Compliance Information: Bail Bond Agencies

It is typically not required to seek the Department’s approval of your agency name. However, the use of a name that would be misleading or deceptive in any way should be avoided. Names chosen should not imply that the agency is an insurance company (including bail bond and surety companies), governmental agency, or any other national or state organization. They should also not imply a reduced rate of premium or have the word "free" in it. Any bail bond agent who intends to conduct business under any business name, other than his or her own individual name, is required to file form DFS-H2-1541 with us before they may operate or advertise. Please see 648.44(6), Estatutos de la Florida

A fictitious name, or as more commonly known, doing business as (DBA), must be properly registered with the Department of State, Bureau of Corporations; however, the Department has determined that the use of multiple fictitious names (DBAs) is misleading to the public. Accordingly, no insurance, bail bond, or title agency, adjusting firm, or any other business entity regulated by the Department of Financial Services, Division of Agent and Agency Services may use more than one DBA per business entity.

Your agency must have a sign to be in compliance with the law. The sign must be visible from the street to identify the location of your agency to the public. If your agency is located in a corporate office building, the agency must be listed in the building's business directory.

Attorneys may not own or operate a bail bond agency. Bail bond agents and agencies may not refer business to an attorney or group of attorneys.

Debe tener un agente primario de fianzas para cada agencia de fianzas que posea y para cada sucursal de su agencia de fianzas, de acuerdo con la sección  648.387, E.F. El agente primario debe ser un agente de fianzas nombrado y con licencia y no puede ser el agente primario designado para más de una sucursal.

To do so, you will need to create a secure Mi Perfil Bail Bond Agency account type. When you do this, you will be able to do the following actions:

• Agregar Propietario o Director
• Designar y eliminar un agente primario de fianzas.
• Agregar sucursales
• Eliminar sucursales
• Cambiar una dirección
• Cambiar la información de inicio de sesión
• Cambiar direcciones de email
• Otorgar privilegios a terceros

For more instructions, please see our Bail Bond Agency Primary Agent User Guide.

Mientras el Departamento trabaja para eliminar el uso del papel, el cambio de formato impreso a formato electrónico resulta conveniente y permitirá que los titulares de licencia actualicen su información individual y la información de sus agencias de fianzas a través de sus cuentas seguras de Mi Perfil en tiempo real por Internet.

Esto permite que el público consumidor encuentre agentes y agencias de fianzas a través de la herramienta Buscar Titulares de Licencias del Departamento. Antes no podían hacer esto.

Además, ahora las prisiones y los tribunales podrán verificar que un agente y una agencia de fianzas están registrados con el Departamento después de que designen un agente primario de fianzas para una sucursal.

Power of attorney forms used for the purpose of writing bail bonds in the state of Florida may only be used if the sample copy has been filed by the insurer with, and approved by, the Office of Insurance Regulation. See section 648.43(1), F.S. (revised July 1, 2014)

Bail bond agencies must be owned by licensed and appointed bail bond agents only. The bail bond agency must file the name of the agency with the department, along with the name and license number of the bail bond agent designated as the primary bail bond agent. In addition, the agency must be open and accessible to the public for at least 8 hours during the normal work day, which is defined as 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday, except legal holidays.

All bail bond agents who are members of the same agency must be appointed to represent the same surety companies (insurers). Also, if any agent of a bail bond agency is licensed and appointed as a professional bail bond agent, all the agents in the agency must be licensed as one. Please see section 648.55, Estatutos de la Florida

The following persons would not be allowed to be a bail bond agency owner nor be employed at a bail bond agency. Refer to sections 648.285, F.S. and 648.44(2), Estatutos de la Florida

• Carceleros o personas empleadas en una cárcel
• Oficiales de policía o empleados de una agencia de policía
• Jueces, empleados de un tribunal o empleados de la secretaría de un tribunal
• Sheriffs y subsheriffs o empleados de cualquier departamento del sheriff
• Abogados
• Personas con poder para arrestar o personas que tienen autoridad o control sobre prisioneros
• Any person who has been convicted or pleaded guilty or no contest to a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude
• Personas cuya licencia de agente de garantías limitadas (fianzas), agente temporario de fianzas o agente profesional de fianzas fue revocada anteriormente.