Surety Bond Encyclopedia

Polygraph Examiner ($5,000) Bond - Statewide in Alabama

Brief Summary

The $5,000 bond is the smallest item on an Alabama polygraph examiner application and the one most often left incomplete. The Board will not act on an application, and will not renew a license, until its records show the bond or policy is in force. A $5,000 bond is written on a short application with a modest annual premium, and the continuation certificate the Board asks for each renewal season comes from the same surety.

Alabama requires every polygraph examiner applicant to show the Polygraph Examiners Board evidence of a surety bond or insurance policy of at least $5,000, under Code of Alabama 34-25-21 and Ala. Admin. Code 740-X-3-.02. The bond pays judgments recovered against the examiner for wrongful or illegal acts committed in the course of examinations, and the Board must see it is valid before issuing or renewing a license for the October 1 to September 30 license year.

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How to Apply for a Polygraph Examiner ($5,000) Bond:

Have your name exactly as it appears on the Board application or current license.
Provide home address and Social Security number for the credit review.
Complete the bond application and review the quoted premium.
Pay the premium and receive the executed $5,000 bond.
File the bond with the Board application, the $150 investigative fee, your degree or experience proof, polygraph school certificate, fingerprint card and photograph.
Each year, obtain a continuation certificate from the surety and send it with the renewal form and the $200 renewal fee before the September 30 expiration.

Detailed Information About the Alabama Polygraph Examiner ($5,000) Bond:

Bond or policy, and at least $5,000

Two things trip up applicants. First, the statute does not name a dollar figure. Code of Alabama 34-25-21 says the applicant must furnish evidence of a surety bond or insurance policy in an amount to be determined by the Board. The Board set that amount in Ala. Admin. Code 740-X-3-.02, which requires coverage in at least the amount of $5,000. Second, the requirement can be met by either a surety bond or an insurance policy. Most individual examiners use the bond because it is simpler and cheaper to keep in force than a liability policy written for a single examiner.

What the bond guarantees

The bond is conditioned on the obligor paying, up to the face amount, all judgments recovered against the licensee by reason of any wrongful or illegal acts committed in the course of examinations. It is not a guarantee of test accuracy and it does not pay a complaining examinee directly. A claimant has to win a judgment against the examiner first, then collect against the bond. If the surety pays, the examiner repays the surety.

Who has to post it

Every person who purports to detect deception or verify the truth of statements through a polygraph in Alabama must be licensed by the Polygraph Examiners Board, which operates under the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. The application is made under oath on the Board's form with a $150 nonrefundable investigative fee, proof of either a baccalaureate degree or five years of active investigative experience, a certificate from a polygraph school recognized by the Board, a fingerprint card and a photograph. The bond or policy is listed with those items and the Board treats an application as incomplete without it. Education and experience never substitute for the bond.

Renewal

The license runs from October 1 through September 30. The renewal form carries a $200 renewal fee, a continuing education report, and a notice that the Board's records must show the surety bond or insurance policy is valid before the license can be renewed. A continuation certificate must be submitted even when the coverage has not lapsed, so ask the surety for one each summer and send it with the renewal. Keep the examiner name on the bond identical to the name on the license.

Eligibility and Requirements for a Alabama Polygraph Examiner ($5,000) Bond:

A surety company licensed to transact business in Alabama.
Bond amount of at least $5,000.
Alabama Polygraph Examiners Board as the obligee, conditioned on paying judgments for wrongful or illegal acts in the course of examinations.
Examiner name on the bond matching the license application exactly.
Credit review. At $5,000 nearly every applicant is approved and the premium is small.

Alabama Polygraph Examiner ($5,000) Bond FAQs:

Can I use my liability insurance instead of the bond?

Yes. Code of Alabama 34-25-21 accepts either a surety bond or an insurance policy, and Rule 740-X-3-.02 requires at least $5,000 of coverage either way. Most individual examiners use the bond because it is simpler to document and renew.

Is $5,000 the exact amount?

The rule says at least $5,000, so $5,000 is the minimum and the amount nearly everyone files. Nothing in the statute or rule tiers the amount by employer type or years of practice.

I work for a police department. Do I still need it?

The requirement sits in the licensing qualifications and applies to every applicant for an examiner license. If your agency carries a policy that covers you, it may satisfy the requirement, but you still have to furnish evidence of it to the Board.

What does the Board need at renewal?

The renewal form states the Board's records must show your bond or policy is valid before the license can be renewed, and a continuation certificate must be submitted even if coverage never lapsed. Send it with the $200 renewal fee and continuing education verification before the license expires on September 30.

What does the premium cost?

Premium is a percentage of the $5,000 set by the surety after a credit review. At this size it is a small annual amount for almost every examiner.