Bail Bonds in El Paso County, CO – Ultimate Guide! Find Bondsmen, How Bail Works, Bail Costs

To better understand how bail bonds work in Colorado, you should understand the different bail options available to you, and what to expect of the bail process. Upon arrest anywhere in the state of Colorado, a person must be processed at the local county jail. To be released from jail, a few steps must occur, including being booked into jail and posting bail. The Judge or Magistrate will set the bail amount for your release after reviewing your law violation, history, and risks associated with your release. For many small violations, a scheduled bail amount might be preset to speed up the release procedures.

When the bail bond amount is decided, a bondsman from Colorado can post the bail bond at the local jail. Using the service of a bail bondsman typically requires collateral and someone to co-sign on the bail bond. The jail release procedure starts once bail is posted and typically can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours to be completed. Although cash bonds are permitted in Colorado, they are not commonly used due to the high up-front expense. With a cash bond, you need to pay the full bail amount to be released. The bail is returned to you fully after completion of all court dates and agreements.

In Colorado, you also have the option to use a property bond (land/home) as long as the value is equal or greater than the bail amount. If you don't show up to court or violate your release terms, the Colorado court will issue a warrant for your arrest and can take over your property. In rare cases, the jail can release you on Own Recognizance (OR) which is typically used on smaller crimes where the judge perceives you to be low risk and has strong confidence that you will show up to court. Sometimes, this release is part of an administered pre-trial release program for you benefit.

We highly recommend reading of our complete guide on how bail bonds work to learn more about the bail process. If you are attempting to bail someone out from another state, you can talk with your local bondsman - that's the bondman in your county, and not the state where the person is detained.

Colorado has one of the highest costs associated with bail bonds. The actual bail bond fee can be as high as 15% which is more than the traditional 10% range we see for other states.

This is the maximum fee set by the state per legislation CRS 12-7-108. It's possible to find bondsman in Colorado that will charge 10% or even less, but they are not required to. The 15% bail fee gives bondsman more flexibility to determine how much to charge you depending on the risk they take in bailing you out of jail. Shop around and call a few bondsman to see the best rate you can get.

We recommend reading our guide on how much bail costs for a deep dive into fees bondsmen charge. It's also critical to understand that you do not get bail money back, specifically the 10% bail fee back from the bondsman.

Annual number of crimes that were reported to the police in El Paso County, CO. Data is based on FBI crime statistics database.

We provide estimates on average bail prices for different misdemeanor and felony crimes in El Paso County, CO. These are estimates since the exact amounts can vary substantially depending on your age, details involving the charge, criminal history, and prior record of not appearing to court.

• Assault – Ranges from $2,500 to $10,000 depending on type of assault
• Drugs – Possession of controlled substance can range from $500 to 2,500 bail
• Robbery - $25,000 to $100,000 bail amount
• Murder – No bail amount set or $1 million in some cases
• Manslaughter – Voluntary manslaughter $100,000 and involuntary starting at $25,000
• DWI / DUI - $500 to $2,500 depending on history and details surrounding the offense
• Public Intoxication – Typically $200 to $500
• Burglary - $20,000 minimum but up to $50,000 in some areas

Check our detailed guide to learn more about how bail is determined, find additional bail prices for crimes, and find out how bail can be lowered.

Key demographic data based on Census for El Paso County, CO. Much of this information can be useful for bail bondsmen who are prospecting the county as a possibility to start a bail bonds business. Education, income, and employment statistics are vital in assessing the overall risk of a population when it comes to lending money for bail. Median home values are useful to determine collateral for property bail bonds.

Unemployment data is based on Bureau of Labor statistics. Employment status is the single most important piece of information that bail bondsmen consider when deciding to bail someone out of jail. Having a job and an active income stream is the single most impactful reassurance bondsmen can have.

Property bonds are a good way of making bail if an individual has equity in their property but very little or no cash. By looking at the median home values in El Paso County, CO, we can roughly estimate the asset potential the county’s residents have.

We pride ourselves on our reader focused approach, which includes providing information on resources that may be useful.

It’s generally a good idea to get in touch with a lawyer to seek assistance for the trial, fair sentencing, and even to challenge the bail amount that is being set for the person you are looking to release from jail. Particularly when cash bail is set, it’s important that bail is set fairly, which is an area where a lawyer can assist.

If you need free or low-income legal help, you may qualify for assistance from the American Bar Association.

One of the shortcomings of the bail system is the time someone can be stuck in jail – it’s often enough time for a person to lose their job. To make matters worse, having a tarnished record further complicates matters. This is why we are listing reputable job centers near El Paso County, CO to help get people back on their feet.