Bail Bond Premium & Cost Calculator

How it works

Premium = bail × rate (10% in most states; CA 10% or 8%; FL 10% with a $100 minimum per charge; NV 15% with a $50 minimum; NY maximum 10% of the first $3,000 + 8% of the next $7,000 + 6% above $10,000; federal about 15%) · Bond cost = premium + financing charge + fees · Cash-bail cost = bail × opportunity rate × months ÷ 12 + court fee · Court deposit cost = deposit × fee % + deposit × opportunity rate × months ÷ 12 · Forfeiture exposure (bond) = bail − premium already paid

Cash bail is a refundable deposit. You post the whole amount and it comes back at the end of the case, minus any fees the court keeps, so its only real cost is the use of the money. A surety bond replaces the cash with a bondsman’s promise, in exchange for a premium that is earned on release and never returned. The bondsman may also ask for collateral and a co-signer, who becomes liable for the full amount if the defendant does not appear. Premiums are regulated by state. Most states charge 10%. California bondsmen charge their filed rate, usually 10% or 8% for qualifying clients. Florida uses 10% with a $100 minimum per charge, and Nevada sets 15% with a $50 minimum. New York caps the premium on a sliding scale, and Texas leaves the rate to the market. Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon and Wisconsin do not allow commercial bail bonds at all. Pick a rule or enter the rate on your quote. You can add the number of separate bonds, a minimum premium, extra fees and a payment plan, and the calculator shows what is due now and the monthly instalment. It also shows the premium under each common rule. If the court allows a deposit of part of the bail, often 10%, enter it to compare that option too. For a case lasting under a year the premium works out to an annualised rate well above any market return, so families who can raise the cash almost always save by posting it directly.

Worked example

On $25,000 bail a bondsman charges a $2,500 non-refundable premium (10%). Posting cash instead ties up $25,000 for nine months at a cost of about $938 in lost returns, and all of it comes back — $1,563 cheaper. With only $8,000 available the family would need the bond or a motion to reduce bail. If the defendant skips, the co-signer owes the bondsman the remaining $22,500. Under New York’s cap the premium on the same bail would be at most $300 + $560 + $900 = $1,760. In Florida with three charges of $8,333 each it is $2,500, and in Nevada it is $3,750.

Sources: New York DFS — Bail information for consumers · Nevada Revised Statutes 697.300 (bail rates) · Florida Statutes 648.33 (bail bond rates)

Frequently asked questions