Bail, Bail Bonds - As enacted, requires every bondsman licensed in this state to file a quarterly report with the department of revenue detailing the total number of bonds issued by the bondsman in the preceding quarter, the number of bonds issued in each county in which the bondsman operated, and the total amount of the bondsman's liability in each county; requires each clerk of a court that admits defendants to bail to file a quarterly report with the department detailing the total number of bonds accepted from bondsmen and the total amount of the bonds accepted from bondsmen in the preceding quarter; authorizes the department to use the reports to complete audits on the bail bonding tax. - Amends TCA Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 13; Title 39; Title 40; Title 41; Title 56; Title 62 and Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 8.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Ferrell Haile

Tennessee requires bail bondsmen and courts to file quarterly reports with the Department of Revenue tracking bond issuance and amounts for tax compliance audits.

Pub. Ch. 396

#bail #bailbonds

Legislative bill overview

SB 1237 requires bail bondsmen to file quarterly reports with the Department of Revenue detailing bonds issued by location and liability amount, and requires court clerks to report bonds accepted from bondsmen. The Department of Revenue gains authority to use these reports to conduct audits on bail bonding tax compliance.

Why is this important

This legislation creates a comprehensive tracking system for bail bond activity across Tennessee, potentially improving tax revenue collection and regulatory oversight. The reporting requirements establish data visibility into a previously less-monitored industry and could help identify tax compliance issues or irregularities in bail bonding operations.

Potential points of contention

Compliance burden: Quarterly reporting requirements could create administrative costs for bail bondsmen, particularly smaller operators, potentially affecting business operations and service availability

Data privacy concerns: Centralized collection of detailed bond transaction data raises questions about who accesses this information and how it's protected

Tax implications: The audit focus on "bail bonding tax" suggests potential tax increases or enforcement actions, which bondsmen may argue will increase costs passed to defendants and families