Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Tennessee General Assembly, fetched 2026-09-25. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. This is the chaptered version. The official bill page.
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PUBLIC CHAPTER NO. 395
SENATE BILL NO. 1202
By Jackson, Haile, Mr. Speaker McNally
Substituted for: House Bill No. 671
By Scarbrough, Mr. Speaker Sexton
AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 3, Part 13; Title 39; Title 40; Title
41 ; Title 56; Title 62 and Title 67, Chapter 4, Part 8, relative to bail bonds.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-11-204, is amended by adding the
following new subsection:
(c)(1) In the event of forfeiture by the principal, the surety may petition the court for
release from their obligations as surety. The petition must be accompanied by a
sworn affidavit detailing what good faith efforts were made to locate and assure the
appearance of the principal.
(2) Upon the filing of a petition, the court shall hold a hearing during which the
bondsman may state the good faith efforts made to locate and assure the
appearance of the principal. The court shall include any such statement by the
bondsman in its written order following the hearing.
(3) Upon a finding, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the bondsman
has complied with the good faith effort requirements of this subsection (c), the court
may release or exonerate the bondsman of the bondsman's obligations in the case.
(4) In considering whether good faith efforts were made by the bondsman to
locate and assure the appearance of the principal, the court may inquire as to the
following factors:
(A) Records retained by the surety as to the principal's contact
information, place of residence, place of employment, known associations, or
any other such record;
(B) Actions and steps taken by the surety to keep track of the
principal's location;
(C) Actions and steps taken by the surety to locate the principal;
(D) Information obtained by the surety as to where the principal may
be, even if that information is not conclusive with respect to the principal's
location; and
(E) Any other information that the court would find useful in
determining whether the surety acted in good faith to assure the appearance
of the principal.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 40-11-118, is amended by adding the
following new subsection:
(h) Before accepting a bail deposit from a bondsman, the clerk must require the
bondsman to initial each page of the bond order, indicating that the bondsman has read and
SB 1202
is aware of any conditions of bond imposed on the defendant. The clerk must provide a copy
of the initialed bond order to the bondsman and maintain a copy in the defendant's file.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2025, the public welfare requiring it.
2
SENATE BILL NO. 1202
PASSED: April 16, 2025
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R~-AN'-D- "Y- ~.l111n,;1,il-\LL 1
SPEAKER OF THE SENATE
C?&
CAMERON SEXTON, SPEAKER
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
yy')~ APPROVED this 'l:i!:_ day of 2025
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