Bail Bond Types

Bail Bonds Types

Bail is simply the temporary release of a prisoner in exchange for security given. Its sole purpose is to assure the attendance of the defendant each and every time the court requests the person´s appearance, until the judge has the opportunity to make a decision on the case.

There are numerous types of bail bonds available to get someone out of jail when they are accused of a crime and need to post bail quickly and affordably. The amount of money required for the bond, and whether bail is even possible, will depend on your individual circumstances, but each bond has a specific purpose.

Different types of Bail Bonds:

Federal bail bonds: These bonds are used when a person is accused of a federal crime.

Immigration bonds: Immigration bonds apply to foreign nationals who are charged with crimes that involve illegal border crossings or other immigration issues.

State and County bail bonds: These are the most common types, and can include any of the types listed below.

Cash bonds: Some people choose to simply pay cash for their bail. When the defendant shows up for court, he gets his bail amount back, less any fees charged by the court.

Surety bail bonds: These involve a contract with a bail agent, and may contain stipulations for release, such as drug treatment programs. Requires collateral to “secure” the amount of the bond.

Property bail bonds: In some jurisdictions, courts allow property to be used as collateral for bail.

Release on Citation: The arresting officer might use this option, which means the accused person is not even taken to jail after being arrested, but is simply issued a citation and allowed to go home after promising to show up in court when summoned.

Personal bonds: With this type of bond, a criminal defendant promises to appear at all future court dates. Bail is not posted, but the accused will forfeit the amount of the bond if the promise is broken, as well as being held liable for criminal or civil penalties for failing to appear in court.  These are also known as release on recognizance bonds.

Release on Own Personal Recognizance (PR bonds):  A personal recognizance bond is granted by a court judge after reviewing the accused person’s case during a pretrial hearing and determining that the person is not a threat to the community. Bail is not posted, but the accused promises to show up for all future court dates, and can be held liable for criminal or civil penalties for failure to appear in court.

Federal Bail Bonds come into play when dealing with interstate crimes and federal crimes. These types of crimes include the defacement of federal property, crimes that may have crossed state lines, crimes investigated and prosecuted by federal agencies such as the FBI, and also offenses such as kidnapping, tax evasion, drug trafficking, and various types of fraud.

Federal bail bonds are often higher than state bail bonds. The bail premium may also be at a higher percentage.

State and county bail bonds are the most common types of bail bonds. These are the bail bonds most people inquire about. These types of bail bonds are also known as court bonds and appearance bonds.

Simply put, these are the bail bonds that 99% of all bondsmen write. The premium for state or county bail bonds is 10%, which is the standard and is nonnegotiable.

Most types of bail bonds fall under the broader category of “surety bonds”. They’re called surety bonds because bail bond companies are licensed by the state Department of Insurance.  The 10% bail bond premium is a legal form of surety insurance to the court, which ensures the court that the accused will fulfill the court’s requirement to appear in court as many times as necessary until the charge(s) are resolved by the court.

If the accused does not appear in court, the bail bond company is liable to the court for the full amount of the bond… not just the 10%.

This is why most bail bond companies require collateral for larger bonds, such as a free-and-clear title to a piece of real estate or a vehicle or boat, or other items of substantial value. (The item used as collateral can’t have any mortgage loan, auto loan or personal loan against it.)

We are familiar with all types of bail bonds, and we can help you. Contact us for more information at (423) 429-2245.