What is a Bail Bond?
A Bail Bond or Surety Bond is a financial guarantee to the court that the defendant will appear in each and every court appearance as the court directs. Failure of the defendant to comply with the conditions of the court could result in warrants issued and the bail bonds forfeited.
What is a Surety Bond?
A Surety Bond is the preferred form of release for the court because the bail agent is likely to hunt a fugitive who skips court and return them to the authorities to avoid having to pay out for the bond skip. During the contractual undertaking, family and friends are often involved in order to help ensure a defendant will appear for court.
What is Cash Bail?
When Cash Bail is requested, the defendant will only be released if the person seeking the release can deliver the entire bail amount in cash to the jail facility in which the defendant is being held.
What are Property Bonds?
A few states will still accept a Property Bond, which is a way of posting security for the release of a defendant using local real estate as collatoral. The process requires a judge's approval and clerk's acceptance and usually takes one to two weeks.
What does ROR mean?
ROR means to be "Released on One's Own Recognizance" and is usually reserved for a defendant who has been in their community for years, maintains a steady job, has strong family and community ties and is one who poses very little or no flight risk. Only First-time and non-violent offenders are normally considered for ROR. Usually a background check is performed and a recommendation will be given to the court based on those findings. County agencies or local law enforcement usually adminsiter the process.
What is the ELMO program?
Administered by a county or local law enforcement agency, ELMO stands for Electronic Monitoring and is usually a condition of release in addition to a regular bail bond. House arrest will typically make use of Electronic Monitoring by requiring the defendant to wear an ankle bracelet which sets off an alarm if the person gets too far away from their home.
Where can a Bail Bond be posted?
Most courts and jails will accept the posting of a Bail Bond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year.
Where can I get a Bail Bond?
Bail Bonds in Dallas - Call us TOLL FREE at 1-877-WHY-JAIL (1-877-949-5245) or call (727) 557-4344 and a licensed bail agent will discuss your situation with you confidentially while assisting you with your questions and individual needs.
What house do bail agencies operate?
Most bail bonding agencies are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year as people are arrested at all hours of every day.
How much does it cost for a Bail Bond?
In most cases, a bail bond premium is usually 10% of the full bail amount. The surety companies are responsible for establishing the fees and they are regulated by the Department of Insurance.
Is the premium for the Bail Bond refundable?
As soon as a bail bond is accepted and posted by a court or a jail, liability is taken on the bond. Once this occurs, the premium is no longer refundable.
Does a Bail Bond expire? How long is a Bail Bond good for?
Bail Bonds are good for up to one year from the date of issuance. The premium must be paid again to keep the bond current if the case goes beyond one year.
Am I liable for the Bail Bond? Who is liable for the Bail Bond?
The co-signer, also known as the indemnitor, is financially liable for the bail bond and their liability is limited to the full face value of the bail bond.
What if I am calling from another state or out of the area?
No matter where you are calling from, if you have a friend or family member in custody it is still possible to obtain a bail bond. The process involved simply requires faxing the contract to you and then us accepting a credit card and/or wire transfer for the bond premium.
I still have additional questions about the whole Bail Bond process or my unique situation - what should I do?
Bail Bonds in Dallas - Call us TOLL FREE at 1-877-WHY-JAIL (1-877-949-5245) or call (727) 557-4344 and one of our licensed agents will be more than happy to help educate you further about the bail bond process.
Frequently Asked Questions Specific to Dallas and Dallas County, Texas:
Q: Do you offer jail tours?
A: Unfortunately due to staffing limitations, we do not offer jail tours at this time.
Q: How do I pick up an inmate's property?
A:Property releases are processed on all incoming inmates, whether they have been processed through the Vault or not. If the inmate has no housing location, the clerk will obtain the inmate's signature if the inmate has a housing location the property release form will be taken to the housing location at the proper jail facility by the property release requestor to obtain the inmate's signature. Once signed, it will be returned to the Control Center in the front lobby of Lew Sterrett.
Once the inmate has been processed through the Vault, the property release must be for ALL PROPERTY! Individual items may not be released. Clothing and other property cannot be released on the same form. Separate forms are to be used if the visitor wishes to puck up both.
The requestor must have on of the following forms of identification:
- Valid picture state drivers license paper license renewal must be accompanied by other picture identification.
- Texas Department of Public Safety Picture Identification Card.
- Identification Card issued by the Dallas County Jail
- Official government passport
- Alien registration card or any other valid picture identification card from the United States Government
When the signed property release is returned to the control center in the front lobby of Lew Sterrett the property will be retrieved and given to the requestor. The requestor will sign the property release form indicating that they did receive the property.
Q: Can I bring an inmate's prescription eyeglasses to him/her?
A: Yes, just bring the glasses to building control of the appropriate jail facility. Prescription glasses and reading glasses are ok.
Q: Can I bring any reading materials to an inmate?
A: No, all reading material is distributed through the Inmate Programs Section. This includes all books, magazines and religious materials.
Q: Can an Inmate be allowed to leave the jail to attend an immediate family members funereal?
A: Unfortunately, due to staffing limitations we are unable to escort inmates at this time.
Q: I'm a lawyer needing to get my private investigator in the jail to interview an inmate.
A: You must provide your investigator with a letter authorizing them to interview the inmate in question. The "original letter" must be on your official letter-head with the date of the interview. Faxed copies will not be accepted. The investigator must have a new updated letter each time along with a government issued I.D. as well as a current Investigator license.
Q: Can I marry a person incarcerated in your jail?
A: Yes, a marriage license can be obtained from a county clerk's office. The cost is $41.00 in cash.
If an applicant is unable to appear personally, any adult or the other applicant may apply on behalf of the absent applicant. The proper paper work must be completed prior to applying. Proper paper work including the absent applicant's identification and age is required. If one party is incarcerated, this office must send out and receive information directly from the incarcerated person. No marriage ceremonies are performed at the jail.
If the absent applicant is under 18 years of age, proof of parental consent, or judicial permission, or proof of the dissolution of a previous marriage must be provided.
A valid form of photo identification, such as a driver's license, U.S. passport, certified copy of a birth certificate, or military identification is required.
Where to Apply for a Marriage License
You can apply for a marriage license in downtown Dallas at the Records Building, 1st Floor, 509 Main Street, Suite 120 (8:00am-4:00pm, Monday through Friday) 214-653-7559 or 214-653-7131.
You can apply in East Dallas at the East Dallas Government Center, 3443 St. Francis Ave. (call for office hours) 214-321-3182.
You can also apply at the North Dallas Government Center, 10056 Marsh Lane, Suite 137, Dallas (call for office hours) 214-904-3032.
Justice of the Peace, 7201 S. Polk, Dallas, (972) 228-0280 (Call for office hours);
Justice of the Peace, 1411 W. Beltline Road, Richardson, (972) 231-1439 (Call for office hours)
Bail Bonds in Dallas is part of the All Estates Bail Bonds Nationwide Network
Bail Bonds in Dallas is also a partner with BountyHunterForHire.com Skip Tracing and Fugitive Recovery Services.
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