It’s never a good day when you have to look for a bail bondsman because it means that you’ve been arrested for something. But hey, bad things happen to the best of us. Whether you’ve been wrongly arrested or you happened to make a mistake that landed you behind bars—everyone deserves a second chance. If you do happen to find yourself in such a situation, it helps to know your options. The amount of bail is determined by the court and the bail amount usually depends on your previous criminal records and the type pf crime you’re accused of committing.
Those who cannot afford the cash bail if applicable set by the courts, have the option of seeking out professional bail bond services if a surety bond is an option. So how do you choose the best bail bondsman for the job? We’ve compiled a list of questions for you to ask your bail bondsman:
How Much Do You Charge?
In Minnesota, bail bondsman can’t charge more than 10% premium for a surety criminal bond. There are additional fee’s allowed by insurance laws that can be charged for travel | mileage expense and time these are defined as “upcharges”.
An upcharge is a fee additional to the 10% premium collected for the surety bond to be executed. If your bail is $4,000 then your local bondsman shouldn’t charge more than $400 for the bail bond premium, however if there is more than reasonable travel distance a bondsman can charge an upcharge. Upcharges can range from 50.00-100.00, sometimes more depending on the circumstances of the bond situation to be executed. It’s very important to ask about a bondsman’s fees before hiring them as your bondsman. Upcharges must always be disclosed on a premium receipt that is required to be issued by the bondsman to the payer for the bond that is being executed.
Is Your Business Licensed?
You should be asking all businesses whether or not they’re licensed to operate. In the state of Minnesota, it’s a requirement for all bail bonds agencies to get a license. That being said, you may still find companies that are working under the radar. It’s very simple for such companies to take your money and not keep their end of the deal.
To ensure that your money is going into the right hands, ask to see whether the bail bonds agency is licensed?
