Missouri Bail Bonds: What It Costs and Getting Your Money Back

August 5, 2021

It’s important to know how the bail bonds system works and understand your options. When you have been arrested in Missouri, you will be taken into custody and booked into a jail or other holding facility. Your picture and fingerprints will be taken and the circumstances of your arrest will be recorded. Following a hearing before a judge, a trial date will be set and the amount of bail, if it is offered, will be set. You may choose to remain in jail until your trial, pay the full amount of your bail and obtain a temporary release, or call a bail bonds agent.

Bail amounts can be quite large, depending on the charges against you. For many individuals, this can mean the difference between going home to await a court hearing or trial, and having to sit in jail for the duration. If you do not have the money to pay the full amount you can contact a Missouri bail bonds agent. You can pay a small, non-refundable fee – typically 10% of the total amount of the bail, and the bail bonds agent will pay your bond, which is a guarantee to the court that you will appear at hearings, and you will be released from custody. In most cases, the bail bonds agent will require some form of collateral, such as a vehicle or property, to secure the bond amount that you owe the bail bonds agent.

If you pay the full amount of the bail to the court, the money will be returned to you once you have appeared for all of your required court dates. If you are found not guilty, your bond will be discharged. Fees, charges and interest rates can vary with the bail bonds agency. Bail money is refunded to whoever paid the funds to secure your bail bonds if you have to stay in jail.

Using a bail bondsman helps secure your release relatively quickly, usually within a few hours. We don’t want you to have to sit in jail any longer than you have to. That’s why we offer several affordable choices, such as felony bonds, surety bonds, and property bonds, and in some cases, payment plans, to assist you, your friend or family member in obtaining your release from jail. We have representatives near you, so when you need our help don’t hesitate to call! We will immediately begin working with you or your family to ensure that you or your loved one spends minimal time in jail.