A bail bondsman files a written answer denying the charges. What rights do the parties have at the hearing?SDCL 58-22-23
A bail bondsman makes no answer in the ten days or in the twenty days after them. What becomes of the license?SDCL 58-22-22
A bail bondsperson pays a rebate to the principal. What is the offense?SDCL 58-22-29
A fraudulent insurance act involves $1,000 or more. What is the offense?SDCL 58-4A-2
A licensee is prosecuted for a felony in another state. When must the licensee report it to the director?SDCL 58-22-55
A licensee pleads guilty to a felony. Within how long must the licensee notify the Division of Insurance?SDCL 58-22-50
A runner gives money to a jailer to secure a reduction of a bail bond forfeiture. What is the offense?SDCL 58-22-33
A runner names a particular attorney for the principal to hire. What is the offense?SDCL 58-22-36
A woman pledges her land as security for her brother's bail bond and is promised nothing of value. Does she need a license?SDCL 58-22-4
An applicant fails the examination. How long must pass before the applicant may take it again?SDCL 58-22-18
Show all 92 questions (82 more)
Licenses, discipline and prohibited conduct, continued
Before writing cash or security bail bonds, a professional bondsperson must deposit with the director an amount of not less than what?SDCL 58-22-24
By what date each year must a professional bondsman file a sworn statement listing the forfeitures of the preceding calendar year?SDCL 58-22-38
The director issues a temporary cease and desist order. When must the order set the hearing?SDCL 58-4-7
The director sends a bail bondsman written notice with a copy of the charges. How long does the bondsman have to answer before the license is suspended?SDCL 58-22-22
For how long must an applicant have been a bona fide resident of South Dakota?SDCL 58-22-6
In a civil action, what is the largest civil penalty for a first fraudulent insurance act?SDCL 58-4A-7
In lieu of suspending a license, what is the largest money penalty the director may impose on an insurance producer for each offense?SDCL 58-4-28.1
May a bail bondsperson post a corporate surety bond under the bondsperson's own license to get out of jail?SDCL 58-22-53
To whom may a bail bondsperson license be issued?SDCL 58-22-5
What fees accompany a runner's application?SDCL 58-22-13
What is the minimum age to be licensed as a bail bondsperson in South Dakota?SDCL 58-22-6
What is the offense of acting as a bail bondsperson or runner without a license?SDCL 58-22-4
What license fee goes to the director with an application for a bail bondsperson license?SDCL 58-22-7
What must an applicant for a professional bondsman license furnish every year?SDCL 58-22-10
What must an out-of-state bail bondsperson or runner do on entering South Dakota to conduct runner activities?SDCL 58-22-51
When do licenses issued under the bail bondsperson chapter expire?SDCL 58-22-19
When may a bail bondsperson pay a fee to an attorney in bail bond matters?SDCL 58-22-34
When may the director waive the bar on an applicant who was convicted of a felony?SDCL 58-22-6
Where is a bail bondsperson or runner forbidden to solicit business?SDCL 58-22-32
Which act is defamation under the unfair trade practices chapter?SDCL 58-33-7
Which of these is a cause to deny, suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew a license?SDCL 58-22-21(4)
Which of these persons may not be a bail bondsperson or runner in South Dakota?SDCL 58-22-3
Who is responsible for a runner's conduct in the bail bond business?SDCL 58-22-12(3)
Who prepares the written examination for a bail bondsperson or runner?SDCL 58-22-16
Within how long must the director give written notice of approval, denial, or delay of a runner's appointment?SDCL 58-22-27
Bail bond principles 27
A bail bondsperson stops writing bail bonds during the license period. What must be done within thirty days?SDCL 58-22-26
A court requires an appearance bond in a specified amount. What sum is deposited with the clerk to execute it?SDCL 23A-43-3(4)
A defendant admitted to bail may deposit money or nonregistered bonds equal in market value to what?SDCL 58-22-41
A natural person may be surety on a bail bond if at least twenty-one, a United States citizen, a South Dakota resident for one year, and what else?SDCL 58-22-2(3)
A property bondsman willfully misstates the consideration in the affidavit. How is that punished?SDCL 58-22-39
A registered bail bondsperson wants to become surety in another county. What is required there?SDCL 58-22-25
An insurer ends a surety bondsman's appointment. What must it file with the director?SDCL 58-22-9
An insurer that is surety for the release of a person on bail must be represented by whom?SDCL 58-22-2(1)
An undertaking for appearance before a magistrate fixes no day. Within how long after notice must the defendant appear?SDCL 58-22-44
An undertaking was entered into on a Sunday. Is it invalid for that reason?SDCL 58-22-46
Bail other than a deposit has been given. Before a breach, how may the defendant or the surety have the original undertaking canceled?SDCL 58-22-43
Before becoming a surety on an undertaking, where must a bail bondsperson register?SDCL 58-22-25
Besides the premium, what may a bail bondsperson accept from a principal?SDCL 58-22-30
By what date each year must an insurer give the director a list of the surety bondspersons it has appointed?SDCL 58-22-8
The defendant did not join in the undertaking. How does that affect the liability of the person who signed it?SDCL 58-22-45
Money has been deposited as bail. Until when may bail by sureties be substituted for it?SDCL 58-22-42
On what date each year are registration with the sheriff and filing of the renewed power of attorney performed?SDCL 58-22-25
What fee does an insurer send the director when it appoints a new surety bondsperson during the year?SDCL 58-22-8
What limit does South Dakota law put on the collateral a bondsperson requires?SDCL 58-22-30
What must a bail bondsman give when he accepts collateral?SDCL 58-22-31
What must a surety bondsperson file with the sheriff besides registering?SDCL 58-22-25
What must every property bondsman file with the undertaking?SDCL 58-22-39
When may a bail bondsman authorize another person to countersign his name to bonds?SDCL 58-22-37
When must collateral security taken from a principal be returned?SDCL 58-22-30
Which indemnity agreements may a surety enforce by action against an indemnitor?SDCL 58-22-40
Which surety does not have to justify by affidavit?SDCL 23A-43-20
Who may not be a surety on any bond?SDCL 23A-43-20
Bail in court 22
A convicted defendant moves for release pending appeal. Who bears the burden on the risk of flight or danger?SDCL 23A-43-17
A court requires a bail bond with sufficient solvent sureties. What may be deposited in lieu of the bail bond?SDCL 23A-43-3(5)
A defendant is committed under sentence. What does the court do with the bail?SDCL 23A-43-27
A defendant stays in jail because he cannot meet the conditions of release. After how long may he apply to have them reviewed?SDCL 23A-43-8
A forfeiture has not been set aside. How may the liability of the obligors on the bond be enforced?SDCL 23A-43-23
A judgment imposes only a fine. What is conditional release pending appeal?SDCL 23A-43-16
A material witness cannot comply with a condition of release. When may the witness not be detained for that reason?SDCL 23A-43-18
A person released on a felony charge fails to appear as required. Besides forfeiting the security, of what is the person guilty?SDCL 23A-43-31(1)
A person released on a misdemeanor charge fails to appear as required. Of what is the person guilty?SDCL 23A-43-31(2)
A surety arrests a defendant who violated the conditions of release. What happens to the defendant next?SDCL 23A-43-29
After a judgment of default on a forfeiture, what may a court still do with the bond?SDCL 23A-43-24
At the request of a surety who has brought in the defendant, what does the magistrate endorse on the recognizance?SDCL 23A-43-29
Besides satisfaction of the bond, how may a surety be exonerated?SDCL 23A-43-26
For how long does a defendant released before trial continue on release under the same terms?SDCL 23A-43-5
Money deposited instead of bail is forfeited. What does the clerk of the court do with it?SDCL 23A-43-25
Proof is made that a person released on a bail bond with sureties is about to abscond and that the bail is insufficient. What must the magistrate do?SDCL 23A-43-19
There is a showing of a material breach of a condition of release without good cause. What must the court do?SDCL 23A-43-21
Under South Dakota's Rule 46(e)(3), whom do the obligors on a bond appoint as their agent for service of papers affecting their liability?SDCL 23A-43-23
Unless an exception applies, how is a defendant ordered released pending trial?SDCL 23A-43-2
What must the court advise a defendant about a violation of the conditions of release?SDCL 23A-43-6
When may a court direct that a forfeiture be set aside?SDCL 23A-43-22
Which of these does a court take into account in deciding the conditions of release?SDCL 23A-43-4
Definitions 8
Does "cash" in the chapter include funds transferred electronically?SDCL 58-22-1(1B)
How does a surety bondsman get authority to execute bail bonds for an insurer?SDCL 58-22-1(6)
What does a professional bondsman pledge as security for a bail bond?SDCL 58-22-1(3)
What is a "bail bond" in the bail bondsperson chapter?SDCL 58-22-1(1)
What is a "runner"?SDCL 58-22-1(5)
Which company is an "insurer" under the chapter?SDCL 58-22-1(2)
Which three kinds of bondsman does the term "bail bondsman" cover?SDCL 58-22-1(1A)
Who is a "property bondsman" in South Dakota's bail bondsperson chapter?SDCL 58-22-1(4)
How this list was compiled: South Dakota Codified Laws chapter 58-22, Bail Bondspersons (sections 58-22-1 to 58-22-55), chapter 23A-43, Bail (sections 23A-43-2 to 23A-43-31), and sections 58-4-7, 58-4-28.1, 58-33-7, 58-4A-2 and 58-4A-7, read on October 16, 2026 on the Legislature's own site (https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/58-22 and https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/23A-43). The examination facts and the spread of topics come from the Division of Insurance's bail bonds page (https://dlr.sd.gov/insurance/bail_bonds.aspx) and the state's candidate handbook and Bail Bonds content outline effective March 1, 2024 (https://www.pearsonvue.com/content/dam/VUE/vue/en/documents/publications/124201.pdf). Each question names its section and links to it. Licence: Own work. Every question, wrong choice and explanation was written for this site from the text of the law named under "source". Nothing comes from a state examination, its sample questions, a testing vendor, a prelicensing course or a prep publisher.
How it works
South Dakota calls a bail bond agent a bail bondsperson. This unofficial South Dakota bail bond agent practice test follows the state's Bail Bonds exam outline: 92 questions of our own from SDCL 58-22 and 23A-43. Not affiliated with the South Dakota Division of Insurance.
Read the full guide
What the exam covers
The outline's four parts, by scored questions: South Dakota laws and rules 15 to 18, bail bond principles 15 to 18, bail bond practices 10 to 13, terminology 5 to 7.
Two yearly dates
Licenses expire each May first. Registration with the home county sheriff, and a surety bondsperson's filing of the renewed power of attorney, are done each October first (SDCL 58-22-19, 58-22-25).
What is left out
Law only. Outline terms with no South Dakota section behind them, such as habeas corpus and extradition, and an insurer's own bonds manual are not asked.
Three kinds of bondsman: surety (appointed by an insurer), professional (pledges cash or unregistered bonds), property (pledges real or other property) (SDCL 58-22-1).
Class 6 felonies: acting unlicensed, a jailer writing bonds, paying an official or an attorney in bail matters (SDCL 58-22-3, 58-22-4, 58-22-33, 58-22-34).
A surety is exonerated by a cash deposit in the bond's amount or a timely surrender of the defendant (SDCL 23A-43-26).
Questions and answers
How many questions are on the South Dakota bail bonds exam?
50 scored questions in 60 minutes, by the candidate handbook and the Bail Bonds content outline effective March 1, 2024. The handbook reports the passing score as 70 on a scale of 0 to 100 that is not a percentage of correct answers.
How do I become a bail bondsman in South Dakota?
The Division of Insurance lists the qualifications: an individual, a United States citizen, at least 21, a South Dakota resident for the preceding year, no felony or crime of moral turpitude, a criminal background check and a passed examination (SDCL 58-22-6, 58-22-14, 58-22-16).
Can I retake the South Dakota bail bonds exam if I fail?
Yes, after a wait. SDCL 58-22-18 requires at least one year between examinations, and the candidate handbook repeats the one-year exclusion period for the Bail Bonds exam.
What is a bail bond runner in South Dakota?
A person employed by a bail bondsman to help present the defendant in court, to assist in apprehension and surrender, or to keep the defendant under surveillance. A runner needs a license and an appointment approved by the director (SDCL 58-22-1, 58-22-27).