How many felony classes does Connecticut have?

Five, plus unclassified: class A, B, C, D and E (§ 53a-25(b)). A felony is any offence carrying more than one year (§ 53a-25(a)), and where a statute names no class, one carrying more than one but not more than three years is deemed a class E felony. Terms under § 53a-35a run: class A other than murder, ten to twenty-five years; murder, twenty-five years to life; murder with special circumstances, life without the possibility of release; class B, one to twenty years; class C, one to ten; class D, up to five; class E, up to three.

Can bail be denied altogether on a Connecticut felony?

Only in a narrow category. Under § 54-2a(b), for cases punishable by death, life imprisonment without the possibility of release, or life imprisonment, the judge issuing the warrant either sets conditions of release or indicates that the person is not entitled to bail. In all other cases the judge may set conditions using the statutory ladder. Charges at that level also require a probable cause hearing, held within sixty days of the filing of the complaint or information unless waived or extended for good cause (§ 54-46a).

Can we post cash or property instead of using a bondsman?

Yes. Under § 54-66(a)(1) the accused person, or anyone on their behalf, may deposit with the clerk of the court a sum equal to the full bond, or pledge real property whose equity equals the bond, and be admitted to bail. Cash is held until the court passes a final order disposing of it; a property pledge becomes a lien once notice is filed with the town clerk. One caution: where cash bail over ten thousand dollars is received for a felony involving force, the clerk must report the person who provided it, with their taxpayer identification number, to the Department of Revenue Services (§ 54-66(a)(2)).

What is the thirty per cent rule on gun cases?

Where a person charged with a serious firearm offence is a serious firearm offender or has the prior convictions listed in § 54-64a(c)(1), the court sets a bond amount and the prosecutor petitions for at least thirty per cent of it to be deposited directly with the court, with a rebuttable presumption that safety is endangered without that deposit. That deposit goes to the clerk. It is not a bail bond premium and no bondsman can finance it.

Is there a 3% down bail bond program in Connecticut?

No. A surety bail bond agent who finances a premium must collect a minimum down payment of thirty-five per cent of the premium due and take a promissory note for the balance payable within fifteen months (§ 38a-660c(b)). A professional bondsman may charge no more than $50 on bail up to $500, 10% from $500 up to $5,000 and 7% above $5,000 (§ 29-151(a)), with the 7% tier applying to most felony bonds. Lawful payment plans exist in Connecticut; a 3% down program does not.

Is cash or property permitted instead of using a bondsman?

Yes. Under the Connecticut law, there are various provisions enabling a defendant in a criminal case to pay bail through equitable methods, including payments by cash to court. Cash can be paid after defendant or authorized representative of an accused pays the amount of bail unless court gives its final order regarding bail. The bonded amount, if its value exceeds $10,000, must report the name and details of person providing bail money.

Is 3% down bail bond program permitted in Connecticut?

No. Even though some forms of the surety bond program exist in Connecticut, the minimum for the deposit program set at 35% with the bondsman allowed to charge maximum fee of $50.

Felony Bail Bonds

Q: How much is bail for a felony in Connecticut?

There is no schedule and no honest typical range — the figure comes from a judge applying § 54-64a(b). The court must order release on the first condition sufficient to reasonably ensure appearance and that the safety of any other person will not be endangered, and § 54-64a(b)(2) lists thirteen factors it may weigh, from the nature of the offence and the weight of the evidence to employment, family and community ties. Under § 54-64a(b)(3) the court must state on the record which factors it considered and what danger findings it made. A judge may never prohibit a bond from being posted by surety.

Felony Bail Bonds in CT - Five Classes, Thirteen Factors and Three Ways to Secure Bail

CT Statutes

(classifications) · (sentences) · (fines) · (bail)

Charges

Five classes are established: A, B, C, D, E, and "not classified" felonies

Bail Rule

prescribes the condition of assuring attendance and no danger exists & factors established by the court.

Operating Hours

Open 24 / 7 / 365

Liza Davis

Licensed CT Bail Bond Agent

Licensed Connecticut bail bond agent posting felony bail bonds statewide since 2007.. This page is general information about Connecticut procedure, not legal advice; on a felony charge, a criminal defence lawyer matters more than a bondsman does.

What Constitutes Felony in Connecticut and Its Classifications

Most websites note that there are four classes of felonies in Connecticut, A through D, but the fact remains that there are five classes. Class E has been in operation since 2013 and the majority of charges belong to this category.

In accordance with a felony applies to any offense which entails incarceration for more than one year. describes felonies in relation to the classes which are established beforehand.

Where the code sets the penalty but the class is not defined provides the definition: the crime is classified as a class E felony if the sentence is from one to three years; otherwise the crime is unclassified. Thus, there are cases when charges are not classified in the code and even though they remain unclassified, the bail rules apply.

Your closest relative is urged to face felony charges in Connecticut.

Call us before taking action. We will let you know how much you shall pay to secure the bond.

(860) 818-7078 - Call Right Now!

Sentence and Fine Structure As Mandated by the Laws

indicates the term of imprisonment for the felonies committed on or after July 1, 1981 except where specified otherwise.

Class A felony murder with special circumstances - life without parole since April 25, 2012.
Class A felony (murder) with minimum of twenty-five years to life imprisonment.
Class A aggravated sexual assault - at least twenty-five years but up to fifty years.
Any other class A felony carries a sentence of at least ten years and maximum of twenty-five years.
Class B felonies entail a sentence from five to forty years.
Another felony might carry from one to since 2007.
Class C felonies include sentences from one to ten years.
Class D felonies deduce sentences up to five years.
Class E crime: maximum of three years.

Fines work on a different scale in: maximum of up to $20,000 for a class A felony, $15,000 for a class B felony, $10,000 for a class C felony, $5,000 for a class D felony, and $3,500 for a class E felony.

How Bail Is Determined for Felony Charges

There is no bail schedule or "typical" amount for felonies. What exists is, which should be read before anyone makes assumptions.

For those charged with class A felonies, most class B and class C felonies, certain class D felonies (more specifically those mentioned in) or family violence crimes, the court will need to make a release order immediately to be sure that the person will show up in court and will not be dangerous to anyone: written promise to appear; a written promise to appears with conditions excluding financial backing; a bond in terms of amount without surety; or a bond amount with surety - "a bond would not be refused by a judge".

The Thirteen Factors

According to during the bail hearing, the court should consider: the crime itself; any criminal record that the accused person has; whether this person has been charged with any similar crime while out on bail; family connections; employment; finances; character; social ties; and nature of charges; quality of evidence; and whether the person has committed any similar offences while out on bail.

Furthermore, according to the court must provide a list of considerations used in a particular case. If you happen to be in court, this information can help you figure out what has to change in order for the court to make a more favorable bail order.

Once the bail figure has been calculated, the bail calculator will show how this figure can be translated into coercive payments.

A special case of firearms charges

One type of felony has its own mechanism of bail hearing, and the families are often naive about it. Under, if someone charged with a serious firearms offence is deemed a serious offender, the prosecutor will ask for a bond amount to be deposited where the accused person will have to pay an amount of at least thirty percent of the bond directly to the court even if this creates presumption of danger in case of being denied.

What to do with serious firearm offences? applies the regular process, but there might be a request for the person to be recognized as serious risk to safety, which will lead to the same requirements as with the previous cases.

In a subtle way, the thirty per cent payment cannot be called bail flexible payment arrangement that a bail bond company can make, it has to be paid to a court clerk in cash from the defendant.

When Bail Can Be Denied Outright

According to, a judge issuing a bench warrant for an offense resulting in capital, life imprisonment with no parole, or life imprisonment cases is required to set the terms of bail; in all other categories of cases, the judge has the authority to impose conditions of bail as well, through the same three-step process of written promise, bond without surety, and bond with surety.

Charges at that level provide an additional layer of security for the defendant - under, a person may not plead guilty or be subjected to trial for a crime that carries the death penalty, life imprisonment without parole, or imprisonment for life until the court establishes probable cause during a preliminary hearing, and unless this hearing is waived or extended for just cause, it must be held no later than sixty days following the submission of the complaint or information to Superior Court.

Where felony arraignments take place

A common misunderstanding about felony arraignment concerns where it is performed. The GA is the Superior Court; arraignment occurs at the GA courthouse where the arrest occurred, while felony matters of consequence transfer to a Judicial District Courthouse after arraignment. Connecticut has 17 GA courthouses numbered from 1 to 23 with some missing numbers - for example, if you consider GA-1 to GA-21 only, you won't encounter GA-22 (Milford) and GA-23 (New Haven) - and 15 Judicial Districts.

On the custody side of things, a felony will be more frequently posted at a Department of Correction facility than at police lockups. There are two points of discussion. The Uncasville facility , formerly called Corrigan-Radgowski , is referred to as Corrigan Correctional Center by the DOC now. It is located at 986 Norwich-New London Turnpike and has a Level 3/4 classification for pre-trial and sentenced felons. MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution is situated at 1153 East Street in Suffield and categorized as a Level 4/5 institution for men. DOC states it holds sentenced people with no immediate release prospects and also high bond offenders who have not been tried and received a sentence yet.

We do cover the entire state, including places like Hartford, Bridgeport, Stamford, Waterbury, New Haven, New Britain, and Middletown.

Frequently Asked Questions - Felony Bail Bonds in Connecticut

How much is bail for a felony in Connecticut?

There is no set price for a bail bond amount; prices vary based on the circumstances of the case.

What number felony classes does Connecticut possess?

Five plus one unclassified category. Connecticut felony classes consist of class A, B, C, D, and E. Felony refers to the crime which prescribes punishment for imprisonment of more than one year. In the absence of classification, a felony known as class E felony should have a punishment for not more than three years but more than one year of imprisonment. The period of punishment has been prescribed by law as per and differs for every class of felony by constituting time of imprisonment for class A felony as 10 to 25 years of imprisonment.

Is it possible to deny bail completely for Connecticut felony?

Yes, limited to certain conditions only. Under, in case of those felonies where capital punishment is prescribed, where punishable by life in prison without an option for parole, or life in prison, the judge must either set the requirements for bail procedure or state that the defendant is not eligible for bail. For others, the judge may give bail conditions based on the principle of gravity of charges. There is also a requirement to conduct a preliminary hearing in other cases if filed within 60 days of taking action unless waived or extended for a valid cause.

What is meant by "thirty percent rule"?

According to the report, it can be understood that in case of subjecting an individual for serious offenses related to firearms, the court either determines the amount of bond or prosecution must obtain minimum amount of thirty precent of bond where the defendant is a recidivist or having previous convictions listed in.