No one wants their loved one to remain locked up after an arrest, and understandably so, jail is not a place you would wish your loved one to stay, especially if arrested on false allegations. Fortunately, the California bail system allows defendants to secure their release pending case resolution. Posting bail is a quick and straightforward process, and online bail bond services have made it even easier, smoother, and stress-free.
Thanks to online bail bond services, your loved one can return to their daily chores within hours after their arrest. You can follow the bail posting process from your home, and your detained loved one will be released once bail is posted. An online bail bond is the fastest, most efficient bail service you require to secure your loved one's release from jail so they can start planning their defense. You must only ensure that you work with a licensed bail bondsman you trust.
At Bail Bond Company, we offer fast bail bond services, whether online or otherwise. We have served Los Angeles County and neighboring areas for many decades, and will continue to do so to ensure no one has to stay in jail any longer than they should. Call us if your loved one has been arrested, and we will help you bail them out. We discuss how online bail bond services work and how you can use them to secure a loved one's release from custody.
Online Bail Bonds Definition
An online bail bonds service is acquired by signing application documents electronically through a bail bonds agency. Obtaining an online bail bond is faster, easier, and more secure. It involves simply signing some forms using an online bond app or email. A bail bondsman will help you through the whole process. Some companies provide online bail bond services 24/7 and electronic application forms in Spanish and English.
How Bonds Work and The Online Bail Bonds Process
If your loved one has been arrested, they may qualify to secure a bail release. The judge decides whether or not to grant bail. If they agree to bail, they will then go ahead and set the bail amount. They set this amount after considering various factors such as whether your loved one is a flight risk, the seriousness of their offense, their criminal history, community ties, their probability of appearing in court, et cetera. After you have posted bail, your loved one will be released from custody. The online bail bonds process looks like this:
Qualification for Bail
Although some offenses and circumstances disqualify a person for bail, it is rare. Most defendants are allowed to secure their freedom by posting bail. The judge sets the bail amount, but a predetermined bail value is attached to prevalent crimes in most California counties.
Contact a Bail Bondsman
Once the judge has set bail, you will know the amount. After you have posted that amount, your loved one will be released from custody.
Whereas people can post bail themselves, most do not have the money needed to post the total bail amount, which could amount to tens of thousands of dollars. That is where a bail bonds company comes in. If you cannot post bail for your loved one from your pocket, you can call a bail bonds company, which will process a bail bond for you.
The Bond Agreement
After you have called a bail bonds company, they will take your case, discuss it, and agree on the bond's terms. The bond contract will define the bail bond's value and the fee you must pay. This fee is called the premium. It is usually 10% of the bail amount. For example, the premium will be $1,000 if the total bail amount is $10,000. Note that the 10% fee is non-refundable as it is the bonds company's charge for its services.
Some companies offer qualified clients rebates, discounts, and flexible payment plans. Other companies charge hidden fees such as processing fees, travel expenses, notary fees, and posting fees; additional premiums like late filing or annual premiums; and interest on bond financing. Therefore, before you agree to transact with a bail bonds company, ask the bondsman if they will require any additional charges apart from the 10% premium.
Apart from the premium, the bail bondsman may need you to post collateral to secure the bond so that when your loved one skips bail and the bondsman forfeits the bond amount, they can sell the collateral to recover their money.
The bail bondsman will also need some information that will help them secure your loved one's release. Provided there is no federal hold on the defendant, and they are not a flight risk, the bondsman will agree to help you make bail. You want to collect some information about your loved one before calling the bondsman for an online bail bond, including:
- Their booking number and full name.
- Where they are being detained.
- What their charges are.
- The amount of time they have been detained.
- The bail amount the judge set—if you do not know the value, the bail bondsman can find out after. They contact the jail holding your loved one.
The bail bondsman may require more information if you need a 0% bond or wish to make premium payments in installments. Also, if, for example, you are to provide collateral per the bond agreement, the bondsman will request more information regarding the collateral.
Posting the Bond
Once you have given the bondsman all the details they need and signed the bond agreement, they will file the paperwork, eventually leading to your loved one’s freedom. This will usually be within a few hours after the bail bondsman has deposited the bond amount based on the jail facility holding your loved one.
Remember, since it is an online bail bond, you will sign the contract and any other necessary paperwork from wherever you are. You do not have to travel to the bonds company’s office. You will also not have to travel to the office for bond-related payments. You will make all the payments from where you are.
Benefits of Making Bail Online
The most apparent benefit of making bail online is that your loved one will not have to spend more time in custody than necessary. Once you have spoken to a bail bondsman, you have signed a bond contract, and the bail bondsman has posted bail, your loved one should be released within two hours.
Another benefit is that posting an online surety bond can secure your loved one's release even if you do not have the total bail amount in your bank account. All you will need is the premium amount the bonds company sets. That means you can have your loved one return to their daily chores without worrying about how you will afford a costly bail bond.
An online bail bond also allows loved ones to return to their jobs and families while they deal with the legal matters associated with their arrest. Even though bail bonds do not solve all arrest-related problems, they enable families to keep their lives together, even during a challenging period.
Types of Crimes Eligible For Online Bonds
Online bail bond services do not apply to all criminal offenses. For example, they do not apply where immigration or federal bonds must be posted. However, many charges are eligible for online bonds, including:
- DUI.
- Domestic violence.
- Theft.
- Assault.
- Battery.
- Arrest warrants.
- Traffic arrests.
- Vandalism.
Many more crimes qualify for an online bail bond. It is only in more severe cases, like immigration and federal offenses, that a judge could deny a bail request. So if your loved one is in jail, they will likely be granted bail. Grand theft, arson, burglary, criminal threats, robbery, and manslaughter are all crimes eligible for online bail bonds.
Online bail bond services are only available in California. However, you do not need to be in California when arranging for a bonds company to post an online bond for your loved one. This makes online bail bond services the best option for friends, parents, siblings, grandparents, and others who wish to assist in challenging times but are not close enough to travel to the bail bonds company’s office or jail.
An online bond can be posted for anyone charged in any state court or detained in any state jail. Whether you are located in California or not, you can arrange for an online bail bond, provided your loved one's charges are filed within the state judicial system.
Ensuring a Flawless Online Bond Process
Knowing that your loved one has been arrested for an offense and is in jail is stressful, irrespective of the circumstances surrounding their crime. You will want them out of custody and back to their chores quickly. For this to happen, you want to follow helpful tips to smooth your experience of posting bail from start to finish.
Choose the Right Bail Bondsman
California has plenty of bail bondsmen. The issue is that these bail bondsmen do not have equal reputations and quality. Some are only after quick money. To ensure you have partnered with the appropriate bondsman, scrutinize what they say and ask yourself whether they know much more about the online bond process. Also, ask yourself whether they are respectful, professional, or licensed. If these questions have "no" as the answer, you want to continue looking.
Obtain the Appropriate Payment Plan
Any good bail bondsman will help you choose a payment plan you are comfortable with. Conversely, a bad bondsman will pressure you to accept a plan that is not good for you. Also, ensure you do not pay more than ten percent of the bail amount as the premium. This is a requirement under the law, although some bond companies find other avenues to charge clients. Never pay over 10 percent total.
Start the Process As Soon As Possible
The earlier you start the online bail bonds process, the earlier you will secure your loved one's release. Once you learn of their arrest, your first call should be to a bonds company to kick off the bond process. The good news is that once you call a bail bonds company, the process starts immediately and only takes a few hours to complete. A bondsman will be at the jail facility holding your loved one in no time to secure their release.
Be Truthful
Everything will go much more smoothly if you are truthful with the bonds company. You may be tempted to lie on a bond application for various reasons, but it is not worth it.
Payment Options
If you wish to bail your loved one out of custody with an online bail bond, you will need a payment method. Some of the payment methods that bail bond companies accept include:
- Credit cards.
- PayPal.
- Debit cards.
- Zelle.
- Venmo.
- Western Union.
- Prepaid cards.
- Wire transfers.
- Coinbase.
- Bitcoin.
- Cash (which you will deposit into the company's bank account).
- Checks.
It might be impossible to access the bond premiums right away. Consequently, some bond companies work closely with clients to develop a suitable payment plan for them. In this case, you can still arrange for an online bail bond even if you do not have any money to pay upfront.
Find a Reliable Online Bail Bonds Service Near Me
When your loved one is in jail, the only thing you will wish to do is help them return home. They may be eligible for bail, but due to how high the judge can set the bail amount, you may be incapable of raising the money without negatively affecting your finances. If that is the case, a bail bonds company can rescue you.
At Bail Bond Company, we help defendants in Los Angeles secure their release, online or otherwise, provided they have ten percent of the bail amount. We do not charge any hidden fees or interest on the premiums, and we have flexible payment plans.
Call us immediately if you wish to secure someone's release and are ready to start the process. All you have to do is call us at 323-579-1415, and we will handle everything else over the telephone using e-signatures. Processing an online bond is a quick and straightforward process that will enable you to secure your loved one’s release soon enough.
