Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 69B-221.051 - Bail Bond Offices

(1) Every bail bond agent must be actively engaged in the bail bond business; in a building suitably designated as a bail bond agency, which must be maintained, open, and accessible to the public to render service during reasonable business hours.

(2) Each bail bond agency branch office must be in the active full-time charge of a licensed and appointed bail bond agent in charge assigned solely to that office, as required by Section 648.387, F.S., who must be as the bail bond agent in charge for that bail bond agency location.

(a) The owner or operator of a bail bond agency must designate a bail bond agent in charge through the bail bond agency's MyProfile account utilizing the Department's online portal located at https://dice.fldfs.com/public/pb_index.aspx by completing Form DFS-H2-1541, Designation or Deletion of Bail Bond Agent in Charge, which is incorporated by reference in Rule 69B-221.155, F.A.C.

(b) The owner or operator of the bail bond agency is responsible for deleting a designation of a bail bond agent in charge if the bail bond agency is closed.

(3) Each bail bond agency and each branch office shall have an entrance easily accessible to the public and used by the bail bond agent in the regular course of their business dealings with the public. As used in this rule, "accessible to the public means the entrance shall be suitably designated by a sign or other display, readable from a reasonable distance, which provides at a minimum the agency name. Additionally, if a bail bond agency is located in a building which maintains a uniform office directory on its premises, the directory shall provide at a minimum the current name of that bail bond agency.

(4) As used in this rule, the term "reasonable business hours" means at least eight hours daily between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for legal holidays.

(5) If a bail bond agency closes, within 10 working days, the owner of the bail bond agency is required to notify the Department in writing of the following:

(a) The location of the agency files for the length of time required by statute,

(b) The location of any collateral being held to secure bail bonds written,

(c) A description of the process consumers are to follow to obtain their collateral after their bonds have been discharged,

(d) The date the bail bond agency closed, and

(e) The date the bail bond agency's license with the Department is to be cancelled.

Notes

Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 69B-221.051

Rulemaking Authority 648.26, 648.355 FS. Law Implemented 648.34, 648.387, 648.421, 648.44 FS.

Repromulgated 12-24-74, Amended 7-27-78, 12-23-82, Formerly 4-1.04, 4-1.004, Amended 4-14-97, 7-2-98, 1-22-03, Formerly 4-221.051, Amended 8-12-04, 4-18-11, 11-6-13, Amended by Florida Register Volume 50, Number 158, August 13, 2024 effective 8/29/2024.

Repromulgated 12-24-74, Amended 7-27-78, 12-23-82, Formerly 4-1.04, 4-1.004, Amended 4-14-97, 7-2-98, 1-22-03, Formerly 4-221.051, Amended 8-12-04, 4-18-11, 11-6-13.