California · Penal Code

PEN §1299.07: (a) An individual authorized by Section 1299.

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

Bail bond recovery agents must not impersonate law enforcement, wear government-like uniforms or badges, use fictitious government names, or assist immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant. Agents may wear marked clothing identifying their role.

Read the full statutory text
(a) An individual authorized by Section 1299.02 to apprehend a bail fugitive shall not represent themselves in any manner as being a sworn law enforcement officer. (b) An individual authorized by Section 1299.02 to apprehend a bail fugitive shall not wear any uniform that represents themselves as belonging to any part or department of a federal, state, or local government. Any uniform shall not display the words United States, Bureau, Task Force, Federal, or other substantially similar words that a reasonable person may mistake for a government agency. (c) An individual authorized by Section 1299.02 to apprehend a bail fugitive shall not wear or otherwise use a badge that represents themselves as belonging to any part or department of the federal, state, or local government. (d) An individual authorized by Section 1299.02 to apprehend a bail fugitive shall not use a fictitious name that represents themselves as belonging to any federal, state, or local government. (e) An individual authorized by Section 1299.02 to apprehend a bail fugitive may wear a jacket, shirt, or vest with the words “BAIL BOND RECOVERY AGENT,” “BAIL ENFORCEMENT,” or “BAIL ENFORCEMENT AGENT” displayed in letters at least two inches high across the front or back of the jacket, shirt, or vest and in a contrasting color to that of the jacket, shirt, or vest. (f) An individual authorized by Section 1299.02 to apprehend a bail fugitive shall not use that position for the purposes of immigration enforcement, except pursuant to a valid judicial warrant or court order. (g) An individual authorized by Section 1299.02 to apprehend a bail fugitive shall not disclose or provide in writing, verbally, or in any other manner, personally identifiable information of any bail fugitive that is requested for purposes of immigration enforcement, except pursuant to a valid judicial warrant or court order. (h) For purposes of this section, immigration enforcement includes any and all efforts to investigate, enforce, or assist in the investigation or enforcement of any federal civil immigration law, and also includes any and all efforts to investigate, enforce, or assist in the investigation or enforcement of any federal criminal immigration law that penalizes a person’s presence in, entry or reentry to, or employment in, the United States. (i) This section does not prohibit or restrict any governmental entity or official from sending to, or receiving from, federal immigration authorities, information regarding the citizenship or immigration status, lawful or unlawful, of an individual, or from requesting from federal immigration authorities immigration status information, lawful or unlawful, of any individual, or maintaining or exchanging that information with any other federal, state, or local governmental entity, pursuant to Sections 1373 and 1644 of Title 8 of the United States Code.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.