State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Connecticut > Title29 > Chap533 > Sec29-151

      Sec. 29-151. Maximum commission or fee. Reports to Commissioner of Public Safety. No such professional bondsman shall charge for his commission or fee more than fifty dollars for the amount of bail furnished by him up to five hundred dollars, nor more than ten per cent of the amount of bail furnished by him from five hundred dollars up to five thousand dollars, nor more than seven per cent of the amount of bail furnished by him on sums in excess of five thousand dollars. When a professional bondsman has furnished bail to an accused in a criminal proceeding, the fee which he receives therefor shall be credited on account of his fee for any subsequent bail in an increased amount which he may furnish for the same person in the same criminal proceeding; but this provision shall not apply to bail furnished on appeal of a conviction or bindover of an accused. Each professional bondsman licensed under the provisions of this chapter shall annually, during the month of January, on forms furnished by the Commissioner of Public Safety, report to said commissioner in detail the names of the persons for whom such bondsman has become surety during the year ended December thirty-first preceding, with the date, the amount of bond and the fee charged and paid and such further information as said commissioner requires.

      (1949 Rev., S. 3735; 1969, P.A. 206; P.A. 77-614, S. 486, 610; P.A. 83-163; P.A. 86-183.)

      History: 1969 act increased bondsman's commission from $5 to $20 on bail amounts up to $300, rather than $100, from 5% to 7% for changed $300 lower range up to $5,000 and from 2.5% to 5% for amounts exceeding $5,000; P.A. 77-614 replaced commissioner of state police with commissioner of public safety, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 83-163 increased bondsman's commission from a maximum of 7% to a maximum of 10% for amounts of bail furnished from $300 up to $5,000; P.A. 86-183 increased maximum fee from $20 to $50 on bail up to $500, 10% of amount of bail from $500 to $5,000 and changed percentage from 5% to 7% of amount of bail in excess of $5,000.

      Cited. 147 C. 1.

      Statute upheld as constitutional. 2 Conn. Cir. Ct. 83. Defendant, after accepting license under statute and acting thereunder, cannot then claim statute is unconstitutional. Id.