{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/9.1-186.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/9.1-186.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/9.1-186.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/9.1-186.html"}],"law_id":378666,"edition_id":2,"section_id":378666,"structure_id":53807,"section_number":"9.1-186","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"2004, c. 397.","full_text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\n“Bail enforcement agent,” also known as “bounty hunter,” means any individual engaged in bail recovery.\n\n“Bail recovery” means an act whereby a person arrests a bailee with the object of surrendering the bailee to the appropriate court, jail, or police department, for the purpose of discharging the bailee’s surety from liability on his bond. “Bail recovery” shall include investigating, surveilling or locating a bailee in preparation for an imminent arrest, with such object and for such purpose.\n\n“Bailee” means a person who has been released on bail, and who is or has been subject to a bond, as defined in \u00a7 19.2-119.\n\n“Board” means the Criminal Justice Services Board.\n\n“Department” means the Department of Criminal Justice Services.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1414100,"text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":""},"1":{"id":1414101,"text":"“Bail enforcement agent,” also known as “bounty hunter,” means any individual engaged in bail recovery.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"2":{"id":1414102,"text":"“Bail recovery” means an act whereby a person arrests a bailee with the object of surrendering the bailee to the appropriate court, jail, or police department, for the purpose of discharging the bailee’s surety from liability on his bond. “Bail recovery” shall include investigating, surveilling or locating a bailee in preparation for an imminent arrest, with such object and for such purpose.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"3":{"id":1414103,"text":"“Bailee” means a person who has been released on bail, and who is or has been subject to a bond, as defined in \u00a7 19.2-119.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"4":{"id":1414104,"text":"“Board” means the Criminal Justice Services Board.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"5":{"id":1414105,"text":"“Department” means the Department of Criminal Justice Services.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":""}},"ancestry":[{"id":53807,"edition_id":2,"name":"Bail Enforcement Agents","identifier":"12","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":12,"parent_id":53786,"metadata":{"child_laws":15,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:22:34","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:28:42","permalink":{"id":1511715,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53807,"identifier":"12","token":"9.1\/1\/12","url":"\/9.1\/1\/12\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":53786,"edition_id":2,"name":"Department of Criminal Justice Services","identifier":"1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":53785,"metadata":{"child_laws":143,"child_structures":17},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:22:17","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:28:40","permalink":{"id":1511491,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53786,"identifier":"1","token":"9.1\/1","url":"\/9.1\/1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":53785,"edition_id":2,"name":"Commonwealth Public Safety","identifier":"9.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":36,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":258,"child_structures":36},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:22:17","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:28:39","permalink":{"id":1511489,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53785,"identifier":"9.1","token":"9.1","url":"\/9.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":378666,"structure_id":53807,"section_number":"9.1-186","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/9.1-186\/","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186","metadata":false},{"id":378652,"structure_id":53807,"section_number":"9.1-186.1","catch_line":"Inapplicability of article","url":"\/9.1-186.1\/","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186.1","metadata":false},{"id":378653,"structure_id":53807,"section_number":"9.1-186.10","catch_line":"Uniforms and identification; standards and restrictions","url":"\/9.1-186.10\/","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186.10","metadata":false},{"id":378654,"structure_id":53807,"section_number":"9.1-186.11","catch_line":"Reporting standards and requirements","url":"\/9.1-186.11\/","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186.11","metadata":false},{"id":378655,"structure_id":53807,"section_number":"9.1-186.12","catch_line":"Recovery of bailees; methods of capture; standards and requirements; limitations","url":"\/9.1-186.12\/","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186.12","metadata":false},{"id":378656,"structure_id":53807,"section_number":"9.1-186.13","catch_line":"Penalties, criminal and monetary","url":"\/9.1-186.13\/","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186.13","metadata":false},{"id":378657,"structure_id":53807,"section_number":"9.1-186.14","catch_line":"Expired","url":"\/9.1-186.14\/","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186.14","metadata":false},{"id":378658,"structure_id":53807,"section_number":"9.1-186.2","catch_line":"Powers of Department and Board relating to bail enforcement agents","url":"\/9.1-186.2\/","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186.2","metadata":false},{"id":378659,"structure_id":53807,"section_number":"9.1-186.3","catch_line":"Powers of Department relating to bail enforcement agents","url":"\/9.1-186.3\/","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186.3","metadata":false},{"id":378660,"structure_id":53807,"section_number":"9.1-186.4","catch_line":"Limitations on licensure","url":"\/9.1-186.4\/","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186.4","metadata":false},{"id":378661,"structure_id":53807,"section_number":"9.1-186.5","catch_line":"Bail enforcement agent license; criminal history records check","url":"\/9.1-186.5\/","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186.5","metadata":false},{"id":378662,"structure_id":53807,"section_number":"9.1-186.6","catch_line":"Licenses; renewal","url":"\/9.1-186.6\/","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186.6","metadata":false},{"id":378663,"structure_id":53807,"section_number":"9.1-186.7","catch_line":"Licensure of nonresidents","url":"\/9.1-186.7\/","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186.7","metadata":false},{"id":378664,"structure_id":53807,"section_number":"9.1-186.8","catch_line":"Professional conduct standards; grounds for disciplinary actions","url":"\/9.1-186.8\/","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186.8","metadata":false},{"id":378665,"structure_id":53807,"section_number":"9.1-186.9","catch_line":"Firearms, training and usage; standards and requirements","url":"\/9.1-186.9\/","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186.9","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":378652,"structure_id":53807,"section_number":"9.1-186.1","catch_line":"Inapplicability of article","url":"\/9.1-186.1\/","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/9.1-186\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2004. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 397<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":[{"id":352967,"section_number":"2.2-3705.3","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Exclusions to application of chapter; records relating to administrative investigations","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-3705.3\/"},{"id":378512,"section_number":"9.1-102","catch_line":"Powers and duties of the Board and the Department","order_by":null,"url":"\/9.1-102\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":351250,"section_number":"19.2-119","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-119\/"}],"permalink":{"id":1511717,"object_type":"law","relational_id":378666,"identifier":"9.1-186","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186","url":"\/9.1-186\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/9.1-186\/","token":"9.1\/1\/12\/9.1-186","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 9.1-186","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:<\/p>

“Bail enforcement agent,” also known as “bounty hunter,” means any individual engaged in bail recovery<\/span>.<\/p>

“Bail recovery<\/span>” means an act whereby a person arrests<\/span> a bailee<\/span> with the object<\/span> of surrendering the bailee<\/span> to the appropriate court<\/span>, jail, or police<\/span> department<\/span>, for the purpose of discharging the bailee<\/span>’s surety<\/span> from liability on his bond<\/span>. “Bail recovery<\/span>” shall include investigating, surveilling or locating a bailee<\/span> in preparation for an imminent arrest<\/span>, with such object<\/span> and for such purpose.<\/p>

“Bailee<\/span>” means a person who has been released on bail, and who is or has been subject to a bond<\/span>, as defined in \u00a7 19.2-119<\/a>.<\/p>

“Board<\/span>” means the Criminal Justice Services Board<\/span>.<\/p>

“Department<\/span>” means the Department<\/span> of Criminal Justice Services.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 9.1-186)\n\nAs used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\n“Bail enforcement agent,” also known as “bounty hunter,”\nmeans any individual engaged in bail recovery.\n\n“Bail recovery” means an act whereby a person arrests a bailee with\nthe object of surrendering the bailee to the appropriate court, jail, or police\ndepartment, for the purpose of discharging the bailee’s surety from\nliability on his bond. “Bail recovery” shall include investigating,\nsurveilling or locating a bailee in preparation for an imminent arrest, with\nsuch object and for such purpose.\n\n“Bailee” means a person who has been released on bail, and who is or\nhas been subject to a bond, as defined in \u00a7 19.2-119.\n\n“Board” means the Criminal Justice Services Board.\n\n“Department” means the Department of Criminal Justice Services.\n\nHISTORY: 2004, c. 397.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}