Those states are Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, and Wisconsin. In the United States of America, bounty hunters have varying levels of authority in their duties with regard to their targets, depending on the states in which they operate.įour states prohibit the practice of bail bonding altogether, including the practice of bounty hunting. Examples of training include fugitive take down, transport, working with bail bondsmen, and more.
On-the-Job Training – Most of the training and education that agents receive will be on the job, or “in the field.” Agents should work with bail bondsmen or experienced recovery agents to understand the intricacies of the job. Agents need ongoing development and practice in this area. Agents need to be skilled in basic self-defense and have the strength to take down and hold someone who doesn’t want to be captured. Self Defense – Many apprehensions involve the use of physical force. Most agents carry firearms as protection.
As a result, bounty hunting is a particularly dangerous business. Some people would rather go down shooting than face justice or possibly return to jail. Also, social media investigations can help identify the last known location, friends, and relativesįirearms – Rarely does a person who is on the run from the law want to be caught. In addition, it involves contacting family members and known associates. Skiptracing methods might include searching both paid and public records databases to get the last known address. Skiptracing involves doing research on their subject to determine their possible location. Bounty Hunter Training and Educationįugitive Recovery Agents need to be skilled in a number of different things, including skiptracing. However, in most cases, they are referred to as simply bounty hunters. In the United States, bounty hunters catch an estimated 31,500 bail jumpers per year, about 90% of people who jump bail.īounty hunters are also sometimes known as “bail enforcement agents/officers” or “fugitive recovery agents/officers” which are the preferred industry titles. The bounty hunter is the bail bondsman’s way of ensuring that their clients appear in court as promised. If the fugitive eludes bail, the bondsman is ultimately responsible for the remainder of the fugitive’s bail. If a bounty hunter is able to track down and apprehend the fugitive, they are paid a portion of the bail that the fugitive initially paid. Most bounty hunters are employed by a bail bondsman.