Alabama legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Alabama HB302: Bail and surety bonding; requirements for professional surety bondsman and professional bail bondsman further provided for, requirements for apprentice bondsman further provided for, to require circuit clerks to report the authorized professional bail bond companies, appointment of additional members to the Alabama Bail Bonding Board provided for, and late application and license renewal fees provided
Status: Signed into law, April 16, 2026
What the bill says
An Act, Relating to bail and surety bonding; to amend Sections 15-13-112, 15-13-159, 15-13-160, 15-13-201, 15-13-202, 15-13-203, 15-13-205, 15-13-210, 15-13-211, and 15-13-217, Code of Alabama 1975; to require the Supreme Court of Alabama to require qualifying power of attorney documents issued by a professional surety company to be attached to all bail bond forms; to require a professional surety bondsman to be licensed for at least three years before he or she could own his or her own professional surety company…
From the enrolled text:
An Act, Relating to bail and surety bonding; to amend Sections 15-13-112, 15-13-159, 15-13-160, 15-13-201, 15-13-202, 15-13-203, 15-13-205, 15-13-210, 15-13-211, and 15-13-217, Code of Alabama 1975; to require the Supreme Court of Alabama to require qualifying power of attorney documents issued by a professional surety company to be attached to all bail bond forms; to require a professional surety bondsman to be licensed for at least three years before he or she could own his or her own professional surety company; to require circuit clerks to report the authorized professional bail bond companies within 30 days of the close of annual recertification; to provide that a professional bail company may only guarantee payments to the court through an escrow agreement; to define the terms "apprentice" and "employee"; to extend the apprentice license expiration to 180 days; to require 19 or 20 year old apprentice bondsmen to complete an instructional course; to provide that judges and clerks appointed by the Governor to the Alabama Bail Bonding Board may be presently serving, supernumerary, or retired; to provide for the appointment of one serving sheriff and one lay person to be appointed by the Governor to the Alabama Bail Bonding Board; to remove the requirement that a chair and vice chair be elected each time a new member is appointed to the Alabama …