Washington State Field Operations - What is RCW 18.185.260 Section 1?

What is RCW 18.185.260 Section 1?

Effective in 2009 Washington State RCW 18.185.260 Section 1 increased the training hours for required Washington State Bail Recovery Agent Field Operations Certification to 32 hours:

RCW 18.185.260

(1) The director shall adopt rules establishing pre-license training and testing requirements for bail bond recovery agents, which shall include no less than thirty-two hours of field operations classes. The director may establish, by rule, continuing education and recertification requirements for bail bond recovery agents.

License applicants however may not even be aware of RCW 18.185.260 Section 1 in that the Washington Department of Licensing website does not even mention RCW 18.185.260 Section 1 or the 32 hours required at the Bail Recovery Agent Field Operations training requirement section of their Washington State website.

We ask why? It doesn’t make sense for someone to choose a Washington State Bail Recovery Agent Field Operations training program from the Department of Licensing’s own websites training referral list, and unaware of the 32 hours required by a new law, pay out big dollars, and have their license application temporarily rejected because the program did not meet the requirements of RCW 18.185.260 Section 1.

Out of 16 training programs referred by DOL as Washington State Bail Recovery Agent Field Operations training resources, we could only find two programs on the list that meet the new requirements of RCW 18.185.260 Section 1, maybe there are more but few returned calls.

Why would Washington State's DOL actively refer Washington citizens to privately owned training programs that are not compliant with Washington Law on the Washington DOL website? Why is there no mention of RCW 18.185.260 Section 1 at the Field Operations Requirements Section on their web? Is RCW 18.185.260 Section 1 even being enforced by the DOL’s current administration?

Another interesting note, few of the Taser Instructors on the list are trained or certified as such by Taser International according to their representative. So how did they become Taser Instructors?

We are investigating, stay tuned for the details……

To be continued

Washington State Required Bail Recovery Training: Tactical vs. Real Mentorship

Since January 2006 Washington State has required all Bail Recovery Agents to be licensed. Major requirements for the new Washington State Bail Recovery Agents include OC, Baton, & Taser Certifications, Firearms, all Tactical Security Guard/ Law Enforcement Courses taught by Tactical Instructors often with very impressive and respectable Law Enforcement resumes. We commend them for their experience, knowledge and expertise where deserved.

More controversial is the Washington State Dept of Licensing requirement for “Field Operations” also often taught by Tactical Instructors often with very impressive and respectable Law Enforcement resumes. Although commendably expert in tactical weaponry, it is difficult to comprehend how they replace the training and mentoring one would receive taking the Bail Recovery Field Operations from actual experienced and highly capable "veteran" Bail Recovery Agents in a lifetime mentoring environment.

“No Bail Recovery Experience” instructors have no experiences “walking the walk” of an experienced professional Bail Recovery Agent. As “Industry Outsiders” they don’t have any of the knowledge of a talented and experienced Bail Recovery Agent. The typical solution is usually “substituting” investigative ability, getting employed, and an abundance of other vital Bail Recovery skills with “Building Searches” and “Transport Skills” and other Police Academy skills (who will you transport if you can’t find fugitives?)

Obviously such instructors are in no position to mentor these new Agents anymore than the most experienced of Bail Recovery Instructors are in a position to train and mentor Law Enforcement Officers.

Current Washington law has no Bail Recovery experience requirement of Instructors providing required training of Washington States future Bail Recovery Agents.

Our experience, without training that is based on extensive Bail Enforcement on the street experience ( The Bail Enforcement Academy® requires a minimum of 5 years actual full time experience for Instructor/Trainee’s) how does one compete with the already experienced Agents without learning investigative skills (this is a “no booty no bounty business”) The answer : They Don’t !

“Does it make sense to learn the path from someone whom has never traveled it either?”

Our suggestion to would be Washington State Bail Recovery Agents ?

1) Do not attempt to become a Law Enforcement Officer from a Bail Recovery Agent Trainer with “No Law Enforcement Experience”. They will teach you why at the Police Academy.

2) Do not attempt to become a Bail Recovery Agent from a Law Enforcement Tactical Trainer with “No Bail Recovery Experience”, learn your Bail Recovery Field Operations from someone whom has actually been in the Bail Recovery Field for thousands of hours preferred. We will teach you why at the Bail Enforcement Academy

It may satisfy the State requirements, but you will not likely be qualified to successfully compete with the established "veterans" without ever having learned from them.

Meet your industry peers, obtain your training from those both exceptionally skilled and experienced as Bail Recovery Agents and exceptionally skilled and experienced as Bail Recovery Instructors. In addition to fulfilling Washington State requirements, you will learn the complex skills required to compete within the Bail Bond Industry (there are no jobs for those without exceptional investigative skills, just license and training fees).

In our 11 years of Bail Recovery Agent training, we at the Bail Enforcement Academy® have found that the many former LE Officers we have trained and belong to our Alumni agree…100%.