How bail works
What a bail bond is, and what happens between arrest and release
The whole process in plain words, in the order it happens.
STEP BY STEP
From booking to a closed case
Arrest and booking
The person is taken to a jail, photographed, fingerprinted and entered into the system. Booking alone can take several hours at a busy facility, and nothing can be posted until it is complete.
Bail is set
A bail schedule or a judge sets the amount. Some charges have a fixed amount posted at the jail; others wait for a hearing.
The bond is arranged
You call us. We confirm the amount and the facility, quote the premium, and complete the bond agreement and cosigner form with you.
The bond is posted
A licensed agent delivers the bond to the jail. From that moment the release is on the facility's timeline, which we tell you honestly.
They walk out
The person is released with a court date. We go through what they must do, and what they must not, before they leave.
Court dates and exoneration
Reminders before every appearance. When the case ends, the bond is exonerated, collateral is returned and the obligation is over.
What a bail bond actually is
Bail is the amount a court holds as a guarantee that a person will return for their court dates. Most families cannot put up the full amount in cash, so a bail agent posts a bond for it in exchange for a premium, a percentage of the bail set by state law.
The premium is the fee for that service and is not returned. The bond itself is a promise to the court, backed by the agency and by the cosigner, that the defendant will appear. Appear at every date and nothing further is owed.
Words you will hear
- Bail: the amount the court sets
- Bond: what we post in its place
- Premium: the fee for the bond, set by state law
- Cosigner: the person who guarantees appearance
- Collateral: property held on larger bonds
- Exoneration: the bond released when the case ends
Questions about the process
The premium is a percentage of the full bail amount, and the rate is set by state law rather than by us. It is the fee for the bond and is not returned when the case ends. We quote the exact figure on the first call.
That the defendant appears at every court date. If they do not and cannot be located, the cosigner becomes responsible for the full bail amount, which is why we go through the agreement line by line.
It depends on the facility, not on us. Small jails can release within an hour or two of the bond being posted; large county facilities can take twelve hours or more on a busy night. We tell you what to expect at that jail.
Often not on smaller bonds. On larger ones we may ask for collateral such as a vehicle title or property, and it is returned when the case is closed and the bond is exonerated.
Call us immediately. A bond can often be reinstated if the court is contacted quickly, and the sooner we hear the better the options are.
Yes. We post throughout the state and arrange transfer bonds elsewhere through licensed partner agents, which takes a little longer.
The person's full name and date of birth, the jail or facility, and if you have it the booking number and charge. If you do not have those, call anyway; we can look them up.
Ready to start?
One call, any hour. We will tell you exactly what the bond will cost and how long release is likely to take at that facility.
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