FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT IS A BAIL BOND?

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.

HOW MUCH DOES A BAIL BOND COST?

Most bail bond premiums are ten percent of the full bail amount. For example, if the full bail is $10,000, the premium for the bail bond is $1,000. These fees are established by the surety companies and regulated by the Department of Insurance.

IS THE BAIL BOND PREMIUM REFUNDABLE?

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.

WHEN AM I RELEASED FROM RESPONSIBILITY?

As soon as the defendant has appeared to all of their court dates, the bond is released and the indemnitor is released from financial responsibility. Typically there will be 3 court dates the defendant will have to appear to. In some cases there could be more than 3 court dates.