How to Choose a Bail Bonds Company

When your friend or loved one’s freedom is on the line, how do you choose between the hundreds of phone numbers glaring out at you from the phone book or Internet search results? Who you ultimately choose could make the bail experience an even larger nightmare for you and your family. Hopefully you will select a company that can offer competent assistance, affordability and compassion to decrease the stress of the situation in which you’ve found yourself.

Is the Bail Bond office convenient to you?

Proximity to the jails, as well as to your home location, can be an important factor when choosing a bond agent. Bail Hotline maintains over 25 offices in California, reaching from San Diego to San Francisco and inland from Indio to Victorville – and if you cannot make it to our office, we will come to you. A local bondsman knows the jails, the staff and all the details to help get a release as rapidly as possible.

How quickly can the bail be posted?

If a bond agency is organized and experienced, they will have a sure-fire system in place to get as early a release as possible for your friend or loved one. A good bail agent is going to be available any time of day or night, since an arrest can happen at any time. Bail Hotline is open 24/7 throughout the year, making certain you can reach a dedicated bail agent right when you need them.

Is the Bond Agency licensed in California?

A quick check to the Department of Insurance, by which bail agents are licensed, will verify whether or not your chosen bail agent can legally post your bail in California.

Does the Bond Agent offer payment plans?

Bailing a friend or loved one out of jail isn’t something you plan for. And coming up with 10-15% of the total bond amount set by a judge can be as out of reach as the moon for many folks. Payment options are an important feature – one that Bail Hotline offers and can tailor to meet your specific needs.

Does the Bond Agent have any reduced premium rates?

Some bail agents always charge the standard premium for bail bonds; in California that rate is 10%, and 15% for specialty bail such as a federal bond. At Bail Hotline, we can also provide bail services at the reduced premium rate of eight percent for clients meeting particular requirements; you must be either active military or a union member, or have retained a private defense attorney.

Wouldn’t you go to the best Bond Agent if you could afford it?

With most professional services, you pay according to experience, credentials and reputation – usually substantially more for the top in their field. The Bail Bond industry is one in which you should have the best every time – because premiums for standard bail bonds are set at 10% by the government. Unfortunately this standard also means that even a just-licensed bond agency is paid the same, so be sure to ask how long they have been in business. At Bail Hotline, we bring not only a decade of experience to the table, but also a family commitment to the highest standards of integrity, reliability and service to our customers.

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