HB0528 • 2026

Bail, Bail Bonds

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 40, relative to pretrial release.

Crime

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Doggett, Gardenhire
Last action: 2025-05-13
Official status: Comp. became Pub. Ch. 318
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide information on consequences for charging outside of specified fees or details about enforcement mechanisms.

Bail Bond Premium Fees

This law sets minimum and maximum fees that bail bond companies can charge for their services in Tennessee.

What This Bill Does

Sets a minimum fee of 5% and a maximum fee of 10% of the total amount of the bond for residents within Tennessee.
For non-residents, the fee must be between 5% and 15% of the bond's value.
Requires at least half of the premium to be paid when signing the bail agreement.

Who It Names or Affects

People who need to post bail before their trial in Tennessee.
Bail bond companies operating within Tennessee.

Terms To Know

Premium Fee: The money a person pays to a bail bondsman to secure release from jail before a court date.
Face Amount of the Bond: The total amount that needs to be paid if someone does not show up for their trial after being released on bond.

Limits and Unknowns

Does not specify what happens if a bail bondsman charges less than the minimum fee.
Only applies to criminal cases and does not cover civil cases or other types of bonds.
The law takes effect in July 2025, so there is a delay before it starts.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HA0372

Amendment 1-0 to HB0528

Plain English: The amendment changes how bail bonds are handled in Tennessee by setting specific rules for fees and notices given to people who use professional bail bondsmen.

Sets a fixed ten percent (10%) premium fee for Tennessee residents on their bail bond, instead of allowing up to ten percent (10%).
Clarifies that non-Tennessee residents can have a premium fee between ten percent (10%) and fifteen percent (15%), with examples provided.
Requires professional bondsmen to provide detailed notices about fees and rights when issuing a bail bond.

The amendment text does not specify all the details of how these changes will be enforced or monitored.

SA0398

Amendment 1-0 to SB0464

Plain English: The amendment changes Tennessee law regarding bail bonds by specifying exact premium fees and prohibiting certain practices by professional bail bondsmen.

Sets a fixed ten percent (10%) premium fee for Tennessee residents on their bail bond, instead of allowing up to ten percent (10%).
Limits the premium fee for non-Tennessee residents to between ten percent (10%) and fifteen percent (15%) of the face amount of the bond.
Requires professional bondsmen to collect at least fifty percent (50%) of the premium due when signing a bond, with full payment within twelve months.

The amendment text does not specify all changes comprehensively and may require additional context for complete understanding.

Bill History

2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. became Pub. Ch. 318
2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Effective date(s) 07/01/2025
2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly
Pub. Ch. 318
2025-05-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Governor.
2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly
Transmitted to Governor for action.
2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by H. Speaker
2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly
Signed by Senate Speaker
2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly
Enrolled and ready for signatures
2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Comp. SB subst.
2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed H., Ayes 71, Nays 23, PNV 0
2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0372)
2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly
Subst. for comp. HB.
2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Engrossed; ready for transmission to House
2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 32, Nays 0
2025-04-14 Tennessee General Assembly
Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0398)
2025-04-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025
2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly
H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025
2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/10/2025
2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee
2025-04-08 Tennessee General Assembly
Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 8, Nays 0 PNV 0
2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on cal. Judiciary Committee for 4/9/2025
2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/8/2025
2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/8/2025
2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Rec. for pass by s/c ref. to Judiciary Committee
2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/2/2025
2025-04-01 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/2/2025
2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 4/1/2025
2025-03-31 Tennessee General Assembly
Action deferred in Senate Judiciary Committee to 4/1/2025
2025-03-28 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 4/2/2025
2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Action Def. in s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee to 4/2/2025
2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on Senate Judiciary Committee calendar for 3/31/2025
2025-03-24 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly
Placed on s/c cal Criminal Justice Subcommittee for 3/26/2025
2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly
Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Judiciary Committee
2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor change.
2025-02-11 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) withdrawn.
2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly
Introduced, Passed on First Consideration
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
Assigned to s/c Criminal Justice Subcommittee
2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly
P2C, ref. to Judiciary Committee
2025-02-04 Tennessee General Assembly
Sponsor(s) Added.
2025-02-03 Tennessee General Assembly
Intro., P1C.
2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction
2025-01-29 Tennessee General Assembly
Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Present law requires a person utilizing the services of a professional bail bondsman or bonding agent to receive a copy of the following notice with the person's bail bond. The notice must state that the premi
um fee for a bond should not be more than 10% of the face amount of the bond. For example, if the bond is $2,500, the premium on the bond should not be more than $250. This bill prohibits the premium fee for the bond from being less than 5% of the face
a
mount of the bond. For example, if the bond is $2,500, the premium on the bond should not be less than $125 or more than $250.

Present law prohibits professional bondsmen and agents of insurance companies making appearance bonds of a criminal nature fro
m assessing more than 10% of the amount of the face value of the bond for premium fee and related charges, and the premium fee and related charge or charges must not be assessed but one time during the first 12 months of the pendency of the charge or char
g
es and indictment or indictments in either the trial court or any lower court. This bill prohibits such persons from assessing less than 5% of the amount of the face value of the bond.

Present law provides that if a professional bondsman, or agent of an
insurance company, is making a criminal appearance bond for a defendant who is not a resident of this state, the bondsman or agent may assess up to 15% of the amount of the face value of the bond for premium fee and related charges but only one time duri
n
g the first 12 months of the bond. This bill prohibits such persons from assessing less than 5% of the amount of the face value of the bond for residents outside of this state.

ON APRIL 14, 2025, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 4
64, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, make the following revisions to present law:



Revises the provision generally prohibiting p
rofessional bondsmen and agents of insurance companies making appearance bonds of a criminal nature
from
assess
ing
more than 10% of the amount of the face value of the bond for
a
premium fee and related charges
to, instead, require such persons to assess 10%
of the amount of the face value of the bond for
such
fee
and
charge
s.



Revises the provision authorizing a
professional bondsman, or agent of an insurance company,
who
is making a criminal appearance bond for a defendant who is not a resident of
this state
,
to
assess up to 15% of the amount of the face value of the bond for
a
premium fee and related charges
to, instead, authorize
no less than 10% and no more than 15% of the amount of the face value of the bond

for
such
fee
and
charge
s.



Adds as another requirement for a
professional bondsman or an agent of an insurance company making appearance bonds of a criminal nature
to
agree to accept the premiums and initiation fees

in equal installments
, that the
professional bondsman collects no less than 50% of the premium due at the time the bond is signed
.



Revises the notice that a person receives along with the person's bail bond from a
professional bail bondsman or bonding agent
to reflect the changes made in this amendment.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SENATE BILL 464
By Gardenhire

HOUSE BILL 528
By Doggett

HB0528
002119
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 40,
relative to pretrial release.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-11-151, is amended by deleting
the language:
The premium fee for your bond should not be more than ten percent (10%) of the face
amount of your bond. For example, if your bond is $2,500, the premium on the bond
should not be more than $250.
and substituting:
The premium fee for your bond should not be less than five percent (5%) or more than
ten percent (10%) of the face amount of your bond. For example, if your bond is $2,500,
the premium on the bond should not be less than $125 or more than $250.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-11-316(a), is amended by
deleting the language "more than ten percent (10%) of the amount of the face value of the
bond" and substituting "less than five percent (5%) or more than ten percent (10%) of the
amount of the face value of the bond".
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-11-316(c), is amended by
deleting the language "up to fifteen percent (15%) of the amount of the face value of the bond"
and substituting "no less than five percent (5%) and no more than fifteen percent (15%) of the
amount of the face value of the bond".
SECTION 4. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.