Bail Travels: What To Know

Bail bonds often come with several conditions. That means you can take advantage of getting out of jail for less with a bail bond, but you must be prepared to understand and follow the rules. Read below to find out more about being released using a bail bond and what happens when you need to go out of town while out on bail.

Bail and Bail Bonds: What to Know

It's easy to get confused when it comes to bail issues. Bail is what you pay to the court and it's often very expensive. A bail bond is offered by an outside agency and can be purchased for only a fraction of the cost of the bail. If your bail is $25,000 for example, you might be bailed out using a bail bond for just $3,750 if the bail bonding agency has a 15% premium charge. It's a no-brainer to use a bail bonding company rather than pay the $25,000.

Bail Conditions to Understand

Bail involves following rules — and those rules exist whether you pay the full cost of the bail or use a bail bonding company. These conditions vary depending on the nature of the charges, the criminal record of the defendant, and the judge issuing the bail. It's probable that the most important bail condition of all is to appear for all upcoming court appearances. Failure to abide by that condition could result in a revocation of your bail bond and a warrant for your arrest. However, many of the other bail conditions are nearly as important as that condition.

Leaving the Area

In most cases, defendants must agree to remain in the area after being let out on bail. That helps assure court officials and bail bonding agents that defendants will not get into any trouble while out on bail and that they are planning to appear at their court hearing. The wording varies, but bail conditions can order the defendant to remain in the county, state, or the US.

However, some defendants may need to travel outside of the covered area. It's very important not to simply leave the area thinking that you won't be caught. You can ask the court to allow you to leave if you can supply a valid reason for such a request. For instance, some defendants might need to attend a funeral in another state. Some may decide to go to drug or alcohol rehabilitation in a different county. Speak to your bail bond agent, your defense attorney, and court officials about traveling while on bail.