CRIMINAL PROCEDURE Bonds and Recognizes: Regulate Bail Bond Recovery Agents

The Act establishes that the surety limit on criminal bonds can be no higher than twelve percent on bonds in the amount of $ 10,000 or less and no higher than fifteen percent on bonds in amounts greater than $ 10,000. Additionally, the Act defines bail recovery agent, establishes prerequisites for those people serving as bail recovery agents, and provides that sheriffs require bondsmen to list all of the bail recovery agents who serve them. Furthermore, the Act establishes minimum notification requirements to sheriffs for bond recovery agents who seek to apprehend or conduct surveillance within the sheriff\u27s jurisdiction and sets forth particular notification and qualification requirements for out-of-state bond recovery agents who enter a Georgia jurisdiction for purposes of apprehension or surveillance. Further, the Act requires that bondsmen issue uniform identification cards to all of their bond recovery agents and that bond recovery agents have in their possession the uniform identification card at all times when acting in the capacity of a bond recovery agent. Finally, the Act establishes criminal penalties for bail recovery agents and bondsmen for violations of the Act and authorizes private rights of action against bond recovery agents who enter the wrong property, damage the property, or injure any person therein