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About Bail Bonds

  • Citation Release

    The defendant is released, given written charges, and agrees to appear in court on the scheduled date. This is used for minor offenses, and does not require a bail bond company.

    Personal Recognizance


    Based on a telephone interview with the defendant, the staff member of a pre-trial release program will attempt to determine if individuals in custody will in fact appear in court on their scheduled appearance date even without the strong motivator of financial forfeiture as incentive.

  • Surety Bond

    This process requires a contractual undertaking guaranteed by an insurance company that has the assets to fully satisfy the amount of the bail bond. The insurance company contracts with the Bail Agent, and the Bail Agent then assures that he will repay the bond if the defendant fails to appear on his schedule court date. Because the Bail Agent has promised his own money, he has a vested interest in ensuring that the defendant will in fact appear in court as scheduled. Bail Agents invests the necessary time and funds required to locate an individual who has not honored their commitment to appear in court. It is widely held that Bail Agents have highly effective and efficient methods of ensuring a defendant is in court as scheduled.

  • Cash Bond

    In this instance, an individual must post the total amount of the bail in cash with the court. This is a strong incentive for the defendants to appear in court as scheduled. Failure to appear can result in the forfeiture of the cash bond.

  • Property Bond

    Individual may secure release from custody by posting a property bond with the court. In this instance, the court records a lien on property, in the amount of the bail. If the defendant subsequently does not appear in court on the scheduled date, the court may initiate the foreclosure process in order to procure the forfeited bail amount.

What is the Agreement?

The consumer agrees to:
  1. Pay the premium for the bond at the established rates.
  2. Provide required collateral.
  3. Pay actual, necessary and reasonable expenses incurred by the bail agent in connection with the transaction.
    4. These may include: court costs, reimbursement for long distance phone calls, excess travel expenses, posting fees, bounty agent/skip tracer expenses, payment of the bond amount for the defendant's failure to appear, & attorney fees
  4. Keep the bail agent advised of address/employment changes of the defendant or other parties to the agreement.
  6. Aid the bail agent/skip tracers in locating the defendant (where someone other than the defendant has secured the bond).

The consumer should read all agreements thoroughly, asking questions until all items and obligations are understood.

Bail Agent Responsibility

Requirements:
  1. Provide receipts and copies of all signed documents
  2. Provide all information regarding the status of hte bond and changes in assigned court dates.
  3. Provide the status of any costs due, as imposed by the court.
  4. Locate the defendant if they fail to appear in court
  5. Appear before court regarding the bail bond when necessary
  6. Timely return collateral upon exoneration of the bond