SB 1599 Summary

• Establishes licensing requirements for bail bond agents and bail recovery agents, including age (18+), one-year Arizona residency, criminal background checks, and completion of six hours of approved bail bonds training plus fourteen hours of additional education.

• Increases the surety bond requirement for bail bond agents from $10,000 to $100,000 and requires bail bond agencies to be registered business entities with individual members, officers, or directors licensed as bail bond agents.

• Prohibits bail bond agents and recovery agents from soliciting business in jails or courts, requires surrender of defendants to law enforcement within two hours, and restricts entry into occupied residences without consent.

• Creates detailed requirements for collateral handling, including prohibited items (quit claim deeds, life settlement contracts, hazardous materials), collateral receipts, and mandatory return of collateral within 21 days of bond exoneration.

• Establishes procedures for bail bond forfeiture hearings, allows remission of forfeited bail if defendant is surrendered within seven months, and exempts bonds when defendants are arrested on unrelated charges while on bond.