Bail Bonds in Newport News County, VA – Ultimate Guide! Find Bondsmen, How Bail Works, Bail Costs

To get an idea of how the bail bond process works in Virginia, we can start with what happens upon arrest anywhere in the state of Virginia. A person is usually processed at the local county jail. If you committed a minor offense and don't have a prior track record of being a flight risk or danger to others, the court may decide to release you from jail through a process called 'Own Recognizance,' which is essentially a written promise by you that assures the court you will attend all court dates.

If you are not given the option for release via Own Recognizance in Virginia, in order to be released from jail, several steps must occur, including being booked and posting bail. Once the bail amount is decided, a bail bond agent is sent to post the bail bond at the local jail. Now the jail release process begins and typically takes 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 Virginia, you have the option to come up with the full bail amount if you want to avoid using a bail bondsman and the 10-15% fee that comes with their service. The full bail amount can be posted via cash, personal property, or real estate (land or home) in accordance to A$ 19.2-123 of the Code of Virginia. The value of the property must be equal or greater to the bail amount. Once there is a final disposition in court, you will be refunded the entire bail amount.

The reality is that most people can't come up with the full bail amount in cash or via property, or they are bailing someone else out and don't have complete trust to risk the entire bail amount by using their own valuables as collateral. In such cases, using a bail bondsman in Virginia makes a lot of sense.

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.

Virginia has a set 10% minimum and a max of no more than 15% bail bond fee structure for all surety bonds. The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (Code $ 9.1-185.8) is solely responsible for upholding this fee structure and enforces the laws around bail costs. There is no negotiation on the 10-15% fee range as it's set by the state. Any bail bondsman that does not follow the cost structure is in violation of the Virginia regulations and should not be used.

With the cost being set at 10-15% in Virginia you know that calling a few bondsman could pay off as you want to get as close to 10% as possible. It's vital that you confirm exactly what rules each bondsman will have in place upon your release. Are there any other contractual rules outside of bail bond fees? For example, requirements on tracking devices, check-ins, travel rules outside of the state of Virginia and any drug or alcohol tests. While these bail bond stipulations are not actual direct money costs, they do take up your time from school and work and increase your risk of not meeting your release obligations.

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 Newport News County, VA. Data is based on FBI crime statistics database.

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