# Alabama HB302: Bail and surety bonding; requirements for professional surety bondsman and professional bail bondsman further provided for, requirements for apprentice bondsman further provided for, to require circuit clerks to report the authorized professional bail bond companies, appointment of additional members to the Alabama Bail Bonding Board provided for, and late application and license renewal fees provided Alabama HB302, Bail and surety bonding; requirements for professional surety bondsman and professional bail bondsman further provided for, requirements for apprentice bondsman further provided for, to require circuit clerks to report the authorized professional bail bond companies, appointment of additional members to the Alabama Bail Bonding Board provided for, and late application and license renewal fees provided, is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Chip Brown (Republican); status enacted, last action 2026-04-16 (Enacted); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB302-2026rs - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Alabama HB302 - State: Alabama - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Bail and surety bonding; requirements for professional surety bondsman and professional bail bondsman further provided for, requirements for apprentice bondsman further provided for, to require circuit clerks to report the authorized professional bail bond companies, appointment of additional members to the Alabama Bail Bonding Board provided for, and late application and license renewal fees provided - Status: enacted - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-21 - Last action: 2026-04-16, Enacted - Sponsor: Chip Brown (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Criminal Procedure - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 8 (509 yes, 10 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 7 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Bail companies need larger new escrows: cost, high. New bail-company escrow agreements made on or after October 1, 2026, require $100,000 in counties with at least 200,000 people. In smaller counties, the required amount is $50,000. Renewals of existing corporate surety bonds and escrow agreements keep the $25,000 amount. Moving an escrow agreement… - Bail workers need one-year Alabama residency: cost, medium. Beginning October 1, 2026, applicants for professional bondsman, professional surety bondsman, or recovery-agent licenses need one year of Alabama residency. They must prove residency with an Alabama driver license or Alabama nondriver identification card. - Late bail license filings cost more: cost, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, bail-bond licensees owe a $125 late application fee for missing the September 30 renewal-application deadline. The Board must email each licensee a reminder by September 1. A late renewal of a covered individual or company license also carries an extra fee equal to its re… - Bond companies face stricter paperwork rules: cost, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, bond companies' annual county authorization filings must include sworn information about final forfeitures and bond posting fees. This covers amounts unpaid for more than 30 days, subject to the law's pending-litigation qualification. The Alabama Supreme Court must requir… - Longer apprentice bail licenses, tighter limits: mixed, medium. Beginning October 1, 2026, apprentice bail licenses last 180 days instead of 120 days. Applicants must meet professional-license requirements except passing the exam. Each person can receive an apprentice license only once, and former professional-license holders cannot receive one. Apprentices mus… - Bond company ownership limits, succession options: mixed, medium. Beginning October 1, 2026, professional surety bondsmen need three years of that license before owning a professional surety company. Professional bondsmen need three years of their license before owning a professional bail company. An unlicensed buyer can purchase a company after its owner dies or… - Inactive bail licenses have fees, restart rules: mixed, low. Beginning October 1, 2026, licensees can place a bail license in inactive status and renew it during the renewal period. The inactive renewal fee cannot exceed $100. Late renewal adds a fee equal to the applicable license renewal fee. Returning to active status requires paying for an active license… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Chip Brown (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-09 | House | Brown motion to Concur In and Adopt Senate Amendment - Adopted Roll Call 1344 | pass | 104 | 0 | | | 2026-04-08 | Senate | Sessions motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1275 | pass | 30 | 0 | | | 2026-04-08 | Senate | Sessions motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1276 | pass | 30 | 0 | | | 2026-04-08 | Senate | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1277 | pass | 30 | 0 | | | 2026-02-26 | House | Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 627 | pass | 74 | 3 | 26 | | 2026-02-26 | House | Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 626 | pass | 83 | 0 | 20 | | 2026-02-26 | House | Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 625 | pass | 77 | 2 | 24 | | 2026-02-26 | House | Third Reading in House of Origin | pass | 81 | 5 | 17 | ## Actions (28) - 2026-04-16: Enacted (House) - 2026-04-09: Brown motion to Concur In and Adopt Senate Amendment - Adopted Roll Call 1344 (House) - 2026-04-09: Ready to Enroll (House) - 2026-04-09: Enrolled (House) - 2026-04-09: Signature Requested (Senate) - 2026-04-09: Delivered to Governor (House) - 2026-04-08: Judiciary 1st Amendment Offered (Senate) - 2026-04-08: Sessions motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1275 (Senate) - 2026-04-08: Sessions 1st Amendment Offered (Senate) - 2026-04-08: Sessions motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 1276 (Senate) - 2026-04-08: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 1277 (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Judiciary 1st Amendment (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Reported Out of Committee Second House (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Third Reading in House of Origin (House) - 2026-02-26: Boards, Agencies and Commissions 1st Substitute Offered (House) - 2026-02-26: Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 625 (House) - 2026-02-26: Ingram 1st Amendment Offered (House) - 2026-02-26: Motion to Adopt - Adopted Roll Call 626 (House) - 2026-02-26: Motion to Read a Third Time and Pass as Amended - Adopted Roll Call 627 (House) - 2026-02-26: Engrossed (House) - 2026-02-26: Read for the first time and referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Pending Committee Action in Second House (Senate) - 2026-02-05: Read for the Second Time and placed on the Calendar (House) - 2026-02-04: Boards, Agencies and Commissions 1st Substitute (House) - 2026-02-04: Reported Out of Committee House of Origin (House) - 2026-01-21: Read for the first time and referred to the House Committee on Boards, Agencies and Commissions (House) - 2026-01-21: Pending Committee Action in House of Origin (House) ## Bill text - As Introduced: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB302-int.pdf) - Engrossed: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB302-eng.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB302-enr.pdf) ## Related bills - HB67: Voter Information; limit cost of reproducing voter registration list; crime for misuse of personal voter information; created (enacted) - SB154: State employees, cost-of-living increase for fiscal year beginning October 1, 2026 (enacted) - SB165: Elections; municipal elections, to set qualification fee amounts, to require indigent candidates to submit documentation for fee exemption (enacted) - HB317: Firefighter distinctive license plate; fire chaplains included, penalty for violations provided for (enacted) - SB272: Open Records; use of public records relating to schools for certain solicitation purposes prohibited; redaction of certain information relating to financial tr… (enacted) - SB190: Sales Tax; to exempt Precision Ocular (enacted) ## Sources - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB302-int.pdf) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB302-eng.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/files/pdf/SearchableInstruments/2026RS/HB302-enr.pdf) ## Related - [HB67: Voter Information; limit cost of reproducing voter registration list; crime for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB67-2026rs) - [SB154: State employees, cost-of-living increase for fiscal year beginning October 1, 2…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB154-2026rs) - [SB165: Elections; municipal elections, to set qualification fee amounts, to require in…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB165-2026rs) - [HB317: Firefighter distinctive license plate; fire chaplains included, penalty for vio…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB317-2026rs) - [SB272: Open Records; use of public records relating to schools for certain solicitatio…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB272-2026rs) - [SB190: Sales Tax; to exempt Precision Ocular](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-SB190-2026rs) - [Alabama bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama/bills) - [Alabama state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/alabama) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AL-HB302-2026rs (as of 2026-10-16).