Becoming a Bounty Hunter

A bounty hunter is an unofficial law enforcement agent who operates independently to track down and return fugitives from justice for a commission or payment, which is referred to as a bounty. Bounty hunters are more formally referred to as fugitive recovery agents or bail enforcement agents.

When a defendant is released on bail but fails to show up for his court appointment or trial, that person is considered to be a fugitive from justice, and the bail bond agency that initially posted the fugitive's bail is responsible for paying the full amount of the bail. The bail bondsman in these cases has a major financial interest-often amounting to thousands of thousands of dollars-in finding these fugitives, capturing them, and returning them to justice. When this occurs, a bail bond agency will typically hire a bail enforcement agent-a bounty hunter-to track down and return the fugitive. As payment for successful completion of this mission, the bounty hunter receives a set percentage of the bail paid by the fugitive defendant.

Education, Training & Degrees for Bounty Hunters

There are no formal degrees either required or offered for this profession, however, there are a few state-certified independent schools which train bounty hunters and grant certification. Background experience and a degree in a criminal justice discipline such as law enforcement can prove of major assistance, by familiarizing the bounty hunter with the basics of investigation, criminal behavior, and the essential legal issues that the job entails.

Bounty hunters are subject to varying standards of training, licensing and legal restrictions on a state-by-state basis. All states require bounty hunters to be at least 18 years old. Most states do not have any formal training or licensing prerequisites, but some states have very strict and specific regulations. Some states prohibit bounty hunters from carrying firearms, for example, and in others, a prior felony conviction prohibits one from working as a bounty hunter. Each state's Division of Insurance can provide specific information regarding the regulations applicable in that state.

Job Responsibilities and Desired Skills for Bounty Hunters

The primary function of a bounty hunter is to locate, arrest, and return bail-secured fugitives to the judicial jurisdiction from which they fled. The bounty hunter must accomplish this task within the constraints of all applicable laws and regulations, not just of the fugitive's original jurisdiction, but also of whatever location the fugitive has fled to. This can become complicated if the bail-jumper has crossed state lines or has left the country. Bounty hunters are subject to the same requirements as most law enforcement officers, which also vary from location to location.

It is the responsibility of the bounty hunter to know and conform to all applicable laws, regulations and legal constraints of anyplace he travels to apprehend a fugitive. Critical knowledge that varies from location to location includes regulations regarding the possession of firearms; under what circumstances force can be applied, and the amount of force that can be used; and local regulations concerning fugitive pursuit, such as what individuals can be legally detained or arrested, and under what circumstances the bounty hunter is legally permitted to enter a residence or building to locate and arrest a fleeing bail jumper. The bounty hunter must know where to find this information in each new location he enters in pursuit of a fugitive. Finally, the bounty hunter is required to understand and conform to proper prisoner transport procedures as well as to procedures for transferring prisoners to other law enforcement officials.

The bounty hunter needs to possess a number of essential skills to accomplish this tough job, much of which is picked up on the job, both from experience, and by working as an assistant to a more experienced professional mentor.

The first skill required is knowledge of the techniques of how to locate the fugitive. This is commonly known as "skip tracing," and includes research tools as diverse as performing background checks, tracing license plates, and obtaining the fugitive's phone records to discover who the fugitive might try to contact, or where he might flee.

The bounty hunter's goal is the safe apprehension and surrender of the defendant. To accomplish this, training in close quarters combat in order to subdue combatant fugitives with a minimum of force and injury is a primary skill.

To be successful, a bounty hunter should also possess excellent interpersonal and verbal skills to communicate with the wide range of people who will be encountered. These can include every level and strata of society, from lawyers and judges to desperate fugitives and their families and friends. Good communication skills also play a role in conducting interviews to locate fleeing felons, and in negotiation tactics used to encourage peaceful surrender.

Other psychological characteristics the successful bounty hunter should possess include patience, persistence and physical stamina, in order to be able to perform surveillance and to relentlessly pursue bail jumpers. In addition, the bounty hunter should possess high degrees of cleverness, to second-guess where a fugitive is likely to flee or hide; courage, to withstand confrontation; and excellent judgment, to minimize the risks which are part and parcel of this high-risk occupation.

Bounty Hunter Salary Range and Employment Outlook

Bounty hunters apprehend an estimated 30,000 bail jumpers per year. Typically, a bounty hunter works as an agent of a bail bondsman. Bounty hunters most often work on a contingency fee, earning their payment only once they have successfully apprehended a bail jumper and returned the fugitive to authorities in the appropriate jurisdiction. The standard fee is 10 percent of the face value of the bond.

Bail can range anywhere from $500 to $100,000. Occasionally higher bail is set by the court for extreme circumstances, such as a murder charge or an extremely violent crime. Bail in medium-sized cities averages about $3,000 - $5,000. This amounts to an average bail recovery fee of $300 - $500. According to figures promoted by some bounty hunger websites, a new bail enforcement agent can earn around $25,000 a year, while full-time, experienced bounty hunters who are willing to take high-risk (and therefore higher-paying) assignments, can make a bounty hunter salary of more than $100,000.

Due to the popularity of reality TV shows like "Dog the Bounty Hunter," interest in this occupation is at an all-time high. The educated and experienced bounty hunter will have the greatest chance for success in this highly competitive field.