent licensed under chapter 700f or bail enforcement agent licensed under sections 29-152f to 29-152i, inclusive, shall wear, carry or
display any uniform, badge, shield or other insignia or emblems that purport to indicate
that such bondsman or agent is an employee, officer or agent of the state or any political
subdivision of the state or of the federal government. Sec. 29-152m. Permit to carry firearm required. (a) No professional bondsman
licensed under chapter 533, surety bail bond agent licensed under chapter 700f or bail
enforcement agent licensed under sections 29-152f to 29-152i, inclusive, shall carry a
pistol, revolver or other firearm while engaging in the business of a professional bondsman, surety bail bond agent or bail enforcement agent, as the case may be, or while
traveling to or from such business unless such bondsman or agent obtains a special
permit from the Commissioner of Public Safety in accordance with the provisions of
subsection (b) of this section. The permit required under this section shall be in addition
to the permit requirement imposed under section 29-28. Sec. 29-152n. Penalty. Any person who violates any provision of sections 29-152e
to 29-152m, inclusive, and 38a-660a shall be guilty of a class D felony.
Sec. 29-152e. License required.
Sec. 29-152f. Application for license.
Sec. 29-152g. Issuance of license.
Sec. 29-152h. Renewal of license.
Sec. 29-152i. Suspension or revocation of license.
Sec. 29-152j. Notice to courts and police departments of names of professional bondsmen
and bail enforcement agents.
Sec. 29-152k. Notice to law enforcement agency prior to apprehension of principal.
Sec. 29-152l. Wearing, carrying or display of uniform, badge or other insignia of governmental official or employee prohibited.
Sec. 29-152m. Permit to carry firearm required.
Sec. 29-152n. Penalty.
Sec. 29-152o. Regulations.
(P.A. 97-287, S. 1.)
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(P.A. 97-287, S. 2; P.A. 99-240, S. 18.)
History: P.A. 99-240 added fingerprinting requirement and listed misdemeanors disqualifying applicants.
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(P.A. 97-287, S. 3; P.A. 99-240, S. 19.)
History: P.A. 99-240 replaced "good character, competency and integrity" with "a suitable person" and added requirement of notification of change of address.
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(P.A. 97-287, S. 4; P.A. 99-240, S. 20.)
History: P.A. 99-240 replaced "such agent's fitness" with "such agent's suitability".
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(P.A. 88-230, S. 10, 12; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-142, S. 7, 8; P.A. 95-220, S. 4−6; P.A. 97-287, S. 5; June Sp. Sess.
P.A. 98-1, S. 91, 121; P.A. 99-240, S. 21.)
History: P.A. 88-230, 90-98, 93-142 and 95-220 authorized substitution of "judicial district of Hartford" for "judicial
district of Hartford-New Britain" in public and special acts of 1997, effective September 1, 1998; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-
1 made technical changes, effective June 24, 1998; P.A. 99-240 gave the commissioner the authority to refuse to renew a
license, added unsuitability as a basis to suspend, revoke or refuse to renew a license, provided that suspension, revocation
or refusal to renew a license also revokes the firearms permit, made failure to surrender a license a class C misdemeanor
and made provisions gender neutral.
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(P.A. 97-287, S. 6.)
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(P.A. 97-287, S. 8.)
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(P.A. 97-287, S. 9.)
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(b) The Commissioner of Public Safety may grant to any professional bondsman
licensed under chapter 533, surety bail bond agent licensed under chapter 700f or bail
enforcement agent licensed under sections 29-152f to 29-152i, inclusive, a permit to
carry a pistol or revolver or other firearm while engaging in the business of professional
bondsman, surety bail bond agent or bail enforcement agent, as the case may be, or
while traveling to or from such business, provided that such bondsman or agent has
proven to the satisfaction of the commissioner that such bondsman or agent has successfully completed a course, approved by the commissioner, of training in the safety and
use of firearms. The commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 concerning the approval of schools, institutions or organizations
offering such courses, requirements for instructors and the required number of hours
and content of such courses.
(c) Application for a permit issued pursuant to this section shall be made on forms
provided by the commissioner and shall be accompanied by a thirty-one-dollar fee. Such
permit shall have an expiration date that coincides with that of the state permit to carry
a pistol or revolver issued pursuant to section 29-28. A permit issued pursuant to this
section shall be renewable every five years with a renewal fee of thirty-one dollars. The
commissioner shall send, by first class mail, a notice of expiration of the bail enforcement
agent firearms permit issued pursuant to this section, together with a notice of expiration
of the permit to carry a pistol or revolver issued pursuant to section 29-28, in one combined form. The commissioner shall send such combined notice to the holder of the
permits not later than ninety days before the date of the expiration of both permits, and
shall enclose a form for renewal of the permits. A bail enforcement agent firearms permit
issued pursuant to this section shall be valid for a period of ninety days after the expiration
date, except this provision shall not apply if the permit to carry a pistol or revolver has
been revoked or revocation is pending pursuant to section 29-32, in which case the bail
enforcement agent firearms permit shall also be revoked.
(P.A. 97-287, S. 10; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1, S. 92, 121; P.A. 99-240, S. 22.)
History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective June 24, 1998; P.A. 99-240 amended
Subsec. (c) by providing for identical expiration dates on the two firearms permits required for bondsmen or agents and
made provisions of entire section gender neutral.
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(P.A. 97-287, S. 11; P.A. 99-240, S. 23.)
History: P.A. 99-240 replaced stated fine and imprisonment with classification of violation of section as class D felony.
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