To Get A Bond, Do You Have To Pay Any Money That You Don't Get Back? Do You Have To Lay Out Any Of Your Own Money Upfront?

There Are Two Common Bond Options

Bonds have two general ways of being posted: (1) you pay a cash bond for the total amount of the bond in full or (2) you can pay a bondsman a fee to post the bond (usually 10% of the total or $4100.00, whichever is greater).

A cash bond is held by the Clerk of Court until the case is closed, at which time it is returned to the person who posted the bond, less a small transactional fee that the Clerk charges. In many cases where a plea is entered, the Clerk may opt to apply the bond towards court costs, fines and fees but this practice varies from county to county.

if you pay a bondsman to post the bond, the fee they charge you is a premium and you will not get that money back. The service that a bondsman provides is the payment of the entire bond via an insurance premium you pay for so that’s their fee and how they make money. It’s a perfectly acceptable way to post a bond and is used by many people who cannot be without the entire amount of the bond for the duration of the criminal case.