1. What is the total, and what is due when?
Not the down payment. The total. The premium in California is 10% of the face amount of the bond, and it is earned in full once the defendant walks out. A low down payment does not shrink it — it finances it.
- Face amount of the bond.
- Total premium owed.
- Amount due today.
- Number of installments, amount of each, and the date each is due.
- Any financing or service charge on top, stated as a number.
| Bail amount | 10% premium | 1% down | Financed balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $500 | $50 | $450 |
| $25,000 | $2,500 | $250 | $2,250 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 | $500 | $4,500 |
2. What collateral is being taken, and how do I get it back?
Most of our bonds are written with no collateral at all — see no-collateral bail bonds. When collateral is used, the paperwork should be specific.
- Exactly what is pledged, described item by item, with values.
- Whether a lien is being recorded against real property, and who records the release.
- The condition that triggers return — normally exoneration of the bond by the court.
- How long the return takes after exoneration.
Related: how to remove a lien after a bail bond and what can be used as collateral.
3. What happens the day a court date is missed?
Ask before it happens, not after. A missed appearance starts a statutory clock: the court orders the bond forfeited, notice goes out, and the surety has an appearance period to get the defendant back before the money is due.
- Will someone call you first, and how fast?
- Is there a grace window to get the defendant back into court voluntarily?
- What costs get passed to the indemnitor, and are they capped?
- Who at the agency makes the recovery decision?
Read what happens if the defendant doesn't appear before you sign, not after.
4. When exactly does my obligation end?
This is the question people skip and later regret. A cosigner is not released when the charges are dropped, when the defendant pleads, or when sentencing happens — they are released when the court exonerates the bond and the surety's liability terminates.
- Ask what document proves exoneration and who sends you a copy.
- Ask whether unpaid premium survives exoneration. It does.
- Ask what the process is if you want off the bond while the case is live — see removing yourself as a cosigner.