How Do You Get a Bail Bond?

After you've been arrested, booked, and processed, a bail schedule dictates your bail amount. At this point, you or a loved one can contact a bail bond agent to ask about a bail bond. The bail bond agent will craft a bail application and contract, which you'll need to sign.

Once the paperwork is done, the bail agent posts your bail, and you are free to leave jail. In California, bail bond agents are allowed to work and post bail 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so even if it's 1:00 AM on a Sunday, you can find a bond agent to help.

To get a bail bond, however, you will need a co-signer. Like normal loans, a co-singer will be responsible for the loan amount if you fail to appear in court. They are also responsible for paying the bail premium or posting collateral, such as a house. In addition, having a co-signer proves to the bail bond agent that someone vouches for you and believes you will attend your hearing.

How Much Does a Bail Bond Cost?

A bail bond includes two parts: the premium and the actual bail. The premium is an amount you or the cosigner pays. This is how bail bond agents make money, so the premium is non-refundable. The bail is refunded to the bail bond agent after your hearing.

In California, premiums can cost up to 10 percent of the total bail amount. Therefore, the amount you actually pay depends on many factors, such as the type of crime and the county. Each county in California has a different bail schedule for different offenses. In fact, in some cases, bail can be twice as much from one county to another.

Ideally, bail bond agents want the full premium before you are released from jail, but if you can't afford the premium upfront, a bail agent will help you create a payment plan. If you suddenly stop repaying the loan, however, the bail agent can sue you.

Are Bounty Hunters Real?

As stated before, surety loans have a high level of risk. If you don't attend your hearing, the court keeps the bail money, which hurts the lender's bottom line. To correct this, the bail bond agent will send someone to locate you, and it may be a bounty hunter. In California, you may hear the term bail fugitive recovery agent instead of bounty hunter.

A bounty hunter requires training and licensing, but they have the authorization to arrest you if you skip your hearing. Preferably, bounty hunters also have some kind of higher education in law, police science, criminal justice, or psychology.

Not all bail bond agents hire bounty hunters. Some may use skip tracers. A skip tracer can be anyone, but not all skip tracers can arrest you. They must be a depositor of bail, private investigator, or a bounty hunter. Skip tracers use online tools like databases, social media, news archives, and public records to locate missing people.

Bail helps people get out of jail, which is better for their mental health and personal life. However, bail can be expensive. Luckily, bail bond agents offer surety loans to help you get out of jail. If you want to learn more about bail bonds, contact us at Albert Ramirez Bail Bonds today.