Bail Bonds in Hidalgo County, TX – Ultimate Guide! Find Bondsmen, How Bail Works, Bail Costs

To better understand how bail bonds work in Texas, it's important to know that upon arrest anywhere in the state of Texas, a person is usually processed at the local county jail, and you cannot contact a bail bondsman until your mugshot and fingerprints have been taken. Your information is then entered into the system and a bail amount is set for your release.

When the bail bond amount is decided, you or someone else can contact a Texas bail bondsman to post the bond at the local jail. At this time the jail release procedure begins and typically can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours to be completed. Using the service of a bail bondsman typically requires collateral and someone to co-sign on the bail bond.

In Texas, each county has its own bail regulation, and bondsman must be licenses to operate in each county. This means you will have a local contact as your bondsman in Texas and they should be able to quickly arrive at the jail to release you. When you work with your Texas county bondsman, make sure you understand what all is involved in the bail fee.

You may also be asked to put up property as collateral. As long as the arrested person attends all court dates and meets any other requirements (e.g. check ins with bondsman, drug/alcohol screening, etc.) then you will have nothing else to worry about. Breaking any agreed upon terms with the court or bondsman will result in a warrant for your arrest and you will be liable for the entire bail amount, not just the 10% paid to the bondsman.

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.

Unlike other states, Texas has a unique way of handling bail bonds costs. Rather than having one set fee percentage that is charged for each bail bond in the state, Texas allows each county to regulate its bail bond system in accordance to T.D.I Chapter 17.04 (Texas Occupations Code). The general bail bond fee charged is 10% but each county has the power to decide a minimum, maximum, or neither.

This level of regulation at the county levels is a reason why Texas has a large amount of bail bondsmen. It's difficult for one bondsman to manage all the regulations across multiple counties, so various small bail companies exist across county lines. Make sure to visit your counties website to determine the exact fee structure, or simply talk to a nearby bondsman and openly ask them about the county regulations.

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 Hidalgo County, TX. Data is based on FBI crime statistics database.

We provide estimates on average bail prices for different misdemeanor and felony crimes in Hidalgo County, TX. 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 Hidalgo County, TX. 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 Hidalgo County, TX, 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 Hidalgo County, TX to help get people back on their feet.