What qualifications and licensing are required to become a vehicle repossession agent?
This depends on where you live.
In Florida and California, you have to be certified by the state. State permit etc. Other states, mostly wide open. It's NOT a very regulated industry yet.
In California you must be employed by an agency that is already licensed by the state. You must then be registered as a repossessor employee for at least two years before you can qualify to take the state test to become a qualified manager. All agencies must have a qualified manager for each office.
In Pennsylvania, you contact the Pennsylvania Department of Banking for an application for Licensure Collector-Repossessor. License is required under Title 69 section 601. You have to file an application with a bond of $5,000, a $350 license fee, and fingerprints for a criminal history check. The annual renewal fee $250. The license is issued under the Motor Vehicle Sales Finance Act. Records are required to be maintain on business of collecting payments or installment sale contracts or repossessing motor vehicles. More details are in the Motor Vehicle Sales Finance Act.
In Maryland contact Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, 6601 Ritchie Hwy. N.E., Glen Burnie, Maryland 21062. Tel:(410)768-7000.
In Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and Miss., all you need to do is notify the police after the repo has taken place, you do not want Bubba runing you down. You need to treat the people with the same respect that would yourslf, BS and finesse run the course when you are skipping someone. As for a truck you dont need it. I used the uHaul to pick up front wheel cars. Keep in mind you need to get a locksmith fast because the lender is paying for it.
In Washington State you do not have to be certified. (Surprising, considering how over regulated everything else here is.) The best advice I've heard is: DO NOT GET CAUGHT BEING UNDER-INSURED. These people are usually hot! And they will try and nail you any way possible, you will certainly find yourself defending your actions in front of a judge sooner or later. Know the law and cover your #$%!
Read the article on Repoman.com entitled "I wanna be a Repoman!"
IMHO, it should be REQUIRED reading for anyone with the desire to be a repoman.
Here are a few laws you might want to get familiar with if you wanna be a REAL recovery agent, in Oklahoma: http://www.lsb.state.ok.us/
Title 13. Common Carriers (179KB)
Title 14A. Consumer Credit Code (805KB)
Title 15. Contracts (777KB)
Title 12A. Commercial Code (2095KB)
Title 24. Debtor and Creditor (153KB)
Title 28. Fees (179KB)
Title 40. Labor (1200KB)
Title 42. Liens (269KB)
Title 47. Motor Vehicles (3472KB)
Title 59. Professions and Occupations (3332KB)
Title 60. Property (1225KB)
Title 72. Soldiers and Sailors (315KB) The smartest way to get in the business is starting to work for another company. There are many laws and regulations that very from state to state, and if you are getting into it with no experience, chances are good you won�t last. Work a few years for a local repo company as a driver, and as you learn what you need to do, it will be a lot easier to start your own company. Everyone on here that is wanting to repo cars, yea you can go get your license, get your bond, but the big question is, where are you going to get the finance companies that will give you accounts? You need to know what you are doing before you get into this business. I would have to agree with the previous answer. There are many ways to get into the repo industry. Yet, once you get there, how do you succeed? Go work for another company. Find one in your area, get a truck, get a boom, and learn how to get into cars. Learn how to go without sleep and how to work for 14-18 hours straight. The job is a fun one at times, while at others you want to shoot yourself for getting involved. It's not a job that you can do half way... it's one that is all or nothing. TLC and other shows have made it look fun and somewhat glamorous with titles like "Stealing for a Living". I have never stolen anything in my life. I recover what others are stealing from lien holders and financial lenders. Rethink your decision and if you are serious, contact a local repo agency and see if any of their agents need drivers and go from there. I AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS STATEMENT I AM 22 YEARS OLD AND HAVE BEEN WORKING THE COLLATERAL RECOVERY INDUSTRY SINCE I WAS 16. IN THAT TIME I HAVE SEEN MORE THAN 100 AGENTS COME AND GO FROM THE TWO COMPANYS I HAVE WORKED FOR....THE REPOSSESSION INDUSTRY TAKES A CERTAIN BREED TO SUCEED NOT JUST ANYBODY CAN DO IT.! All those answers are..for the most part correct! I am a female repossessor living in Valencia. I have been doing this for over 7 years and am now thinking about starting a repo business of my own. But from experience, i KNOW that most people who think they can start a repo business FAIL. Because they don't do it ....first hand....before they try and start the company. You need people you can trust to recover collateral and most of all, you need to have referrals from the lienholders. I myself, am lucky in that sense because many finance companies know who I am and know I am a great skip tracer, which results in reoovery! So if you're gonna try this, be a repo agent first! It's not as easy as you might except, especially if you're in California, as I am...where the consumer laws are much more strict that other states! My answer...................DON'T DO IT. Now that I have your attention, i will get right to the facts. Anyone can start a repo company. I am on my 3rd one now.It takes trust in at least one other person. The kind of trust that comes from knowing someone a while. Then it takes trusting yourself. Are you the kind of person that can go for hours while watching a home and waiting for someone who may or may not show up? Long hours in a thankless job. Know yourself and your partners before you start. Anyone can drive a wrecker and operate a boom. But make sure you have what it takes to be a real repo man (or woman) before you sink your time and money into it. Like i said, until you are sure, DON'T DO IT..... The previous answer is pretty much how it is. I went on vacation recently and just so happened had info that one of the cars that I was looking for might be in my vacation spot, so it ended up being a working vacation with a family that was very upset with me...but I did find the car. :-) I think the best step would be to apply for the job.