Although working as a bail recovery agent is not for everyone, if interdicting suspects and apprehending bail skippers sounds appealing then you may wish to review the following guide for information on how to become a bounty hunter in New Hampshire:
 | Sign up for New Hampshire Bounty Hunter Basic Training and Education |
 | Register with the New Hampshire Secretary of State |
 | Maintain your Edge |
Of the more than 156,000 criminal cases that went through the New Hampshire court system in 2010, only a small percentage of defendants released on bail through a bondsman chose to abscond from justice. However that small percentage of fugitives was enough to allow bounty hunters, also known as bail recovery agents, to secure jobs and earn a good living.
Step 1. New Hampshire Bounty Hunter Basic Training and Education
New Hampshire bounty hunter school and license requirements stipulate that to become approved by the Secretary of State you must complete a bounty hunter training program approved by the Professional Bail Agents of the United State (PBUS). These courses will provide training for bounty hunter jobs in New Hampshire in important areas such as:
- Suspect apprehension
- State laws and statutes
- Investigative techniques
- Self-defense and use of non-lethal force
- Bounty hunter policies and procedures
You should also consider establishing a firm academic background in any number of fields that are particularly useful to bail recovery agents, including certification courses and university degrees in the following:
- Public Administration
- Law Enforcement
- Criminal Justice
- Psychology
- Criminology
Associate and bachelor’s degrees through a bounty hunter school located in-state or online can also help you to be a more competitive candidate, especially if you are considering a future career in law enforcement.
View programs in New Hampshire for bounty hunter educational training
Step 2. Registering with the New Hampshire Secretary of State
Once you have completed an approved course of bail bonds enforcement training your next step will be to register with the Secretary of State. To be eligible to do this you must meet either of the following conditions:
- Provide proof that you are employed by a bail bondsman who has at least $300,000 of liability insurance
- Provide proof that you have at least $300,000 of liability insurance
You will need to register with the Secretary of State every year, each time providing proof of your liability insurance. Upon successfully registering, the Secretary of State will provide you with proof of such as a credential.
You can find liability insurance through local directories or by conducting an internet search.
Step 3. Maintaining Your Edge
As you continue to develop your career and reputation across New Hampshire as a professional bounty hunter, one of the most important things you can do is stay up to date on current laws in your field. This means checking recent actions by the State Legislature and networking with colleagues and other bail bondsmen. Knowing the law can mean you go home at the end of the week with a bagged bounty instead of being booked into jail. Current legislation requires bounty hunters to do the following or face a class A misdemeanor for each violation:
- Notify a jurisdiction’s chief law enforcement agency if you will be conducting operations in their area of control
- Register with the Secretary of State once a year
Sources: http://www.courts.state.nh.us/supreme/annualreports/financial-statistical-report-09-11.pdf
http://www.sos.nh.gov/securities/OTHAPLAWS.html
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/LIX/597/597-7-b.htm