How to Surrender a Bail Bond

Bail bonds allow an individual to pay the bail on an incarcerated friend or loved one through a third party, often at a discounted rate or with other stipulations that make it a better option than paying the bail at the jail. Sometimes situations arise where you are no longer willing or able to take responsibility for the person who is out on bail. In these cases it may be necessary to surrender the bail bond and have the person placed back in jail. The process of surrendering a bail bond is relatively easy.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Inform the original bail bondsman of the situation and let him know you wish to surrender the individual back to the jail's custody. The bondsman will generally ask you a few questions and then contact the jail (and in some cases a judge) to have the person returned to state custody.

2. Wait for the bondsman to arrange for the individual to be readmitted to state custody; this may only take a few minutes or it could take hours or even days, depending on the circumstances. The bondsman will arrange a time and place for the surrender to occur.

3. Take the person who is out on bond to the bail bondsman. You may meet the bondsman at her office or at the jail---she will instruct you on which of these options she prefers. Although most of the paperwork is handled by the bail bondsman, you may need to fill out and sign forms regarding the surrender.

4. Pay any fees that may be associated with the surrender of the bail bond. Not all bondsmen charge for this, but be prepared for it in case the bondsman that you are using does. Depending on the circumstances of the surrender, some or all of the bond may be returned. How long it takes for this money to be returned depends on the circumstances, the policies of that specific bondsman, and state law.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that you are legally responsible for someone when you pay their bail, either at the jail or through a bail bondsman; if you are worried that they won't appear at their scheduled court date or aren't able to bear that responsibility any longer, it's important to surrender them to custody.

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