3-D Bail Bonds, Inc. was the only Connecticut agency representing bail professionals from the state at the Professional Bail Agents of the United States (PBUS) during the Winter Conference in Las Vegas last month.

Industry expert Dan Toner, president of 3-D Bail Bonds, was accompanied by his bail agent son, Jordan Toner, and fellow bail bondsman Jason Fink. As the Northeast struggled with blizzard conditions and flight cancellations, Las Vegas was a hub for professional bail agents across the nation.

About PBUS 2026 Winter Conference

The Professional Bail Agents of the United States conference was highly educational for attendees. Several discussions, classes, and demonstrations informed surety agents about the state of surety bail across the states, along with other important topics.

Ava Alers, 3-D Bail Bonds’ intern, spoke with Dan and Jason about their experience as attendees. They revealed valuable insight into the event.

Why Is PBUS Important?

Dan: Keeping up at the national level is always important. For a successful business, staying up to date and having knowledge of everything that is happening throughout the country is very important. We take pride in being the most involved bail bond agency in the country.

Jason: PBUS is important for our industry, as they are the constant support behind what we do. Conferences like the one we just attended in Las Vegas served as a vehicle to learn more about our industry nationwide, along with giving us the opportunity to network. I found it personally very beneficial to attend this year.

What Was It Like Seeing Industry Representatives from All Over The Country Come Together To Learn?

Dan: I’ve known many bail professionals for many years. Some of the most successful bail agents in the U.S. attend PBUS. It’s always great. It’s a reconnection with many friends I’ve had for years, and it allows me to network. We can reach out to friends across the country because of the connections we make here.

Jason adds: It was a positive experience meeting with people who have a common goal for the industry. The bail industry is a crucial part of public safety and the upholding of constitutional rights.

We Heard There Were Classes and Demonstrations During This Conference. What Topics Did They Discuss, and Did You Learn Anything Valuable?

Dan: There were some interesting critical care classes. One was offered by a lieutenant in a police department. It was a course on how to apply self-tourniquets in different places and how to apply tourniquets to people who are injured, because sometimes we come across that. I wish our bail enforcement team were part of it, because it’s pretty impressive stuff to help people.

Jason: I attended as many sessions as I could pack into my days. Some of them included mental health wellness, extradition and detainers, and emergency medical response. I found the speakers to be dynamic and well-informed, sharing a lot of valuable information.

Were There Other Professionals Besides Insurance and Surety Bail Agents?

Dan: I don’t recall any attorneys necessarily this time. Many times, there are chief state attorneys, or they’ll have the Attorney General come to some of these functions so they can learn what’s happening. There was an insurance professional present. There were certainly some medical professionals, too. As far as law enforcement is concerned, they show us how to handle critical care in the event we encounter someone who is hurt or in trouble.

Jason: Other professionals, aside from bail agents, were represented. I had the opportunity to network with law enforcement, private investigators, bail enforcement, and insurance agents. The mix of CEO’s, owners, and independent contractors made for great conversation and a great opportunity to learn more about professions adjacent to bail bonds.

Why Should the Local Bondsman In Town Attend Bail Conferences Like PBUS?

Dan: Personally, I have been attending these conferences for over twenty years. The local bail bondsman should be attending these conferences to be up to date with the industry while creating contacts throughout the country. Having the ability to reach out to people who are friends of yours for help and have them reach out to us. We oftentimes will get calls about clients from other agents. We are considered experts in bail in the northeast, not just Connecticut, because of our recovery efforts that we can do in MA, RI, and NY, as well as CT. We hold up the northeast as far as bail goes.

Jason: If your career is in bail, you have many reasons to attend. Supporting the industry is number one in my opinion. We have strength in numbers when we are all aligned for the common goal. In addition, the contacts you can make are so valuable. I’ve been attending conferences since 1996.

How Does Attending This Conference Make You Stand Out As A Bail Bond Company in The United States?

3-D Bail Bonds is known in the industry because of the connections we make. Knowing what’s happening throughout this whole country allows us to be better equipped when it comes to the discussion of laws and assisting in efforts to preserve bail in Connecticut.

Jason agreed and shared: 3-D Bail Bonds definitely stood out as. We were networking every day, as we were the only Connecticut agency present. Collectively, we had many conversations and made new friends and contacts. I believe this will only benefit us.

What Was Your Personal Experience Like at This PBUS Winter Conference?

Dan: I found PBUS 2026 was probably one of the best classes and most enlightening experiences. I really think that PBUS did a really good job. A lot of people, for a variety of reasons, choose one conference and go to that one, but I’ve historically gone to multiple.

Jason: I instantly recognized that the overall mood was much more energetic than in recent years. Attendees were eager to share the collective message that the bail industry is vital and what it has taken to stay ahead of this messaging. I spoke with many people who shared their strategies on how they’ve maneuvered legislation in the respective states. It felt as if more people were open to sharing information that they would otherwise keep proprietary.

Dan also attended the American Bail Coalition’s conference in November and will be attending the National Association of Bail Agents (NABA) conference in April, where he is set to speak on the state of bail in Connecticut.

“I think it’s really important that if you pick bail as your profession, you should have as much knowledge in that profession. Whatever your career choice. You should know everything about it. I want to know as much as I can about bail bonds throughout this whole country.”

As Dan shared his thoughts about the PBUS winter conference, he spoke about his disappointment.

“There are 14,000 bail agents in the United States, and there are around 140 agents who attended. That’s 1% of the industry population. That is disappointing. I think there should be more, but not everyone has the same beliefs as me about the industry. If you give a man a fish, he eats tonight; if you teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime. The more knowledge you accumulate, the more valuable you become, not just in bail, but in any career choice. Knowledge is power.”

He expresses that attending bail conferences is not cheap, but it is an investment for his business. He says, “It’s so important that I bring two people with me each time.” As the president of 3-D Bail Bonds, Inc, he values educating surety bail agents in his team. His son, Jordan Toner, hopes to one day assume the role of president. Dan Toner is raising his son to value knowledge and professionalism in his career, so that when he decides to retire, he knows the company will be in good hands as his son continues the legacy.

States With Bail Professionals Present at The PBUS Winter Conference:

• Connecticut
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Florida
• Georgia
• Georgia
• Kansas
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Mississippi
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Jersey
• North Carolina
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• Texas
• Virginia