Owning your own business can be a worthwhile and challenging venture. A particularly challenging business is that of bail bondsman work. The laws for this type of work differ greatly from state to state, and those who undertake such work often find themselves in stressful situations. For the brave of heart, here are the steps to bail bondsman licensing in Alabama.

You must be a resident of Alabama, and have enough net worth to cover the bail amounts you will be lending. You may not have been convicted of a felony, and have no financial issues such as large amounts of credit, defaulted credit cards or bankruptcies (ie. forfeitures). You must also not have violated the criminal procedures of the state of Alabama within the last two years. If you meet these requirements, you contact your local county clerk to learn the specific application procedures for the counties you wish to work in.

Next up is the annual authorization to stay in business. This involves the affidavit, the financial surety, and the power of attorney documents regarding the amounts of bail and the agents that will be involved in the workings of the business.

To be authorized to arrest a defendant or "bail jumper", the bail bondsman must request a "bondsman's process." This is a necessary document that must be obtained for each defendant that jumps bail. This document does not absolve the bail bondsman of fiscal responsibility, unless the court deems the defendant's reason for missing a court date is sufficient.

Once you have met the requirements, you can set up shop. Find your office space and take care of the general administration issues. Hire a staff, and some agents. Create some documents or locate templates for documents specific to your county for bail bonds agreements between the company and the defendant.

Last of all, network. Join bail bondsmen groups and get acquainted with those around you. The bail bonds community tends to be close-knit, and veterans of the business are likely to help a newcomer.