Is Bail & Bond The Same Thing

While ” bail and bond”  have the same effect — temporary freedom — they’re actually different.

Bail is the monetary fee an offender must pay to initiate his/her release, and in the case that he/she fails to appear in court at the scheduled time, the person forfeits that money. When the defendant or his family member pays bail, the offender has been bailed out of jail. In the scenario that there is no money to bail, bond consideration comes in.

So in clear terms, bonds are bail paid by a registered bail bond company. The offender secures a loan with collateral, either in the form of a vehicle or property. He is also required to pay a set fee which is usually 10% of the bail fee.

The bail bondsman then pays the court a portion of the bail money and guarantees that the rest will be paid if the defendant disappears. Court accept this as an assurance because the defendant loses his collateral property if he flees away.