Bail Bonds FAQS

When someone is accused of or arrested for a crime, bail is a condition of release, a bond or collateral submitted on behalf of a defendant’s pretrial release. Bail ensures the court a defendant will appear in court on his or her scheduled date, as well as obey any stipulations required in order for his or her release.

A bail hearing is the process in court to determine if a defendant should be allowed to post bail for release while awaiting his trial. However, there are other types of inmate release. If the suspect is eligible, he may be released from jail on supervised release (SOR), his own recognizance release (OR), money bond (surety) or other conditional releases, such as ankle monitors.

Bail bond amounts are contingent upon the type of crime the defendant is accused of. Florida state bonds typically cost ten percent (10%) and federal bonds, fifteen percent (15%).

Almost all of the counties in Florida have their own inmate databases. If you know the county where the person you are looking for may have been arrested, simply do a search online for the law enforcement agencies in that area.

In Florida, the amount set for bail for a felony crime will be usually be based on each county’s own Uniform Bond Schedule. Bear in mind that one criminal act, can have multiple charges each of which will have a separate bond. For example, in Hillsborough County (Tampa Area) the bond schedule for felony charges begin with City or County Ordinance Violations at $250, but reach as high as $15,000 for First Degree Felony. The other Florida counties use similar bond schedules. But it is up to the magistrate judges to make the final call.

In most cases, it takes between two and eight hours to be released from county jail after a bond has been posted. You will want to be sure you’re using a licensed, experienced and reliable bondsman in order to make the process as fast as possible. Once the bondsman posts a bond, it is up to jail administration to complete the paperwork process for the actual release.

If an inmate has paid the full bail amount directly to the court, he or she will receive a full refund after they have attended all court appearances and met all court ordered requirements (minus any required court fees). But keep in mind, whatever money is paid as the bond premium to the bond agent is non-refundable.

The magistrate of the court approves and decides what type of inmate release a defendant in jail will be eligible for while waiting for their trial to prove their innocence. In most Florida counties, bond schedules are allowed and used per Supreme Court Ruling of Walker v. City of Calhoun, Georgia. Many arrestees are released prior to seeing a judge due to the effectiveness of standing bond schedules. If a defendant has not bonded out within 24 hours, they will be seen by a magistrate judge to determine if a more suitable form of release is available.

According to Florida Statutes 903.16, when the full amount of bail is paid in cash by an indemnitor for a defendant to the court, the court clerk holds onto the money until the suspect has completed all requirements of the court, including attending all court dates and meeting all accompanied court ordered requirements.