How much do bail bond companies charge?
If you’re trying to post bail for a friend or loved one, a bail bond company can help.
Rather than paying the entire bail amount to the court, you can pay a bail bond company a small percentage to post bail on your behalf. Since the total bail amount can be pretty expensive, the bail bond option can be very useful for many people.
If you’re wondering, “How much do bail bond companies charge?”, then you’ll first need to figure out your total bail amount.
How much do bail bond companies charge?
In California, bail bonds should be 10% of the total bail amount. If a bail bond company attempts to charge you any more or any less than 10%, then you should proceed with caution. This percentage is set by the state of California.
This being said, if your bail is set at $10,000, then the bail company should charge you $1,000 for the bail bond. While there may be additional fees, these should all be disclosed at the very beginning of the process. You should not receive additional fees or charges once the bail bond documents have been signed and processed.
What should you look for in a bail bond company?
Since the bail bond fee should be the same from one bail bond company to the next, there are a few things you should keep in mind when deciding what bail bond company to work with.
Here’s what you should consider:
- Will they come to you?
- Are they open on the weekends?
- Are they open 24 hours a day?
- Are they familiar with your community?
- Do they know the local bail bond process?
- How quickly will they work on getting your loved one out of jail?
- Will they provide you with additional resources and guidance throughout the process?
Even though you are likely in a hurry and want to get your loved one out of jail quickly, it’s important to take your time selecting a bail bond company. The more comfortable you are with your bail bond company and the more experienced they are with local bail bonds, the quicker your loved one will be able to come home.