CHAPTER 26

AN ACT to amend and reenact § 58-871.2, as amended, of the Code of Vir-
ginta, relating to professional bondsmen so as to provide for certain
courts in cities to issue certificates and allowing courts to suspend
bondsmen under certain circumstances. CH 125]

Approved February 10, 1956

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 58-371.2, as amended, of the Code of Virginia be amended and
reenacted as follows:

_§ 58-371.2. The governing body of any county or city may, by
ordinance require that every person who shall, for compensation, enter
into any bond or bonds for others, whether as a principal or surety, shall
obtain a revenue license the amount of which shall be prescribed in such
ordinance; and no such professional bondsman shall enter into any such
bond or bonds in any such county or city until he shall have obtained such
license. No such license shall be issued by the authorities of any such
county or city for any year unless and until the applicant shall have first
obtained a certificate from the judge of the circuit court of the county,
or the judge of the corporation, circuit or hustings court of the city, in
which he desires to carry on the business of professional bondsman, that
he is a person of good moral character and entitled to be so licensed. A
license granted to a professional bondsman in any such county or city shall
authorize such person to enter into such bonds in such county or city.

No professional bondsman shall enter into any such bond if the
aggregate of the penalty of such bond and all other bonds, on which he
has not been released from liability, is in excess of the true market value
of his real estate. Each professional bondsman licensed hereunder shall
file with the clerk of the circuit court of a county or the corporation,
circuit or hustings court of the city in which he is licensed not later than
the fifth day of each month a list of all outstanding bonds on which he was
obligated as of the last day of the preceding month, together with the
amount of the penalty of each such bond.

Any agent for any professional bondsman qualified under this section
shall not act as such agent until he shall have first obtained a certificate
from the judge of the circuit court of the county or the judge of the
corporation, circuit or hustings court of the city in which his professional

nm employer is licensed, that he, the agent, is a person of good
moral character and is entitled to act as agent for such bondsman.

Any professional bondsman or agent for any professional bondsman,
qualified under this section, shall be subject to and governed by any reason-
able rules of conduct or procedure set up by the judge or justice of the
court in which he is acting as a bondsman, and upon his violation of such
rules, he may, after hearing upon a charge of such violation, be suspended
from entering into further bonds in said court by the judge or justice
thereof.

Any ordinance enacted pursuant to the provisions of this section may
provide for revocation of licenses for failure to comply with the terms of
such ordinance and may in addition prescribe penalties for violations
thereof.

Nothing in this section shall be construed to apply to guaranty,
indemnity, fidelity and security companies doing business in Virginia
under the provisions of § 38-331.