Bail Bonds in Westchester County, NY – Ultimate Guide! Find Bondsmen, How Bail Works, Bail Costs

Upon arrest anywhere in the state of New York, a person is usually processed at the local county jail. To be released from jail, a few steps must occur, including being booked and posting bail. Times for processing can vary especially city jails in busy areas during peak crime times. When the bail bond amount is confirmed, a decision needs to be made on form of payment. The fastest way to be released from jail is to pay the full bail amount in cash. You will also get the full amount back minus any administrative costs which are minimal.

Unfortunately, bail is sometimes set too high and a lack of financial assets results in us needing to use a bail bondsman which comes at a fee. Other options in New York for bail, include using personal property as collateral. A bail bond agent is typically the most convenient route if cash is not an option. The bondsman arrives to post the bond at the local jail. At this time the jail release procedure starts and typically can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours to complete. Using the service of a bail bondsman typically requires collateral and someone to co-sign on the bail bond.

As with any other state, New York's post-release rules are extremely strict. The released person must obey all agreed upon rules when they agreed to the bail bond. All court dates must be attended and any other terms must be followed, such as check-ins, drug testing, ankle monitoring, etc. Breaching any rule results in forfeiting your entire bail amount and a warrant for your arrest being issues.

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.

New York's bail bond cost structure is regulated by the NY Insurance Department (L. $ 6804) with multiple levels of premium fees set, depending on the bail amount.

1. Bail bonds up to $3,000 - 10% fee
2. Bail bonds $3,000 - $10,000 - 8% fee
3. Bail bonds over $10,000 - 6% fee

This structure ensure that the cost to obtain the bail bond is manageable as the bail amount rises. It also ensures the bail bondsman gets a reasonable fee for smaller bail bonds considering the time spent is still similar as with cases needing higher bond amounts. If the bail bond is minimal, there is a $25 minimum bail bond fee in New York.

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 Westchester County, NY. Data is based on FBI crime statistics database.

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