Can you bail someone out of jail with no money?

Can you bail someone out of jail with no money? It’s a reasonable question to ask considering how expensive bail can be (averaging around $50,000). So, what happens if you can’t afford bail?

Unfortunately, if you’ve been asked to post bail, you need at least some money. Yes, there are other types of bonds that don’t require you to pay money to be released (like an OR Bond) — but a cash bond is not one of those, and only certain individuals are approved for OR Bonds.

If you can’t afford the full bail amount, then you can attempt to pay a percentage of the bail. To do this, you have to seek out a bail bond company. In California, bail bond companies normally charge a 10% fee and may request some type of collateral from you to back up the bond. 

This percentage fee is not returned, so don’t expect to get it back.

Once you complete the paperwork with the bail bondsman and pay your percentage fee (which could be a couple thousand dollars or more), then the bail bondsman will pay the full bail amount to court and help get your loved one released from jail. 

If you can’t pay the percentage fee on your own, then it’s important to work with friends and family members to come up with that amount. This is still a better alternative than paying the full bail amount to court or having your loved one wait in jail until their court date (which could be quite a while).

Keep Reading: How do bail bond companies work?

If you need more information about how to post bail or if you’d like to inquire about other payment plans or options, please give us a call at 661-324-6009. At Cowboy Bail Bonds, we have decades of experience providing bail bonds in Bakersfield, Taft, Lamont, and Kern County.

We’re located in downtown Bakersfield, and we’re available for assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.