Bail is a cash deposit or pledge to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail (and possibly be brought up on charges of the crime of failure to appear). In some cases bail money may be returned at the end of the trial, if all court appearances are made, regardless of whether the person is found guilty or not guilty of the crime accused.
After an inmate has been fully booked, a bail amount will be determined for his or her release. After the bail amount has been determined you may then call one of our professional bail bond agents to help your friend or loved one post bail.
A bail bond (surety bond) is a financial guarantee to the court that the defendant will appear in each and every court appearance as the court directs. Failure of the defendant to comply with the conditions of the court could result in warrants issued and bail bonds forfeited.
You can get a bail bond by calling our toll free number at 1-888-GET-BAIL. A licensed bail agent will confidentially discuss your individual situation and assist with all of your bail bond needs.
Most bail bond premiums are ten percent of the full bail amount. For example, if the full bail amount is $10,000.00, the premium (fee) for the bail bond is $1,000.00. These fees are established by the surety companies and regulated by the Department of Insurance.
A bail bond is good for one year. If the case goes beyond the one year, the premium must be paid again in order to keep the bail bond current.
The indemnitor (co-signer) is financially liable for the bail bond. The indemnitor’s liability is limited to the full face value of the bail bond.
In Southern California, the cost of the bail bond which is called the Premium is generally 10% of the total bail amount. For example, if bail is set at $10,000 the premium would be $1,000. This is the amount charged by the bail bond company to put up the bail bond for the full $10,000 so that your friend or family member can be released. You do not get this money back. The premium is fully earned upon the release of the accused.
Once the bail bond is posted and accepted by a court or jail, liability is taken on the bail bond. At that point the bail bond premium is fully earned and is not refundable.
Collateral is money, property, etc. that you deposit with the bail bond company. The collateral is held until the bond is exonerated and the premium has been paid in full. In many situations, we will not require collateral. Often times, people own homes but do not want to sign on them. We take a quick application to determine if we can do this for them.
An Indemnitor or Cosigner is a person who agrees to be financially responsible for the full amount of the bail bond in the event the defendant fails to make a court appearance and cannot be returned to court. An Indemnitor is responsible for paying any bail bond costs incurred as a result of the defendant missing a court date. If there is more than one Indemnitor on a bail bond, they are jointly and severally liable. This means the money could be collected from one or both of them.
Find a bail office location in California by checking out our
Branch Office Locations Page »
If you are out of the area or live in another state and you have a friend or family member in custody, it is still possible to obtain a bail bond. The bail bond contract can be faxed to you and payment can be received by credit card or wire transfer. Call us to discuss your individual situation.
Because people are arrested both day and night, most bond agencies are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.