If a friend has let you know they need help getting out of jail, it's a good idea to learn something about posting bail. The chances of having your friend released are good if you know what to do. Read on and find out about getting a friend out of jail using a bail bond. 

Is Bail Offered?

You can phone the jail if you are not sure about bail issues. Doing that will provide you with the information you will need when you speak to a bail bond agent. You will need to know your friend's full name and date of birth, the charges against them, and the amount of the bail or when that information will be available.

While bail is usually offered, certain types of offenses, such as violent felonies, make bail more challenging. Your friend may need a defense lawyer if they are not offered bail. If they are offered bail, you should take the below steps:

  1. Don't pay the full bail amount to the court. Call a bail bonding agency and save yourself a lot of money while accomplishing the same thing.
  2. Phone the bail bond agency and give them the information they need to give you a bail bond quote over the phone. The amount charged by a bail bond agent is known as a premium, in most places. The premium is a low percentage of the full bail.
  3. Find out what forms of payment the bonding agency accepts and get directions to their offices. They are usually located near the courthouse and jail.
  4. When you arrive at the bail bond agency, you will need to show identification and sign paperwork. Read the obligations and understand what could happen if your friend does not follow the rules of bail.
  5. If your friend has a criminal history, you may be required to submit property instead of, or in addition to, the bail premium. That might mean electronics, real estate deeds, vehicle titles, and more. This property is known as collateral and is returned to the owner once the case is over. However, bail premiums are nonrefundable.
  6. Once your friend is released from jail, they will need to go back to the bail bonding agency and sign some papers of their own. The names of relatives in the area, their employment information, some references, and more may be required.

Speak to a bail bond agency and find out more.

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