Senate Bill 186 - Bail Bond Reform Summary

• Clarifies that common law rules conflicting with bail bondsman regulations are expressly abrogated and allows out-of-state sureties to hire licensed North Carolina bondsmen to effect arrests or surrenders of defendants.

• Expands provisional licensee supervision period from 12 months to 24 months, requiring direct face-to-face supervision and establishing that provisional licensees cannot supervise others for the first five years of licensure.

• Creates "supervising bail bondsman" licensing status requiring five years of uninterrupted experience, completion of a training course, passage of a written examination, and payment of a $200 application fee and annual renewal fee.

• Adds criminal commission of any felony as grounds for denial, suspension, revocation, or nonrenewal of licenses and allows administrative action based on commission of crimes involving dishonesty, breach of trust, or moral turpitude.

• Changes continuing education and renewal application deadline from June 30 to May 31 annually, effective July 1, 2024; primary act effective October 1, 2023.