BY | November 21, 2023

If you or a loved one has been arrested, the first thing you might think about is how to get out of jail so that you have time to prepare your case and ease your worries. It’s hard to think straight or feel secure when you’re stuck in a cell, and you might have all kinds of responsibilities to take care of at home or in your workplace.

Thankfully, the bail system allows us to be released from jail assuming we can pay the full bail amount. However, the average bail amount in California is around $50,000–much higher than the national average of just $10,000. It’s a lot to pay to secure bail, but it’s essential if you want your freedom immediately. In addition, the bail amount will be returned once you’ve attended all the court hearings, so you can think of it like a guarantee to ensure that you show up.

But still, many people can’t afford $50,000 to pay for their freedom. So to help out, bail agencies like Future Bail Bonds can help pay the full amount to help someone achieve their freedom. But what’s in it for the bail agency? How much does the defendant have to pay, if anything?

The Percentage of a Bond Paid by the Defendant

To start, a defendant is usually expected to pay a percentage of the full bail amount to a bail bondsman. This is to cover the costs of hiring the bail bondsman, and any other additional services that may be required. The exact amount will depend on the state and the service being hired, but in general, you can expect it to be around 10% of the bail amount in California. This is because local state law dictates that the premium cannot be greater than 10% of the bail amount.

There are some cases where a bail bondsman may reduce the premium below 10%, but most agencies will set this figure to 10%. So if your bail is the average of $50,000, you’ll be expected to pay around $5,000 to the bail bondsman to work with them.

The 10% premium limitation is in place to ensure that bail agencies do not overcharge their clients. It ensures that the system remains as fair as possible, and it gives everyone a chance to post bail without completely ruining your financial situation.

The Cost of Bail Bonds

As previously mentioned, the average cost of posting bail in California is around $50,000, but what factors affect this cost?

• The risk that the defendant poses. Some defendants may be at a higher risk of fleeing the jurisdiction in order to avoid being arrested. In these cases, the bail amount may be set to a higher amount. If the courts have reason to suspect that this is the case, then they will bump up the bail amount significantly.
• A past criminal record. If the defendant has a past criminal record, then they’ll likely have a higher bail amount due to repeat offenses. However, if it’s someone’s first time being arrested, then the bail amount may be lowered.
• Safety concerns that could affect the public. If the offense was particularly violent and the individual poses a great risk to the general public, then the bail amount will be set higher to avoid the chances of a second arrest or incident.
• How severe the crime was. If the crime that the defendant was arrested for was particularly severe, then the bail amount will be increased.

In short, the bail amount will be significantly higher if the defendant has a history of criminal offenses. If they are particularly violent or dangerous, then the bail amount will be increased even more. However, if it’s a fairly small offense and it’s their first time being arrested, then the bail amount will be lowered significantly. Remember that the average bail in California is $50,000, so there’s always a chance that it can be lowered significantly under the right circumstances.

What if the Defendant Can’t Pay the Percentage?

In a best-case scenario, the amount that a defendant is expected to pay a bail bondsman is anywhere between $1,000 to $5,000. While this is significantly less than the full bail amount, that doesn’t mean that it’s still affordable. Even $1,000 is still a significant amount of money, and some people may not have the means to secure that amount immediately due to a lack of savings or income.

As such, bail agencies like Future Bail Bonds offer a number of different financial options in order to pay the bail bond fee.

For instance, the defendant may be eligible for a 0% bail bond. This means that the defendant doesn’t have to pay any money initially to get out of jail. This can happen if the bail amount is relatively low and the defendant can offer some form of collateral. It could also happen if the defendant has a good credit score and shows that they have a stable financial situation that can pay for the bail bond in installments.

Discounts also apply under various circumstances. For instance, one may be entitled to a discount if they are a veteran. These discounts and payment plan options must be discussed with the bail agency in question, as they are specific to the agency and not state law.

Get in Touch With Future Bail Bonds

Being arrested is hardly a nice experience, and the first thing people want to do is get out of jail so they can continue their life before their court hearing date.

Future Bail Bonds offers a variety of ways for people to get out of jail by posting their bail amount immediately. With no-collateral bonds and payment plans with premiums from as low as 0%, we’re confident that we can help you secure your freedom and return to your loved ones as soon as possible.