Is a municipal or district court required to retain the original copy of a bail bond in the court file once the bond is exonerated?
When asked if courts need to retain exonerated bonds in the court files, the State Auditor's Office researched the question and provided the following response:
"From the State Auditor's Office perspective, retention of this document would only be important if it were part of the court's controls over bail bond processing.
As discussed in the Budgeting, Accounting, and Reporting Standards (BARS) Manual, Part 3, Chapter 1, Section C, we (SAO) don't require specific controls or documents - just that the entity has met control objectives in some way. For bail bonds, we just need to see that the court can ensure and demonstrate that bonds were either forfeited (with monies deposited) or exonerated."
It is also recommended that courts review the Secretary of State RECORD RETENTION DATABASE, for any legal requirements to keep original copies.
RN id: 2146