Imperial Peace Keeping Certificate
From Wookieepedia, the Star Wars wiki.
The Imperial Peace-Keeping Certificate (or IPKC) was issued by the Empire to beings who intended to hunt bounties. It was frequently known as the Bounty Hunter's "license to operate". It outlined what was required of the Bounty Hunters in their pursuit and capture of their quarry. There were several notable rules.
First, unless the bounty was posted as "Dead or Alive", it was to be captured alive.
Second, the quarry must be given the chance to surrender. However, "flight, refusal to comply with the directives of a registered hunter, prior activities indicating a predisposition to resistance to capture, resistance, or assault" is considered refusal to surrender.
Third, injury, incapacitation or death of the quarry may only occur if the quarry has refused to surrender peacefully, however, the same exceptions that apply to the second rule also apply to this one.
Fourth, only a reasonable amount of force is to be used.
Fifth, the holder of the IPKC must promise not to accept any "illegal" bounties.
