How much is a $20,000 bail bond?

If you’ve been hit with a bail set at $20,000, this means that you must pay the court $20,000 to be released from jail. Upon doing so, you can await trial from the comforts of your own home.

Once the trial process is completely over, then you should expect a full refund from the court. Bail is not an opportunity for the court system to make money. It is seen as a means to guarantee that the defendant returns back to court.

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How much is a bond if your bail is set at $20,000?

So, if your bail is set at $20,000, this doesn’t mean that your bond is $20,000.

In California, a bail bond company will charge you a 10% premium that is non-refundable. There might be additional fees to fill out the application, but you can expect to pay around $2,000. After you fill out all the necessary information and make payment plans with the bail bond company, they will pay the full $20,000 to the court on your behalf.

On top of this, you’ll need to consider collateral.

There are a variety of options you can use for collateral, but whatever you use will have to make up for the additional $18,000. If you fail to appear in court, the bail company will use that collateral to make up for the full bail amount (since bail will be forfeited and not returned with a failure to appear in court). This being said, be careful with what you choose as collateral. If your loved one skips their court date, then the bail bondsman has the right to take your collateral. This would be an incredibly painful experience if you used your home or primary vehicle as collateral.

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