Alabama Administrative Code › Title 153 - ALABAMA STATE PROFESSIONAL BAIL BONDING BOARD › Chapter 153-X-10 - Standards of Professional Conduct › Section 153-X-10-.01 - Standards Of Professional Conduct

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
(1) A licensee shall be fair and impartial
			 toward each participant in all aspects of bail related services.
(2) A licensee, if requested, shall provide
			 information regarding services to be rendered to all clients. The licensee must
			 strive to meet contractual obligations.
(3) Licensees shall be alert to situations
			 that are conflicts of interest or that may give the appearance of a conflict of
			 interest. If a conflict arises, the licensee must disclose that conflict or
			 potential conflict to the client.
(4) No licensee shall purposely make any
			 misleading or untrue representations to any court or to any public official for
			 the purpose of avoiding or preventing a forfeiture of bail, setting aside of a
			 forfeiture, or obtaining a bondsmen's process.
(5) A licensee who becomes impaired and
			 unable to function per the standards of professional conduct should immediately
			 refrain from providing any professional services. It is the licensee's
			 responsibility to seek supervision and/or personal therapy for any problem that
			 is interfering with the ability to perform professional services.
(6) Licensees shall preserve the applicable
			 confidentiality and ensure the security of applicable confidential information,
			 oral or written, entrusted to the licensee by any and all clients.
(7) Licensees shall not permit the use of
			 his/her name or company's name, nor shall a licensee be associated in business
			 ventures, with persons or companies that the licensee has reason to believe is
			 engaging in fraudulent or dishonest business practices.
(8) Licensees shall be truthful and accurate
			 when making public statements or when advertising services provided.
(9) Licensees shall meet all mandated
			 continuing education requirements.
(10) Licensees having knowledge of
			 possible/probable violations of any of these Rules and Regulations shall file a
			 complaint form with the Board and cooperate as necessary with the Board
			 investigation of such violation.
(11) Licensees must report to the Board his
			 or her arrest, on any charge, within ten (10) days via certified or electronic
			 mail.
(12) Any attire worn and
			 business materials or business names used must reflect a Bail related service
			 or Bail Recovery or Bail Enforcement and shall not be misleading.
(13) No company or licensee shall pay monies,
			 offer gifts, or give anything of value to any personnel/inmate of a jail
			 facility or judicial official/employee, for unethical purposes.
(14) No company or licensee shall solicit
			 bail services at any jail facility.
(15) All companies and licensees shall
			 conduct all bail related or bail recovery business in a professional and
			 ethical manner and shall uphold these Standards of Professional
			 Conduct.
(16) A licensee shall not
			 charge an arrestee money or accept money in exchange for not processing the
			 arrestee into custody.
(17) All
			 monies owed to any jurisdictions in regard to Final Forfeitures or Bail Bond
			 Processing fees must be satisfied before a company or licensee can open another
			 business in the same or any other jurisdictions in the State of
			 Alabama.
(18) A licensee shall not
			 charge an unreasonable fee to an arrestee, indemnitor, or co-signer for the
			 recovery of an arrestee. Such a fee shall not exceed the overall cost of the
			 original bond.
(19) Only an
			 approved badge by the Board shall be used by a licensee. Such badge must
			 include the license number assigned.
Author:
Alabama Professional Bail Bonding
				  Board
Statutory Authority:
Code of Ala.
				  1975
, §
										15-13-207.