Only individuals who are residents of South Carolina can be licensed as a Professional Bondsman, Runner, or Surety Bondsman. All applicants must be pre-approved by the Department before registering for the pre-licensing course. Approved applicants for licensure must complete 20 hours of bail bonding pre-licensing education and successfully complete the licensing examination to obtain a certificate.
The Department has contracted with PSI to conduct its examination program. Contact PSI directly to register for your exam. Contact PSI directly at 800-733-9267 or online at www.psiexams.com.
Exam Content Outlines
A background investigation will be conducted by the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) records will be checked. No person will be licensed if they have been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, to a felony or any crime involving moral turpitude within the past ten years.
If the Department approves the application, the licensee must file the original license issued by the Department with the Clerk of Court in the county where the principle place of business is located. The Clerk can provide certified copies to be filed with the other counties in which a bondsman conducts bail bond business.
If the application is denied, a letter will be issued by the Department notifying the applicant in writing of the reason for such denial.
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- Please complete the Professional Bondsman/Runner/Surety Bondsman Application
online by clicking on SCDOI Online Services above. Any trade name used must be shown on the application. The Department must be advised immediately of any change in trade name, business or residence address.
- License Fee of $400.
The license fee is non-refundable. Checks should be made payable to the South Carolina Department of Insurance.
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Attach a passport-sized photograph to the application.
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Proof of completion of 20-hour bail bonding pre-licensing education.
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Two (2) fingerprint cards.
The fingerprint cards should be coded for the South Carolina Department of Insurance and must be certified by an authorized law enforcement officer. The top portion of the cards must be entirely completed.
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Proof of Net Worth (current bank statement or Certificate of Deposit)
Please do not highlight any areas of the documentation being submitted to the Department. Highlighted documents may be returned.
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- Any trade name used must be shown on the application. The Department must be advised immediately of any change in trade name, business or residence address.
- License Fee of $200.
The license fee is non-refundable. Checks should be made payable to the South Carolina Department of Insurance.
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Attach a passport-sized photograph to the application.
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Proof of completion of 20-hour bail bonding pre-licensing education.
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Two (2) fingerprint cards.
The fingerprint cards should be coded for the South Carolina Insurance Department and must be certified by an authorized law enforcement officer. The top portion of the cards must be entirely completed.
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A runner may be authorized to execute bail bonds by a professional bondsman. If a runner is to have this authority, a Power of Attorney for Bail Bond Runner, Form BB1104, must be submitted.
Please do not highlight any areas of the documentation being submitted to the Department. Highlighted documents may be returned.
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Professional Bondsman/Runner/Surety Bondsman License Application [pdf 135k]
Any trade name used must be shown on the application. The Department must be advised immediately of any change in trade name, business or residence address.
- Attach a passport-sized photograph to the application.
- Proof of completion of 20-hour bail bonding pre-licensing education.
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Proof of passing the Producer Licensing Examination.
All bondsman applicants must obtain a
producer license before applying.
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Proof of passing the South Carolina Bondsman Licensing Examination.
Original Exam Score Report from PSI. The score report expires 12 months after issuance. Contact PSI directly at 800-733-9267 or online at www.psiexams.com.
Exam Content Outlines
Please do not highlight any areas of the documentation being submitted to the Department. Highlighted documents may be returned.
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The Department will no longer print or mail hard copies of licenses. Licensed individuals must print copies of their license via the Department's SCDOI Online Services found on our website. There is no charge for printing the licenses, and copies of duplicate or amended licenses can be obtained at anytime.
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Select "Print License" under the General Public heading.
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You must accept the License Certification Terms of Use before proceeding. If you agree with the terms, click "I Accept" at the bottom of the page.
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Key in the Social Security Number and Date of Birth in the format as shown next the fields and then click "Login."
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Choose License Type in the drop down menu and then click "next."
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Click "Print."
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The Department will no longer print or mail hard copies of Letters of Certification. Licensed individuals must print copies of their certification letters via the Department's SCDOI Online Services found on our website. There is no charge for printing the letters, and copies of duplicate or amended letters can be obtained at anytime.
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Select "Generate Certificate of Authority/Letters of Clearance for Individuals" under the General Public heading.
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You must accept the License Certification Terms of Use before proceeding. If you agree with the terms, click "I Accept" at the bottom of the page.
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Enter the Social Security Number and Date of Birth in the format as shown next the fields on the page and then click "Next."
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Select the State(s) for the Letter of Certification and then click "Next."
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Click "Continue" on the Application Fees page.
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Click "Save and Print Letter" on the Confirmation page.
The Letter of Certification will open in PDF format.
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Click "Search for Individuals."
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Enter the Individual Number or Last Name and then click "Search."
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Click on the individual's name.
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Click on "Type of License" (in blue) to the see the license and appointment information.
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South Carolina law requires all licensees to notify the Department of any change in address within (30) days. Failure to notify the Department with the 30-day statutory timeframe constitutes a violation of the South Carolina insurance laws. It is the statutory responsibility of the licensees to make certain their mailing, home and/or business address records with the South Carolina Department of Insurance are up-to-date. Having inaccurate address and other contact information on file with the Department may result in licensees not receiving important notices and other communications. Licensees may be subject to administrative disciplinary action for not timely notifying the Department of an address change. In accordance with Section 38-2-10 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, individuals could be subject to administrative penalties up to $2,500 for each violation of South Carolina insurance laws.
Effective July 1, 2009, the Department will no longer accept paper requests for address changes.
Procedures for Making an Address Change
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Enter your user id and password, log-in and proceed to update your records.
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If you already created a user id and password but do not remember them, please email irmmail@doi.sc.gov and the information will be emailed to you. Once you have the information, log-in and proceed to update your records.
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If you do not have a user id and password, click "Create an Account."
There is no cost to create an account. You will be asked to type in your social security number and date of birth.
After all of the questions have been answered, click "Next" and the screen will advance for you to select a user id and password known only to you. Once the information is entered and saved, your information will be displayed on the screen. Changes can then be made to update your records.
Please protect your user id and password information.
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Runners
Appointment of Runner, Form BB1102
Termination of Runner Appointment, Form BB1103
Surety Bondsman
Appointment of Surety Bondsman, Form BB1107
Termination of Surety Bondsman Appointment, Form BB1108
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- Power of Attorney for Bail Bond Runner, Form BB1104
A runner may be authorized to execute bail bonds by a professional bondsman. If a runner is to have this authority, the Power of Attorney for Bail Bond Runner form must be submitted to the Department.
- Revocation of Runner Power of Attorney, Form BB1105.
A professional bondsman can withdraw the power of attorney of a runner to post bonds. If a professional bondsman chooses to withdraw the power of attorney, the Revocation of Runner Power of Attorney form must be submitted to the Department.
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A surety desiring to be relieved on a bond for "good cause" or the nonpayment of fees must file with the court a motion to be relieved on the bond. A copy of the motion must be served upon the defendant, his attorney and the solicitor’s office. The court shall then schedule a hearing to determine if the surety should be relieved on the bond and advise all parties of the hearing date.
If the circumstances warrant immediate incarceration of the defendant to prevent imminent violation of any one of the specific terms of the bail bond or if the defendant has violated any one of the specific terms of the bond, the surety may take the defendant to the appropriate detention facility for holding until the court orders that the surety be relieved. The surety must immediately file with the detention facility and the court an affidavit stating the facts to support the surrender of the defendant for good cause or the nonpayment of fees. When the affidavit is filed with the court, the surety must also file a motion to be relieved on the bond as stated above.
A surety who surrenders a defendant and files an affidavit which does not show good cause or the nonpayment of fees is subject to penalties imposed for perjury.
After the surety has been relieved by order of the court, a new undertaking must be filed with the appropriate court in order to secure the re release of the defendant. The undertaking must contain the same conditions included in the original bond unless the conditions have been changed by the court.
Order to be Relieved [pdf 88k]
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Phone: 803-737-6134
Email: wseawright@doi.sc.gov
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