Bail Bonds in Polk County, FL – Ultimate Guide! Find Bondsmen, How Bail Works, Bail Costs

To better understand how bail bonds work in Florida, you need to understand the options you have for jail release and how the process works. Upon arrest anywhere in the state of Florida, a person must be processed at the local county jail. To be released from jail, several steps must occur, including being 'booked in' and posting bail. A bail amount can be decided by the judge, especially on larger violations, or the jail may have a 'schedule' in place with set bail amounts for common offenses. A hearing with a judge is set within 24 hours of arrest in Florida. If the arrested person can't afford the bail amount, they can wait for the 'first appearance' hearing with the judge to discuss a potential bond reduction. This takes time, and does not guarantee a bail bond reduction.

If you want to be released quickly from jail, you have a few options in Florida, with the main option being a bail bondsman. Once the bail bond amount is decided, a bail bonds agent in Florida can post the bond at the local jail. Using the service of a bail bondsman typically requires collateral and someone to co-sign on the bail bond. Even though cash bonds are allowed in Florida, they are not commonly used due to the high up-front expense. If you use your own cash, you need to pay the full bail amount, although you will get the entire amount returned to you after the case. Before considering using a bail bondsman or your own cash, the jail can release you on Own Recognizance (OR) which is typically used on smaller crimes committed, where the judge perceives you as low risk and has strong confidence that you will show up to court. You simple sign a promissory note that you will appear in court and you don't have to pay a bail amount to be released.

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.

Florida's bail bond fee structure has a few components to it. As defined by Title XXXVII Chapter 624, Section 4094, you will be paying at least 6.5% of the bail amount to the bondsman which is non-refundable. The typical amount is 10% but in some cases there are higher fees. In Florida, you have a minimum $100 fee per bail bond. If your bail is set to $750, then you will technically pay over 10% since the $100 minimum will kick in.

It's also important to note that in Florida each charge may have its own bail amount set. If you have 2 charges at $750 each, then your bail premium will cost you $200 ($100 minimum per charge). Federal bail bonds and immigration bonds cost 15% in most cases due to the higher risk of not appearing in court.

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 Polk County, FL. Data is based on FBI crime statistics database.

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