374.700. Definitions.

MISSOURI STATUTES AND CODES

Definitions.

374.700. As used in sections 374.695 to 374.789, the following termsshall mean:

(1) "Bail bond agent", a surety agent or an agent of a property bailbondsman who is duly licensed pursuant to the provisions of sections 374.695to 374.789, is employed by and is working under the authority of a licensedgeneral bail bond agent;

(2) "Bail bond or appearance bond", a bond for a specified monetaryamount which is executed by the defendant and a qualified licensee pursuant tosections 374.695 to 374.789, and which is issued to a court or authorizedofficer as security for the subsequent court appearance of the defendant uponthe defendant's release from actual custody pending the appearance;

(3) "Department", the department of insurance, financial institutionsand professional registration of the state of Missouri;

(4) "Director", the director of the department of insurance, financialinstitutions and professional registration;

(5) "General bail bond agent", a surety agent or a property bailbondsman, as defined in sections 374.700 to 374.775, who is licensed inaccordance with sections 374.700 to 374.775 and who devotes at least fiftypercent of his working time to the bail bond business in this state;

(6) "Insurer", any surety insurance company which is qualified by thedepartment to transact surety business in Missouri;

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

(8) "Property bail bondsman", a person who pledges United Statescurrency, United States postal money orders or cashier's checks or otherproperty 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;

(9) "Surety bail bond agent", any person appointed by an insurer bypower of attorney to execute or countersign bail bonds in connection withjudicial proceedings, and who receives or is promised money or other things ofvalue therefor;

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

(11) "Taking a bail" or "take bail", the acceptance by a personauthorized to take bail of the undertaking of a sufficient surety for theappearance of the defendant according to the terms of the undertaking or thatthe surety will pay to the court the sum specified. Taking of bail or takebail does not include the fixing of the amount of bail and no person otherthan a competent court shall fix the amount of bail.