Missouri § 324.2103 - Definitions.

§ 324.2103. Definitions.

As used in sections 324.2100 to 324.2187, the following terms shall mean:

(1)  "Bail bond agent", a surety agent or an agent of a property bail bondsman who is duly licensed pursuant to the provisions of sections 324.2100 to 324.2187, is employed by and is working under the authority of a licensed general bail bond agent;

(2)  "Bail bond or appearance bond", a bond for a specified monetary amount which is executed by the defendant and a qualified licensee pursuant to sections 324.2100 to 324.2187, and which is issued to a court or authorized officer as security for the subsequent court appearance of the defendant upon the defendant's release from actual custody pending the appearance;

(3)  "Board", the board of private investigators, private fire investigators, and professional surety bail bond agents established in section 324.1102 within the division;

(4)  "Department", the department of commerce and insurance of the state of Missouri;

(5)  "Director", the director of the division of professional registration of the department of commerce and insurance;

(6)  "Division", the division of professional registration of the department of commerce and insurance;

(7)  "General bail bond agent", a surety agent or a property bail bondsman, as defined in sections 324.2103 to 324.2166, who is licensed in accordance with sections 324.2103 to 324.2166 and who devotes at least fifty percent of his or her working time to the bail bond business in this state;

(8)  "Insurer", any surety insurance company which is qualified by the department to transact surety business in Missouri;

(9)  "Licensee", a bail bond agent or a general bail bond agent;

(10)  "Property bail bondsman", a person who pledges United States currency, United States postal money orders or cashier's checks or other property as security for a bail bond in connection with a judicial proceeding, and who receives or is promised therefor money or other things of value;

(11)  "Surety bail bond agent", any person appointed by an insurer by power of attorney to execute or countersign bail bonds in connection with judicial proceedings, and who receives or is promised money or other things of value therefor;

(12)  "Surety recovery agent", a person not performing the duties of a sworn peace officer who tracks down, captures and surrenders to the custody of a court a fugitive who has violated a bail bond agreement, excluding a bail bond agent or general bail bond agent;

(13)  "Taking a bail" or "take bail", the acceptance by a person authorized to take bail of the undertaking of a sufficient surety for the appearance of the defendant according to the terms of the undertaking or that the surety will pay to the court the sum specified.  Taking of bail or take bail does not include the fixing of the amount of bail and no person other than a competent court shall fix the amount of bail.

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(L. 1983 S.B. 363 § 1, A.L. 2001 S.B. 267, A.L. 2004 S.B. 1122, A.L. 2026 S.B. 1421)

Transferred 2026; formerly 374.700

Severability clause, see § 1.1010

---- end of effective  28 Aug 2026 ----

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