The Difference Between a Cash Bond & a Surety Bond After an Arrest

Posted on: 17 September 2019

Getting arrested and placed in jail never occurs at a convenient time in life, and it is actually something you probably hope never happens to you. Yet, if you are currently in jail, it evidently did happen and now you will have to figure out a way to get out. When you are in this position, you could get out of jail by either paying a cash bond or a surety bond and here are the differences with these.

You handle a cash bond yourself; a surety bond requires a third party

The first difference between a cash bond and a surety bond is that a cash bond is something you pay yourself, or through the help of a relative or friend. You or the friend bring the cash to the jail and pays the bond amount, and you get released right afterward. A surety bond requires the help of a third party, which is a bail bond agency. The agency pays the bond amount for you, and you get released afterward.

Cash bonds cost more than the other

While the bond amount is the same whether you use a cash bond or surety bond, because a surety bond requires the use of a third-party, you will have to pay a fee to the agency you use for the surety bond. This means that paying a cash bond is cheaper than paying with a surety bond, simply because there is no additional fee with a cash bond.

Surety bonds require less money up front than the other

While a cash bond is cheaper, using a surety bond actually offers a way out of jail by coming up with less cash. This is because with a surety bond, you will only pay a small fee for the service, whereas a cash bond requires paying the entire bond amount of your own pocket.

Surety bonds may have more requirements than the other

When you use a surety bond to get out of jail, you have a third-party involved in the deal, and this generally results in more requirements you must meet. The agency that offers the bond payment for you will have a list of requirements you must follow, and those are in addition to any requirements or conditions the court sets for your case.

If you need help paying your bond, click this link to get in touch with a bail bond agency.

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