All Things Bail Bonds

“Bondsmen generally charge a fee of 10% of the total amount of the bail required in order to post a bond for the amount. This fee is not refundable and represents the bondsman’s compensation for his or her services. As the practice of paying a 10% cash premium for a bond became widespread, some courts have recently instituted a practice of accepting 10% of the bond amount in cash, for example, by requiring a $10,000 bond or $1,000 in cash. In jurisdictions where the 10% cash alternative is available, the deposit is usually returned if the case is concluded without violation of the conditions of bail. This has the effect of giving the defendant or persons giving security for the defendant a substantial incentive to make the cash deposit rather than using a bail bondsman.”

Bail bond companies allow people to get out of jail by guaranteeing a certain amount of money (the bond) should a person not show up for court on their next court date. In order to do this, they require a percentage of the bond be paid to them in cash (usually 10%). They keep this as the fee to get the person out of jail. That’s how they make money. The other 90% of the bond is guaranteed by friends or family by their signature, putting up their car or house, etc. as collateral. That’s why a co-signer on a bond is willing to turn someone in when they are screwing up–because they could lose a ton of money or property, to the bond company. A lesson here–be very sure of a person before you put up your house or car to guarantee they will show up in court.