Board of Professional Bondsmen
Welcome to Commerce and Insurance Regulatory Boards. More information about the Board of Professional Bondsmen will continue to be added between January and March. Thank you for your patience..
General Bondsmen Communication
- The first step is the registration and approval by the Court in every jurisdiction you provide bonding services in. The court is the authority that approves you in their jurisdiction. This process could require you to complete a form and obtain approval with each local jurisdiction. This has not changed.
- TCA § 40-11-124 (a) The clerk, sheriff, municipal courts and other inferior courts shall have available a list of professional bondsmen or other sureties approved and qualified as solvent by the courts of record with criminal jurisdiction within the county. These approved lists shall be provided by the judges of those courts. No undertaking shall be accepted unless the professional bondsman or other surety is so certified as approved.
- The new law passed during the 2025 legislative session added a licensing requirement for individuals and companies bonding inmates out of jail in their jurisdiction. This new license requirement is for companies that are approved by the courts to post bonds for individuals. As part of the application process under the new Board of Professional Bondsmen within Commerce and Insurance, each bond company will provide a list of agents that work for them posting bond for individuals. Each individual bonding agent will also need to obtain a bondsmen license. This license information will be available to the public and to all the courts and clerks throughout state. Licensing and complaint information will be readily available.
- T.C.A. § 40-11-314): (a) On or after March 1, 2026, a person shall not operate as a professional bondsman in this state unless the person is licensed by the board of professional bondsmen under this section. TCA § 40-11-314 directed the Board to establish rules for Professional Bondsmen: Emergency Rule 0780-05-19-.03 Qualifications, Applications, and Fees. (1) No person, company, partnership, or other entity shall act as a professional bondsman or professional bondsman company, directly or indirectly, in this state unless the person, company, partnership, or other entity is licensed by the Board. Any person, company, partnership, or other entity proposing to provide professional bondsman services or services as a professional bondsman company in this state shall apply on a form provided by the Board.
- The individual bondsmen application must include all information and documents required by the Board and must be truthful and accurate.
- (a) All information required on the application form provided by the Board;
- (b) A receipt or proof of a completed background check;
- (c) Company license number, written notice of company affiliation, or notice of operation as a sole proprietor, if the applicant is affiliated with such a company at the time of the application; and
- (d) An application fee for a professional bondsman license in the amount of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00).
- The application for a professional bondsman company must include:
- (a) All information required on the application form provided by the Board;
- (b) A receipt or proof of a completed background check for each owner of the professional bondsman company;
- (c) A list of all bonding agents or professional bondsmen working on behalf of or under the supervision of the company;
- (d) Copies of relevant business filings, if applicable, to establish the professional bondsman company’s corporate status; and
- (e) An application fee for a professional bondsman company license set as follows:
- (f) A professional bondsman company license application fee of five hundred dollars ($500.00);
- (g) Additionally, a fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) per professional bondsman, professional surety bondsman, and/or bonding agent affiliated with the professional bondsman company. This fee shall be non-prorated and non-refundable. Payment of this fee does not alleviate the requirement that each individual professional bondsman and professional surety bondsman be licensed under this chapter.
- All applicants for a professional bondsman license or owners of a professional bondsman company must be at least eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time of application.
- Each background check submitted as part of an application must be completed by an entity approved by the Department to contract applicants to provide background checks and submit background checks directly to the Board. Background checks must be dated within twelve (12) months of the date of the submitted application.
- When an individual goes to bond out a person, they have the option to use a limited producer insurance license. This is not new, nor has it changed. If the bond is underwritten by an insurance company, you will continue to need an Insurance Producer License with Bail Bonds Line of Authority. If you currently hold an Insurance Producer license, the license needs to be kept active if you decide to use an insurance company to underwrite the bond.
To apply for an Insurance Producer License with the limited line of Bail Bonds or obtain additional information about this insurance, go to: https://nipr.com/ or https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/commerce/documents/insurance/forms/agentlicensingproceduresnoexamrequired112025.pdf