How To Get Bonded Out Of Jail By A Bail Bond Service

Everybody makes mistakes, and getting arrested for something minor can put you in a position that requires bail to get out of jail. Finding a bail bonds service that offers 24/7 bail bonds is not hard, but there are some things you need to understand about getting bailed out by a bail bonds service.

Getting Bail

The first thing you have to find out is if there is a bail option for your offense. In some situations, you can be arrested and there is a preset bail for the offense that you can pay and get out of jail right away. However, there are other offenses that do not have bail set, so you have to see the judge before you can get bailed out of jail. 

Ask the officers at the jail if you have a bail option, and if you do, ask them for a list of bail bonds companies in the area. Most jails have that information available, and you can look at the list and decide who to call based on the location and the time of day. If you are arrested at two in the morning, you may need a 24/7 bail bonds service to help you out. 

Bail Bond Requirements

When the bail bonds service arrives, they will meet with you to go over the offense you were arrested for to determine if they want to bail you out. The bail bonds service does not have to accept you as a client, so it is vital that you are honest with them about what happened to put you in jail. 

If the service decides to bail you out, they will go over all the rules and requirements of the bail and the consequences of not following the rules after being released. If you are arrested again, or if you miss your court date, you will forfeit your bail and will have to stay in jail until the judge releases you. 

Depending on the offense, you may have to check in daily with the bail bonds service, and they may require drug tests to ensure you are staying clean if your crime involved drug use. The conditions are not set by the jail or the court but by the bail bonds service that is risking the bail money, and the rules are typically not negotiable. 

 Collateral For Bail

The bail bonds service will often ask for ten percent of the bail to be paid to them in cash, but they may take some form of collateral to cover the bail if you don't have the cash. They may accept a house, car, or other valuable items, but each company is different, so you will need to ask them what collateral is acceptable when you meet with the bondsman. 

If you fail to appear in court, that collateral becomes the property of the bail service, and they can sell it to recover the money they will lose on the bail forfeiture. Most bail bonds services do not want to do that, so they are more likely to come and find you and return you to jail, so it is crucial that you follow the guidelines and go to court.


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