Bail vs. Bond: What’s the Difference?
Many people use the terms bail and bond interchangeably, but they are actually two different concepts. Bail refers to the amount of money that must be paid to the court in order for a defendant to be released from jail until their court date. This money acts as collateral to ensure that the defendant will appear for their court date.
On the other hand, a bond is when a bail bonds company acts as a surety on behalf of the defendant. This means that the bail bonds company pays the full amount of the bail to the court, and in exchange, the defendant pays a percentage of the bail amount to the bond company. If the defendant appears in court as scheduled, the bail bond is dissolved and the money is returned to the bail bonds company. However, if the defendant fails to appear, the bail bond company is responsible for the full amount of the bail.