How long does it take to get bail money?

After you have been arrested, posted your bail, and your trial concludes, the question then becomes, how long does it take to get bail money back? 

Answer:

It takes only a few weeks…usually.

It can take as long as eight weeks to receive your bail money back, however. The way your money is sent is usually via mail.

If you’d like to learn more about how bail bonds work, see our article on the subject.

Important Note About Getting Your Bail Money Returned

Did you know it’s possible to lose your bail money?

An important question to ask is, “Did you abide by all the conditions of your release?”

Keep in mind that your bail money is the promise you make to the court to appear when requested and follow other requirements.

If you don’t abide by all of the conditions of your release, then you won’t need to worry about  how long it takes to get bail money back because none of your bail money will get returned.

This is very important to remember so that you can avoid losing a lot of money when posting bail.

What Happens When Skipping Bail?

When skipping bail, a warrant will be issued for your arrest and additional charges will be added to your record.

In a situation like this, it would be wise to speak to your attorney and see how they can help you.

In fact, if you’ve just skipped bail, we urge you to contact your attorney and let them know right away. It would also be a very good idea to contact your bail bond agent and let them know too.

You could possibly have a short time to reschedule your court appointment and avoid getting arrested or losing your bail money.

If you have a good enough reason for why you missed your court date and do not have a lengthy criminal record, then you could find yourself in the good graces of the court.

This is not a gamble worth taking, however.

If you think you will not be able to make your court appearance, you need to do what is called “bringing the matter forward” to try and set a different date for you to attend.

Cash Bond and Property Bond

Paying a cash bond is your surest way to get your full refund on your bail money, with the exception of court and legal fees.

If you were able to pay your full bail amount yourself, then after your court appearance, whether you are found innocent or guilty, you will receive your money back.

Additionally, if you have a property bond, then it will be exonerated, and you will get your property back.

Did Someone Else Pay Your Cash Bond?

Did someone else pay your cash bond?

If you could not pay your own cash bond and a friend or loved one had to pay it for you, then the refund would be sent to them.

If you did not appear for your trial, naturally you will be putting your friend in financial distress. They will be financially responsible for hiring a bounty hunter to track you down, and they will lose the bail money they would have otherwise been refunded by the court.

Bail Bonds

Did you use the service or a bondsman?

If you can’t afford your full bail amount, then you can use the services of a bail bonds agency.

In such a case, you will have to pay a 10% bail bond premium.

Of course:

If you abide by all the conditions of your release, you will still NOT receive the 10 percent premium you paid back…since that premium is the service fee you pay to the bail bond company for their help.

Further Reading: What are the differences between a bounty hunter and a bail bondsman?

A bail bondsman and a bounty hunter are not the same. It can be confusing knowing the difference between them, especially since the terms can be accidentally used interchangeably.

Bounty hunters are also known as fugitive recovery agents or bail enforcement agents, as the name implies, are tasked with tracking down court fugitives.

A bail bondsman, on the other hand, is the one who takes on your case once you have contacted them about needing assistance with bail.