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How Does a Bail Bond Work?

A bail bond is an insurance policy. We’re insurance agency and it is an insurance policy that guarantees to the court that a person will make will make all of his or her court appearances. So when bail somebody out of jail we don’t take money to the jail or to the court, we take an insurance policy to the court and that guarantee that we make to them is guaranteed by us making an agreement with the person that we’re getting out of jail…. and most of the time it’s with a co-signer… a third party that is going to help us guarantee that person will make it to court.

So with that said…. I’m arrested, I’m in the jail, I make the call… you know, “Greg Padilla Bail Bonds please bail me out.” If you could walk me through the steps of exactly what happens. We make the call… what do you do? what do I do? What does my family do?

When we receive a call, about 50% of the time, it’s from the person in jail.. or a family member from the outside. So we’ll just talk in general terms… say it’s a family member that’s calling us. They’re going to call us and talk to one of our staff members and find out where the person is in jail, if they may know the information on how much their bail is and when they were arrested. We’re going to call the jail and get that information. That way we’re talking about factual information. We’re not talking about “I think they’re arrested” or “I think this is how much their bail is” We’re going to get that information and not at that point, what we’re going to do first and foremost is explain how a bail bond Works. What is a bond is. And what they see, if they choose to do so in co-signing on the bond…what their responsibilities are are going to be. Because it does me no good to assume that they know how this whole process works. We want to explain to them the way we do it. Not how everybody else does it. The way we had Greg Padilla Bail Bonds do it. So, we’re going to explain it to them and once they have a full understanding then we’re going to start talking about the terms and conditions. How much the bail is, how much it’s going to cost, what their guarantee is going to be that this person is going to make it to court. We don’t get into the legal maneuvering of the criminal case… that’s not our job that’s for the attorney to do.

So then OK you establish their contact with the family and its to determine can they come up with the 10%, they pay you, then you call… who do you specifically do you talk to at the jail? What title does the person you talk to have?

When we’re ready to post bail bond throughout the state of California they’re mostly consistent in that we would go to a window at the jail that’s set aside for not only helping us but and also help with other things… we would go to that entity, we give them the bail bond and give them insurance policy, they review it and make sure all the information is correct and begin the process of releasing the person. As far as releasing people, each jail is different… some take one hour some take 15 minutes. Some take unfortunately 6, 8, 10 hours. Bigger counties can take a lot longer. But that’s who we deal with is the jail Personnel that accepts our bonds and processes them.

So typically, within one day you could figure on being bailed out of jail… within a day?

It’s going to be a lot quicker than that. When we receive the call, we can receive a call from somebody if they meet all the criteria that we need credits we can start the process without them even being at our office. We can go over and post the bond and get the ball rolling… that way when the family member or friend came to our office the person would already be processed and all their way out of jail. And then know when they get there we can do the paperwork and take the money and get them out of jail. And that can all be done sometimes within an hour . Sometimes within a couple 2 or 3 hours. It never would take a day to do to get somebody out of jail.

That’s really important information. When they are physically released from jail… I’m just trying to get a picture of exactly what happens. They come out with their stuff I would imagine that they took their clothes and you have paperwork sitting there waiting for them to sign… and then you collect your fee from the family or them or whatever. Or you get signatures from that person and the family?

Yeah, just like when I was talking about the family members… want we want them to understand what’s going on. We also, if we have not yet talked to the person that’s being released from jail, we definitely have to meet with them, go over what the bail bond is, how much it costs, who’s paying, and what the terms and conditions are. We need them to understand that they need to make all their court appearances and if they don’t make all their court appearances they and their family members or their friends are in jeopardy of losing their entire amount of the bail bond. So it’s very important and 100% necessary that we do meet with them and that they are going to sign documents and contracts with us, so that they guarantee their appearance in court and our ability to monitor them and to do what we need to do that they make all of their court dates

Perfect… thank you.

How Bail Works And Other Frequently Asked Questions


So, What is a Bail Bond?

When a person is arrested, they are booked into the county jail. That process takes several hours; however, and can vary from jail to jail. Bail is then set based on the charges that they were arrested for.

The bail bond is an “insurance policy” that serves the sole purpose of making sure that the defendant appears in court. As bail bondsmen, we underwrite the bail bond securing a co-signer (or co-signers) that will guarantee these appearances in court. Collateral such as your car or property is not required with a qualified co-signor.

The cost of a bail bond is 10% of the bail amount and is regulated by the California Department of Insurance and cannot legally be discounted.

Below you will find a video which explains the answers to some of the most common questions asked by bail bonds customers in the Sacramento area. If you have any further questions, please feel free to call us at (916) 446-2663 or toll free (888) 449-2663, 24 hours a day.

Bail bonds work as an “insurance policy” that guarantees a person’s appearance in court. This “insurance policy” has nothing to do with the merits or facts of the case. The bail agency posts this bond with the court and guarantees the appearance of the defendant in court. If the defendant appears in court as ordered, then the bail bond is never in jeopardy. However, if the defendant fails to appear, the bail agency has 180 days to return the defendant to court. If the bail agency fails to do so, then the bond is forfeited and the full amount of the bond must be paid to the court ultimately by the co-signers of the bail bond. The cost of a bail bond is, which is regulated by the State of California, is 10% of the bail amount. Greg Padilla Bail Bonds is your best resource in the Sacramento area if you are going through the process of posting bail.
The only time one would have to pay the full amount of the bail bond is if the defendant “failed to appear” in court and was not returned to the court within 180 days. Although this bail bond is an insurance policy guaranteeing the appearance of the defendant in court, the insurance policy is guaranteed by the co-signers, thus they would be held fully liable for the bail amount if the defendant was not returned to the court.
As it is stated in the FIRST Clause in the Indemnity Agreement, the premium is the cost of the bail bond and it is fully earned upon the release of the person from jail. Once the bail bond is posted and accepted by the jail, there is no refund of the premium. And if you are on a payment plan, the payments are still due no matter the outcome of the case.
If someone misses court for any reason, you must first realize our agency was the very company that got them released from jail. We have the ability to file a motion with the court and have the bail bond reinstated back to the original terms. Therefore, it is our objective to keep the person out of jail on bail throughout court proceedings. Call our office immediately if there has been a failure to appear and we will schedule a new court date.
Upon the completion of the case, the judge will “Exonerate” the bail bond in open court. At this point the bond is no longer active and the indemnitor and defendant are no longer liable for the bail bond; however, they are still liable for any outstanding premium and/or expenses incurred.
Understand that we issue our customers credit in an effort to work with the economic realities we all have. Therefore, we attempt to set up payment plans that can be afforded. These payment plans are very important to our existence; therefore, it is important that the payments are made timely.