THE BAIL BOND PROCESS

Please have this information ready when calling South King County Bail Bonds:

• Defendant’s name & date of birth

• Defendant’s jail & booking number

• The alleged charges

• The bond amount

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What happens after an arrest?

Immediately after a person has been arrested, they'll be taken to a police station or county jail for booking. There they will be processed and scheduled to appear before a judge. The judge is responsible for determining their conditions for release.

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How do bail bonds work?

When an individual is arrested for a crime in the State of Washington, typically that person will be taken to a local law enforcement station for booking, prior to incarceration in a station lock-up or county jail. Once arrested and booked, the defendant has several options for release pending the conclusion of his or her case. Bail is designed to guarantee the appearance of a defendant in court at the time directed by the judge.

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What are Surety Bonds?

An alternative to cash bail is a surety bond. This process involves a contractual undertaking guaranteed by an admitted insurance company having adequate assets to satisfy the face value of the bond. The bail agent guarantees to the court that they will pay the bond forfeiture if a defendant fails to appear for their scheduled court appearances. The bail agent’s guarantee is made through a surety company and/or by pledging property owned by the bail agent.

For this service, the defendant is charged a premium (typically 10% of the bail amount in Washington). For example, if the bail amount is $10,000.00, the premium charged is $1,000.00. Prior to the posting of the surety bond, the defendant, friend or relative must contact a licensed bail agent.  Once a bail agent is contacted, an  appointment will be scheduled immediately. By involving the family and friends of a defendant, as well as through the acceptance of collateral, the bail agent can be reasonably assured that the defendant released on a surety bond will appear at all of his/her court appearances. After this procedure is completed, the bail agent will post a bond for the full bail amount, financially guaranteeing the defendant’s return to court as scheduled. With money on the line, the bail agent has a financial interest in supervising bailees and ensuring that they appear in court each and every time the court orders them to appear. If the defendant does not appear in court (skips), the bail agent has time and the financial incentive to locate the defendant and bring him/her to court.   

How much does a bail bond (surety bond) cost? In Washington State, the bail premium, or fee, is typically 10 percent of the full bail amount. For example, if the bail amount is $10,000, the premium charged is $1,000.

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How much of the premium will I get back?

Typically the 10 percent premium is fully earned once the bail bond is posted with a jail or court. That is how bail agents and their surety companies make their money and pay their bills.

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What is collateral?

Collateral is anything of value used to financially secure a bail bond.

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What is a flight risk?

When a judge is deciding whether or not to grant bail, the biggest factor they consider is whether or not the defendant is a flight risk. A flight risk is someone who is likely to flee the country, state, or county in order to avoid being prosecuted for their alleged crimes.

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What can be used as collateral?

Some examples of collateral include signature, credit cards, houses, cars, boats, jewelry or other high value property. 

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When will collateral be returned?

Collateral is usually returned when the court has finished with the defendant’s case(s), exonerating the bail bond(s), and when all fees have been paid.

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Are bail bonds refundable?

The 10% fee or premium you pay an agency to bail a loved one out of jail is nonrefundable.