Bail

A bail agent's guide to hiring a bail enforcement agency after a skip: the forfeiture deadline, where recovery is legal, where to find an agency, how to check a license, how recovery fees are set, the paperwork to have in place, and your liability for the agent you hire.

Bail bondsmen earn a non-refundable premium, often 10% of the bail amount. Here is where that money goes: the insurer's share, the build-up fund, collateral, fees states allow, and the forfeiture risk that decides whether an agency makes a profit.