What is the purpose of a bail bond?

The purpose of a bail bond is to help a defendant post bail. Once the defendant posts bail, they can leave jail and return home until their assigned court date. Although a defendant can post bail on their own or with the help of a loved one, bail is usually too expensive to afford. Therefore, they seek out the help of a bail bond agent.

There are a variety of factors involved when seeking out a bail bond. Here are the most important factors you should know:

To get a bail bond, there is a fee required. In California, this fee is 10% of the total bail amount. If a bail bond agent says they can charge you less than the 10% fee, be cautious.
The bail bond fee is non refundable — this is how a bail bond agent is able to provide this service to individuals. Even if the defendant is found innocent of the crime, you will not be refunded the bail bond fee.
If you seek out a bail bond, collateral will need to be considered. This collateral should make up the total bail amount (minus the bail bond fee).
If the defendant does not return to court on the assigned date, your collateral might be taken by the bail bond agent. Therefore, it’s important to fully trust the defendant before signing for a bail bond.
In some cases, it is possible to remove your name from a bail bond. You will need to review the paperwork completely before signing to make sure this is part of the parameters. If it is, there may be another fee required.

Interested in learning more about bail bonds?

At Cowboy Bail Bonds, we have decades of experience helping people in Bakersfield and throughout Kern County post bail. If you have more questions about this process, give us a call or send us a message online. Or, check out our additional bail bond resources below!