Bail Enforcement Agent

No. You can begin the licensure process and take training without previously being a bail enforcement agent 

You may be approved for partial exemption of training if you meet the exemption requirements pursuant to 6 VAC 20-260-140. Some training requirements will still apply. 

The license is valid for 24 months. Licenses must be renewed prior to licensure expiration to include completion of in-service training. 

No, persons who carry or have access to a firearm while on duty must have a firearm endorsement as described under 6 VAC 20-260-80 of the state regulations. If carrying a handgun concealed, the person must also have a valid concealed handgun permit, and the written permission of his employer pursuant to 18.2-308 of the Code of Virginia. 

Persons who have been convicted of a misdemeanor within the last five year; a misdemeanor that is similar to brandishing a firearm or stalking, or any felony within the Commonwealth, any other state, or the United States, who have not been pardoned, or whose civil rights have not been restored, or persons currently the subject of a protective order. 

For a searchable directory of training schools click the following link: https://www.cms.dcjs.virginia.gov/GLSuiteWeb/Clients/VADCJS/Public/Verification/Business/Search.aspx.

1. Persons previously employed as law-enforcement officers for a local, state or federal government who have not terminated or been terminated from said employment more than five years prior to the application date must submit official documentation of the following with the application for partial exemption of the entry-level training requirements.
   1. Completion of law-enforcement entry level training; and
   2. Five continuous years of law-enforcement employment provided such employment as a law-enforcement officer was not terminated due to misconduct or incompetence.

The compulsory minimum entry-level training hour requirement excluding examinations and practical exercises is 40 hours. The course code for DCJS is SC44. To see the topical outline or find a certified school, check the following links:

• Entry-Level Bail Enforcement Agent Training Curriculum
• Visit our training schools directory

No provision was included in the law to exempt current bail enforcement agents from the new licensure requirements.

A misdemeanor conviction may be waived for good cause shown, so long as the conviction was not for one of the following or a substantially similar misdemeanor: carrying a concealed weapon, assault and battery, sexual battery, a drug offense, driving under the influence, discharging a firearm, a sex offense, or larceny.