The Bail Process Start to Finish

The purpose of the bail system is to guarantee the appearance of a criminal defendant in court, and it is important that you know how bail bond process works. Our licensed bail agents can answer all your specific questions or give you more bail bond information 24 hours a day. Please call at 888 767-2245.

A bail bond is formally known as a “Surety Bond”. Usually, a friend, relative, attorney or defendant will contact a bail bond company by phone. During the initial phone consultation, most bail bond companies will collect basic information about the situation, such as where is the detainee being held, how long have they been there, what are the charges, how long have they been in their current residence, do they work, etc. The bail company is assessing the risk involved in the bail bond.

A California bail bond typically costs 10% of the bail amount so let's say the bail is $10,000. Then the bail bond costs $1,000. That's the fee to put up the $10,000 and it is called the Premium. You do not get the $1,000 back. Once the person walks out of the jail, that money is spent. Whether they are out of jail for one minute or one year, it's the same price. If charges are not filed, the case is dismissed, the person was falsely accused, etc. you do not get the premium back. But on the other hand if the case goes on for several months, maybe a year, they have the benefit of being free and being able to live a normal life in between court dates instead of being locked up. Many people who get bailbonds feel they have a better chance of fighting their case if they are out of custody. They have more access to resources and can present a better image to the judge dressed in a suit or nice clothes instead of a county jail jumpsuit.

Our company can process bail by fax or e-mail in just a few minutes or we can dispatch a licensed bail bond agent to the customer.

After the bail bond paperwork is finalized, a licensed agent will “post” the bail bond at the appropriate detention facility or jail which will result in the release of the defendant. From start to finish, a competent bail bond company will complete the entire bail bond process in 1 to 2 hours. Note that we can’t begin the bail bond process until all the arrest and booking procedures are complete.

Call us anytime at 888-767-2245 or 888-SOS-BAIL