Bail agents and companies in California are regulated by the California Department of Insurance. Per the filed rates allowed by the Department of Insurance, the premium of a bail bond in California, is 10% of the bail amount.

Each state and county sets their bail schedule and the bail schedule is non-negotiable. Bail schedules vary from county to county, but the premium (10%) is the same state wide, for all companies. If the bail for an arrestee is set at $50,000, then the cost to bail the arrestee out of jail is $5,000.

Question: Why do we have bail?

Answer: The reason for our bail system is to guarantee the court the appearance of a criminal defendant. Without this principal, there would be no reason for bail. A bail bond, is an effective way for our judicial system to hold defendants liable for their appearance in court.

Question: How does the bail bond work?