Section 210. Bail bondsmen and firearms training sessions

Article 3. Training Sessions

A. Training sessions will be conducted by private security services training schools certified or licensed under the Regulations Relating to Private Security Services (6VAC20-171) or by the department in accordance with requirements established in this chapter. Adherence to the administrative requirements, attendance and standards of conduct are the responsibility of the training school, training school director and instructor of the training session.

B. Administrative requirements.

1. In a manner approved by the department, a notification to conduct a training session shall be submitted to the department. All notifications shall be received by the department, or postmarked if mailed, no less than seven calendar days prior to the beginning of each training session to include the date, time, instructors and location of the training session. The department may allow a session to be conducted with less than seven calendar days of notification with prior approval. Session notifications require no fee from the training school. A notification to conduct a training session shall be deemed to be in compliance unless the department notifies the training school director to the contrary.

2. Notification of any changes to the dates, times, location or cancellation of a future training session must be submitted to the department in writing and received by the department at least 24 hours in advance of the scheduled starting time of the class. In the event that a session must be cancelled on the scheduled date, the department must be notified immediately followed by a cancellation in writing as soon as practical.

3. On a form provided by the department, the training school director shall issue an original training completion form and training certificate to each student who satisfactorily completes a training session no later than five business days following the training completion date.

4. In a manner approved by the department, the training school director shall submit an original training completion roster to the department affirming each student's successful completion of the session. The training completion roster shall be received by the department within seven calendar days, or postmarked if mailed, no later than five business days following the training completion date.

5. A written examination shall be administered at the conclusion of each entry-level training session. The examination shall be based on the applicable learning objectives. The student must attain a minimum grade of 70% for all entry-level training examinations to satisfactorily complete the training session.

6. Firearms classroom training shall be separately tested and graded. Individuals must achieve a minimum score of 70% on the firearms classroom training examination.

7. Failure to achieve a minimum score of 70% on the firearms classroom written examination will exclude the individual from the firearms range training.

8. To successfully complete the firearms range training; the individual must achieve a minimum qualification score of 75% of the scoring value of the target.

9. To successfully complete the bail bondsman entry-level training session, the individual must:

a. Successfully complete each of the three graded practical exercises required; and

b. Pass the written examination with a minimum score of 70%.

C. Attendance.

1. Individuals enrolled in an approved training session are required to be present for the hours required for each training session.

2. Tardiness and absenteeism will not be permitted. Individuals violating these provisions will be required to make up any training missed. Such training must be completed within 60 days after the completion of the training session. Individuals not completing the required training within this period are required to complete the entire training session.

3. Individuals that do not successfully complete the compulsory minimum training standards of the training session shall not be reported to the department except where required.

4. Each individual attending an approved training session shall comply with the regulations promulgated by the board and any other rules within the authority of the training school. If the training school director or instructor considers a violation of the rules detrimental to the training of other students or to involve cheating on examinations, the training school director or instructor may expel the individual from the school. Notification of such action shall immediately be reported to the employing firms and the department.

D. Standards of conduct.

1. The training school, training school director and instructor shall at all times conform to the application requirements, administrative requirements and standards of conduct established for certification as a training school and instructor.

2. Training sessions will be conducted by DCJS-certified instructors or other individuals authorized to provide instruction.

3. Training sessions will be conducted utilizing lesson plans developed including at a minimum the compulsory minimum training standards established pursuant to this chapter.

4. Instruction shall be provided in no less than 50-minute classes.

5. Training sessions may not exceed nine hours of classroom instruction per day. Range qualification and practical exercises shall not be considered classroom instruction; however, total training, including the maximum allotment of nine hours classroom instruction and applicable range qualification and practical exercises, shall not exceed 12 hours per day. This does not include time allotted for breaks, meals and testing.

6. All audiovisual training aids must be accompanied by a period of instruction where the instructor reviews the content of the presentation and the students are provided the opportunity to ask questions regarding the content.

7. A training session must adhere to the minimum compulsory training standards and must be presented in its entirety. Training school directors may require additional hours of instruction, testing or evaluation procedures.

8. A training session must provide accurate and current information to the students.

9. Mandated training conducted not in accordance with the Code of Virginia and this chapter is null and void.

10. A duplicate set of instructor course materials including all student materials shall be made available to any department inspector during the training session, if requested.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 24, Issue 23, eff. August 20, 2008.

Statutory Authority

§ 9.1-185.2 of the Code of Virginia.