5.1 Written Receipts for Collateral and Their Required Contents
Key Takeaways
A West Virginia bail bondsman must furnish a written receipt whenever collateral security is received (114CSR103-7.1).
WV collateral receipts must be prenumbered and used in consecutive numerical order (114CSR103-7.2.1).
A WV collateral receipt must show the name and address of both the bail bondsman and the person providing the collateral (114CSR103-7.2.2 and 7.2.3).
A WV collateral receipt must show the bond amount, the defendant's name, the criminal action number and the jurisdiction (114CSR103-7.2.6).
Copies of all collateral receipts must be kept for at least five years (W.Va. Code §51-10-5a(c)).
Category V, Receipts for Collateral, is worth 1–3 questions and is almost entirely a memorization list. The outline cites 114CSR103-7.1 (written receipt required) and 7.2.1–7.2.6 (six content items). W.Va. Code §51-10-5a(c) contains a parallel statutory list.
When a receipt is required: 7.1
When collateral security is received by a bail bondsman, a written receipt shall be furnished.
There are no exceptions for small amounts, family cosigners or "temporary" collateral. Collateral is whatever the defendant or an indemnitor gives the bondsman to secure the bond: cash or checks, vehicle titles, jewelry, deeds and so on. All of it requires a receipt.
What the receipt must contain: 7.2
Receipts must provide a full description of the collateral received and must:
| Outline item | Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| B.1 | 7.2.1 | Be prenumbered and used and provided in consecutive numerical order |
| B.2 | 7.2.2 | Show the name and address of the bail bondsman |
| B.3 | 7.2.3 | Show the name and address of the person providing the collateral |
| B.4 | 7.2.4 | Show the amount and nature of the collateral and the date received |
| B.5 | 7.2.5 | Show the name of the person accepting the collateral |
| B.6 | 7.2.6 | Show the total amount of the bond for which the collateral is accepted, the name of the defendant, the criminal action number, and the jurisdiction where the case is pending |
A quick memory hook is N-W-W-W-W-B: Number (prenumbered), Who holds it (bondsman), Who gave it (provider), What and When (amount, nature, date), Who took it (acceptor), Bond details (amount, defendant, case number, jurisdiction).
Statute versus rule
W.Va. Code §51-10-5a(c) lists the same six items with two small wording differences:
| Point | §51-10-5a(c) | 114CSR103-7.2 |
|---|---|---|
| Numbering | Prenumbered and used and filed in consecutive order | Prenumbered and used and provided in consecutive order |
| Bond details | Bond amount and name of the defendant | Bond amount, defendant, criminal action number and jurisdiction |
| Retention | Copies kept at least five years | Records kept at least five years after the final entry (114CSR103-14) |
The rule asks for more detail on the last item. A receipt that satisfies the rule satisfies the statute. Learn the rule version.
A sample compliant receipt
| Field | Example entry |
|---|---|
| Receipt number | No. 001237 (next after 001236) |
| Bondsman | Pat Doe Bail Bonds, 100 Main St., Elkins, WV |
| Provided by | Jordan Smith, 12 Oak Ave., Elkins, WV |
| Collateral | 2019 pickup truck, title no. (stated), VIN (stated); received 10/14/2026 |
| Accepted by | Lee Rivera, licensed bondsman |
| Bond | $15,000 bond for defendant Casey Smith, Case No. 26-F-123, Randolph County Circuit Court |
Why numbering matters
Prenumbered, consecutive receipts make gaps obvious. If receipt 001236 is followed by 001238, an examiner will ask where 001237 went: voided, lost, or given to someone with no copy kept. Section 114CSR103-13 gives examiners free access to these records (section 1.2).
Writing a "full description"
Rule 7.2 opens by requiring that receipts provide a full description of the collateral received. "Amount and nature" (7.2.4) is a minimum. A description should let a stranger identify the exact item later. Good practice by collateral type:
| Collateral | What a full description includes |
|---|---|
| Cash or check | Amount; for a check, the check number, drawer and bank; for a money order or cashier's check, the issuer and serial number |
| Motor vehicle title | Year, make, model, VIN and title number; whether the vehicle itself or only the title is held |
| Jewellery or other goods | Item type, metal or material, distinguishing marks, and the number of items |
| Deed of trust or real-estate document | Property address and recording reference |
Common receipt mistakes
- Handwritten receipts torn from a generic pad with no preprinted number break the prenumbering rule.
- Skipping a number without keeping the voided original creates a gap an examiner will question.
- One receipt for several bonds with no bond-by-bond detail leaves out the bond amount and case number required by 7.2.6.
- No acceptor name when an agent, not the owner, took the collateral.
- No copy kept. Section 51-10-5a(c) requires copies for at least five years.
Connected duties
- Cash or check collateral must be deposited in a separate trust account within five banking days (7.3; section 5.2).
- Records retention: receipts and collateral security agreements are kept separate from other business records for at least five years after the final entry (114CSR103-14).
- Return of collateral: willful failure to return collateral when the principal is entitled to it is a suspension and revocation ground (11.1.10).
- Misappropriation or conversion of property received in the business is also a ground (11.1.4).
Exam traps
- Receipt required every time collateral is received.
- Prenumbered and consecutive is item 1. Answer choices offering "sequential by date" or "numbered after use" are wrong.
- Person accepting, not just the bondsman's company name.
- Bond details include the defendant, case number and jurisdiction under the rule.
Which of the following is NOT one of the receipt requirements in 114CSR103-7.2?
The defendant's employer and monthly income
The name and address of the person providing the collateral
The name of the person accepting the collateral
The amount and nature of the collateral and the date received
How must West Virginia collateral receipts be numbered under 114CSR103-7.2.1?
Numbered by the bondsman after each bond is exonerated
Prenumbered and used in consecutive numerical order
Numbered to match the court's criminal docket number
Numbered in any order as long as each is unique
Under 114CSR103-7.2.6, which bond information must appear on a collateral receipt?
Bond amount, defendant, criminal action number and jurisdiction
Only the bonding fee charged and the dates of each payment plan installment
The judge's name, the prosecutor's name and the arrest date
The defendant's prior convictions and next hearing date
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.