The Bail Bond Process

The bail bond process begins when someone gets arrested, and bail is set by the jail or police department based on why they were arrested.

What is bail being set?
Bail is set by a predetermined amount based on a penal code. For example, in Orange County, bail on an arrest of felony domestic violence is $50,000.00.

What happens next?
You can either come up with $50,000.00 in cash or a cashier’s check and bring it to the jail or you can call a bail bondsman.

What will a bail bondsman do?
A bail bondsman will charge a percentage, called premium, of that amount usually ranging between 7-10%, so ($3500-$5,000), to post the full $50,000.00

Will I ever have to pay the full $50,000.00?
Only if the arrestee doesn’t show up to court and we cannot find them to bring them back to court.

Will I ever get the premium I paid back?
No, that is the fee the bondsman charges to post the bond.

Do I have to go to the jail or meet the bondsman to do the paperwork?
No, you can do all the paperwork online, so you can stay home until the arrestee is released from custody.

How long does it take?
Usually the whole process beginning to end takes between 3-16 hours depending upon the jail.