We believe the more you know, the better prepared you will be.
Learn More About the Bail Process
“Bail” is a cash deposit or pledge to a court in order to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, with the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail (and possibly be brought up on charges of the crime of failure to appear). In some cases, bail money may be returned at the end of the trial, if all court appearances are made, regardless of whether the person is found guilty or not guilty of the accused crime.
After an inmate has been fully booked, a bail amount will be determined for his or her release. After the bail amount has been set you can call one of our professional bail bond agents to start the bail bond process and help your friend or loved one “post bail.” A bail agent is a person permitted to solicit, negotiate, and affect undertakings of bail on behalf of any surety insurer. The bail bond process does not take long after the inmate has been fully booked.
A “bail bond” (surety bond) is a financial guarantee to the court that the defendant will appear in each and every court appearance as the court directs. Failure of the defendant to comply with the conditions of the court could result in warrants issued and bail bonds forfeited.
You can get a bail bond by calling our office 24/7 at (703) 691-4900. A licensed bail agent will confidentially discuss your individual situation, assist you with all your bail bond needs, and instruct you how to start the bail bond process immediately.
Most bail bond premiums are ten percent of the full bail amount. For example, if the full bail amount is $10,000, the premium (fee) for the bail bond is $1,000. These fees are established by the surety companies and regulated by the Department of Insurance.
It is good until there is a disposition in the case, meaning the case is over.
The indemnitor (co-signer) is financially liable for the bail bond. The indemnitor’s liability is limited to the full face value of the bail bond.
In Virginia, the cost of the bail bond, which is called “the premium,” is generally 10% of the total bail amount. You do not get this money back. The premium is fully earned upon the release of the accused.
Once the bail bond is posted and accepted by a court or jail, liability is taken on the bail bond. At that point the bail bond premium is fully earned and is not refundable.
Collateral is money, property, etc. that you deposit with the bail bond company. Collateral is held until the bond is exonerated and the premium has been paid in full. In many situations, the bail bonds company will not require collateral. Often times, people own homes but do not want to sign on them. We take a quick application to determine if we can do this for each client individually.
An indemnitor or co-signer is a person who agrees to be financially responsible for the full amount of the bail bond in the event that the defendant fails to make a court appearance and cannot return to court. An indemnitor is responsible for paying any bail bond costs incurred as a result of the defendant missing a court date. If there is more than one indemnitor on a bail bond, they are jointly liable. This means the money could be collected from one or both of them.
Find a bail bond agent in Virginia by checking out our: Locations Page
Due to the fact that people are arrested both day and night, we are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year; ready to start the bail bond process to help your friend or loved one post bail.
