The Florida Senate

648.38  Licensure examination for bail bond agents; time; place; fees; scope.--

(1)  Upon approval by the department of a licensure application, the applicant for licensure as a bail bond agent shall appear in person to take a written examination prepared by the department, or by a person designated by the department for that purpose, testing the applicant's ability and qualifications to be a bail bond agent. The department shall determine the minimum performance level required for passage of the examination in order to ensure that the applicant has an adequate level of competence and knowledge of the duties and responsibilities of a bail bond agent.

(2)  The department or a person designated by the department shall mail written notice of the time and place of the examination to each applicant for licensure required to take an examination who will be eligible to take the examination as of the examination date. The notice shall be so mailed, postage prepaid, and addressed to the applicant at his or her address shown on his or her application for licensure or at such other address as requested by the applicant in writing filed with the department prior to the mailing of the notice. Notice shall be deemed given when so mailed.

(3)  Prior to being permitted to take an examination, each applicant must pay the department or a person designated by the department an examination fee. The fee for examination is not refundable.

(4)  The examination shall be held in an adequate and designated examination center in this state.

(5)  The applicant must appear in person and take the examination for licensure at the time and place specified in the written notice.

(6)  The examination shall be conducted by an employee of the department or a person designated by the department for that purpose.

(7)  All examinations shall be given and graded in a fair and impartial manner and without unfair discrimination in favor of or against any particular applicant.

(8)  The scope of the examination shall be as broad as the bail bond business.

(9)  Failure of the applicant to secure approval of the department does not preclude him or her from applying for licensure as many times as he or she desires, but an application may not be considered by the department within 30 days after the date upon which the department denied the last application.

(10)  Any bail bond agent who successfully passes an examination and is subsequently licensed as a bail bond agent must be appointed within 48 months after the date of licensure or be subject to another examination unless failure to be so appointed was due to military service, in which case the period of time in which another examination is not required may, in the department's discretion, be extended to 12 months following the date of discharge from military service, if the military service does not exceed 3 years. An extension of more than 6 years may not be granted under this subsection.

History.--s. 10, ch. 29621, 1955; s. 7, ch. 59-326; s. 13, ch. 61-406; s. 2, ch. 61-119; s. 26, ch. 65-269; ss. 13, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 177, ch. 70-339, s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 1, ch. 77-457; s. 21, ch. 78-95; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 71, 72, ch. 82-175; ss. 16, 50, 51, ch. 84-103; s. 24, ch. 85-208; s. 5, ch. 87-321; s. 60, ch. 88-166; ss. 17, 46, 47, ch. 90-131; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 17, ch. 96-372; s. 23, ch. 2001-142.

Note.--Former s. 903.46.