§1585.  Surrender for nonpayment of premium

A.  Before a breach of an undertaking occurs, a surety or bail bond producer may surrender a defendant, or the defendant may surrender himself, to the official to whose custody the defendant was committed at the time the bail was given.  The defendant may be surrendered without a return of the premium if he changes addresses without notifying his bail bond producer or surety, conceals himself, leaves the jurisdiction of the court without the permission of his bail bond producer or surety, fails to appear in any court at any time, or if the indemnitor seeks to relieve himself of his obligation on the bond or if the defendant is convicted of a felony but sentence is not yet imposed.  A bail bond producer shall not surrender a client for nonpayment of a premium until thirty days after the date the bond is posted.

B.  When a bail bond producer or surety surrenders a defendant, the bail bond producer or surety must file written notification and a statement of surrender indicating the lawful reason for the surrender.  The statement of surrender must be attached to the surrender or recommit form with a copy provided to the defendant, committing official, and court clerk.  The bail bond producer must maintain a correct copy of the statement of surrender form in the defendant's file.  The statement of surrender shall read as follows:

STATEMENT OF SURRENDER

THE UNDERSIGNED SURETY/BAIL BOND PRODUCER on behalf of ______________________________wishes to surrender/recommit the defendant and hereby authorizes ______________________________as a licensed bail bond producer, licensed agent of the surety, or any law enforcement officer having jurisdiction to take the defendant, _____________________________, into custody and deliver and surrender the defendant or cause the defendant to be surrendered/recommitted into the custody of the ________________________ in the City/Parish of ______________________________, State of ________________.

The lawful reason for the surrender/recommit is:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dated this _______________day of ___________________, 20___________.

_________________________________________________

Surety/Bail Bond Producer/Agent of Surety or Bail Bond Producer

C.  Upon first violation, a bail bond producer who surrenders a client for nonpayment of a premium in violation of this Section shall be subject to a suspension of his license for not more than six months and fined an amount not to exceed five thousand dollars.  A second or any subsequent violation may be punishable by permanent revocation of the bail bond producer's license and a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars.

Acts 2003, No. 1194, §1, eff. July 3, 2003; Redesignated from R.S. 22:1514.4 by Acts 2008, No. 415, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2010, No. 914, §4; Acts 2011, No. 94, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2012.

NOTE:  Former R.S. 22:1585 redesignated as R.S. 22:347 by Acts 2008, No. 415, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009.