Sometimes, a court case defendant can't get enough money to pay the full bail amount. In these situations, the defendant, a relative, or a close family friend can go to a bail bond agent as a co-signer to pay the bail. In this case, the defendant needs to pay about 10% of the bail amount and give the bail agent a piece of collateral for the rest. The bail agent gives the defendant a way to stay out of jail until the day of the trial in court. This lets the defendant go about his or her daily life until the criminal matter is taken care of. The bail agent will take care of a lot of the defendant's needs to make sure that the person shows up in court when they are supposed to. They should always know where the defendant is and be able to find him or her if the case is forfeited.
Bond agents give the co-signer or the defendant copies of all signed documents and receipts. They also tell them how the bond is doing and if there have been any changes to the court dates. They should give clear records about the status of any court-ordered costs that are still owed. When the bond is paid off, the bail agent must be able to return the collateral on time.
Bail agents charge about 10% of the total bond amount, plus any actual, necessary, and reasonable costs they have to pay because of the transaction. The court has to decide how much the bail bond will be. In the case of a defendant who doesn't show up to court, the co-signer is responsible. In this case, the bail agent will charge the co-signer for all the money they spent looking for the defendant. If there is no collateral, the co-signer must have a job and have been living in the same area for a while.
To become a bail bond agent, you have to be 18 years old and either a U.S. citizen or a resident alien. The person must not have been convicted of a crime in any country in the last ten years. An application can only come from a licenced bail bond agency where the applicant works or from a licenced bail bond agency where the applicant works. The person applying must be able to pay the fee.
