Bail Bonds FAQ

At the time of arrest, police are responsible for setting a bail amount. According to the law, if a defendant is unable to pay the bond amount set by the police, they must inform Bail Staff.

In response, Pretrial Services Staff will conduct an interview with the defendant to gather personal information and review the previously set bail amount.

It is within their authority to make adjustments to the bail amount set by the police. Furthermore, Pretrial Services Staff can also provide recommendations to the judge regarding the appropriate bail amount based on their evaluation of the defendant's personal and financial circumstances. That recommendation is heard at arraignment, in the Geographical Area courthouse covering the town of arrest.

This process is crucial for ensuring that defendants are not unfairly burdened with excessive bail amounts, while also safeguarding against potential flight risks.

There are multiple options available for posting bail, including paying the full cash amount, using the court's cash bail option, or enlisting the help of a licensed bondsman who will post the bail for a non-refundable fee set by statute. Bail can typically be posted at the police department where the individual is detained, at the courthouse, or at the Department of Correction facility where the individual is being held.

With these options, individuals have some flexibility in determining how to handle their bail obligations.

In Connecticut, there are two types of licensed bail bondsmen: Professional Bail Bondsmen and Surety Bail Bond Agents.

Both types are regulated by different agencies and have distinct responsibilities when it comes to issuing bonds. Professional Bail Bondsmen are licensed by the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, State Police Special Licensing and Firearms Unit, under CGS 29-144 through 29-152, and issue bonds using their personal assets as collateral. Surety Bail Bond Agents are licensed by the Connecticut Insurance Department under CGS 38a-660 and 38a-660a, and issue bonds underwritten by an insurance company.

Liza Davis holds both licenses. You can confirm any Connecticut license yourself through the state's eLicense public lookup, and you can meet the rest of our licensed team here.

The fee is set by state statute, not by the bondsman, and it is the same at every licensed agency in Connecticut. It does not vary by county, and a licensed bondsman may not add administrative fees, travel charges or any other surcharge on top of it.

Under CGS 29-151 the maximum fee is $50 on bail up to $500, 10% on the portion from $500 to $5,000, and 7% on anything above $5,000. In practice that means a $5,000 bond costs $500, a $10,000 bond costs $850, and a $50,000 bond costs $3,650.

The fee is non-refundable. It is what the bondsman is paid for taking on the risk of the full bond amount, and it is not returned when the case ends, whatever the outcome.

If anyone quotes you a different number, they are either quoting the cash bail option — a separate thing, explained above — or they are overcharging. Run the figure yourself with our bail bond calculator.

Yes, anywhere in Connecticut. We are licensed statewide and post bonds at every Geographical Area courthouse, every police department and every state correctional facility in the state — see the full coverage map.

Our staffed office is in Middletown, but you do not need to travel to it. An agent comes to you: to the courthouse, to the facility, or to your home. Paperwork can be completed by phone or encrypted e-signature.

The phone is answered by a licensed agent 24 hours a day, every day of the year, including holidays. There is no answering service and no call queue.

If you are not sure which courthouse or facility your loved one is at, call and tell us where the arrest happened. We will find them.

Yes. Not everyone can pay the full premium at once, and we write payment plans for people who cannot.

Connecticut sets a minimum down payment of 35% of the bond fee, which on most bonds works out at roughly 3% of the bail amount. Where you qualify we write to that minimum and spread the balance over weekly, bi-weekly or monthly installments for up to 15 months, with no interest for qualifying clients.

Qualifying generally depends on employment, residency and whether a co-signer or collateral is available. We will tell you on the phone what your options are before you commit to anything.

Full terms, the qualifying criteria and the collateral we accept are set out on our payment plans page. Read the agreement before you sign it — missing payments has consequences, and we would rather you knew that up front.

Any size, from a small misdemeanor bond to a large felony bond. There is no minimum we will not write and no practical ceiling.

What changes with size is not whether we can write it but what the underwriting looks like. Larger bonds are more likely to need a co-signer or collateral, and the paperwork takes a little longer.

The fee is the same statutory rate regardless of size, so a bigger bond does not mean a worse rate — it means a bigger number arrived at by the same formula.

If you are not sure what the bond is, call us with the person's name and the town of arrest and we will find out for you.

In most cases a release takes a few hours from the moment the paperwork is signed. The bond itself can usually be written in minutes.

The variable is rarely us. It is the facility. Release processing at a police department is normally quicker than at a correctional center, and shift changes, headcounts and intake backlogs all add time that no bondsman controls. Our CT facility directory lists every one of them with its phone number.

What does speed things up is having the information ready: the full name and date of birth of the person held, where they are held, and the bond amount if you know it.

Some cases cannot be bonded straight away — a hold from another jurisdiction, an immigration detainer, or a bond a judge has not yet set. We will tell you honestly if that is the situation rather than take your money and leave you waiting.

If you have discovered that there is a warrant out for your arrest in Connecticut, it is important to act quickly and thoughtfully.

The first step is to seek legal advice from an attorney who practices criminal law in Connecticut. They will be able to provide guidance specific to your situation and help you understand the options available to you.

It also helps to gather the information related to the warrant: when it was issued, for what offense, and whether any conditions or restrictions are attached.

Turning yourself in voluntarily, at a time arranged with your attorney, is generally better than waiting to be picked up. We can have a bond ready for the moment you are processed, so the wait inside is as short as possible — tell us the date in advance.

Remember that you have rights and you are presumed innocent. Dealing with a warrant is stressful, but handling it deliberately is far better than avoiding it.

People use the two words interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. Bail is the amount. A bond is the instrument used to satisfy it.

A Bail Commissioner's Letter is what the court sends when someone misses a court date. It is not a decision about whether you get bail.

When a defendant fails to appear, the judge has two options. The judge can order a failure to appear warrant, or the judge can have a Bail Commissioner's Letter sent instead, giving the person a new court date and a chance to come in without being arrested.

So if you have been told a Bail Commissioner's Letter was sent, the practical meaning is this: you missed court, no warrant has been issued yet, and you have a new date. It is the better of the two outcomes.

Act on it. Contact your attorney and appear on the new date. If the letter is ignored, the court can still order the bond forfeited and issue a failure to appear warrant.

If you are not sure whether a letter was sent or a warrant was issued, your attorney or the clerk's office at the courthouse handling your case can tell you.

No. A bail bond premium is a personal legal expense, and the Internal Revenue Service does not treat it as a deductible one.

The same is true of bail money you post in cash. Cash bail is returned to you at the end of the case if the conditions are met, so it is not a loss to deduct in the first place — it is your money held by the court.

Tax situations differ, and we are bail bondsmen rather than tax advisers. If your circumstances are unusual, ask a tax professional rather than relying on a general answer.

Yes, in Connecticut you can post your own bail, provided you have the means to do it.

You must first be arrested and processed through booking, which usually involves fingerprints, photographs and a criminal history check. Once booking is complete, you can post the bail amount yourself.

That means paying the full amount in cash, or using the cash bail option if the bond is $50,000 or less. Both are refundable at the end of the case if you meet every condition and appear at every court date.

If the amount is beyond your reach, a licensed bondsman can post the bond for the statutory fee. Someone else — a family member or a friend — can also arrange that on your behalf while you are still inside.

A Promise to Appear is a written agreement between an individual and the court, requiring them to appear at a specified date and time for their pending criminal charges. It is issued by a court or a law enforcement agency in Connecticut.

It is sometimes called a summons or an appearance ticket. It is typically issued at the time of arrest, but can also be issued after an individual has been released from custody.

A Promise to Appear means no money changes hands. The court is releasing the person on their word rather than on a bond, usually where the charge is less serious and the person has ties to the community.

Failure to appear at the designated date and time can result in serious consequences, including a warrant for arrest and an additional charge of failure to appear.

A Promise to Appear says nothing about the outcome of the case. Anyone facing charges should still seek legal representation, and should read the document carefully to understand the charges and any conditions attached.

Money posted as full cash bail, or under the cash bail option, is returned to the person who posted it once the case reaches a conclusion and the conditions of release have been met.

That point is reached when a diversionary program is granted, when the client is acquitted of all charges, when the complaint or information filed against the client is dismissed, or when the client is sentenced by the court.

The refund goes to whoever actually posted the money, not automatically to the defendant, so keep the receipt. Processing by the clerk's office takes time — it is not handed back at the courthouse door.

The premium paid to a bondsman works differently and is never refunded. That is the trade-off: a smaller amount that you do not get back, instead of a larger amount that you do.

Conditions of release are the rules a person must follow while their case is pending. The court sets them to protect the public and to make sure the person comes back to court.

Common conditions include:

• Not contacting or approaching certain individuals, such as complainants or potential witnesses in the case.
• Abiding by a curfew or restrictions on travel to certain areas.
• Attending counseling or treatment programs as directed by the court.
• Not possessing any weapons or controlled substances.
• Maintaining employment or attending school as required.
• Submitting to regular drug and alcohol testing.
• Reporting to Pretrial Services and keeping them informed of any change of address.
• Not committing any further offenses.

These are examples rather than a fixed list — conditions vary with the charge and the individual. Follow every one of them exactly. A condition breached is a bond at risk, and it is the fastest way back into custody. The paperwork we use is on our bail bond forms page.

Breaching a condition of release can undo everything the bond achieved. The court can raise the bond, impose stricter conditions, revoke release altogether, or order the person back into custody.

Depending on the condition breached, it can also bring a fresh criminal charge — violating a protective order, for example, is its own offense, not merely a bond problem.

There is a practical consequence too. A person who has breached conditions once is treated differently by the court the next time bail is considered, and that follows them through the rest of the case.

If you think you may have breached a condition, or a change in circumstances is about to put you in breach, speak to your attorney before it happens rather than after.

As long as there is no court order or directive from Pretrial Services requiring the client to remain in the state, they are free to leave.

Check first rather than assume. Travel restrictions are a common condition of release, and they are not always obvious in the paperwork.

Whatever the answer, the person must return for every scheduled court appearance. Failing to do so can result in revocation of bail, forfeiture of the bond and a warrant for arrest.

If a client does not appear in court, there are two possible outcomes. The judge may issue a failure to appear warrant for the client's arrest, or the judge may have a Bail Commissioner's Letter sent to the client, providing them with a new court date.

Which one happens depends on the case, the charge and the person's history of appearing. Neither is something to wait out.

If you have missed a date, contact your attorney the same day. Appearing voluntarily, quickly, is treated very differently from being picked up weeks later.

If a failure to appear warrant is issued, the client should reach out to their attorney or contact the court directly for guidance on how to proceed.

Acting immediately matters. Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible for the warrant to be vacated or resolved without additional penalties — but that becomes less likely the longer it sits.

Failure to appear is also a separate criminal offense in Connecticut, which is why it is worth handling rather than hoping it goes away.

If a new bond is set when you turn yourself in, we can have it ready. Call us before you go in, not after.

Pretrial staff are responsible for recommending the appropriate amount and type of bail, using a set of factors known as the weighted release criteria. These criteria are mandated by state statute.

The guiding principle in the statute is the least restrictive condition or conditions of release necessary to ensure the defendant appears in court. Pretrial staff make a recommendation; the judge makes the decision.

Connecticut General Statutes Section 54-63b directs the Court Support Services Division to establish release criteria based on the least restrictive conditions necessary to ensure the defendant's appearance in court. The factors are:

• The nature and circumstances of the offense.
• The defendant's prior conviction record.
• The defendant's past record of appearance in court after being admitted to bail.
• The defendant's family ties.
• The defendant's employment record.
• The defendant's financial resources, character and mental condition.
• The defendant's community ties.

Understanding these factors helps explain why two people facing similar charges can receive very different bail amounts.

Connecticut law directs Court Support Services Division staff to interview an arrested person promptly, before arraignment. The interview gathers the information behind the bail recommendation the court will see.

The defendant is the person interviewed. Family members or others who can verify address, employment or community ties may also be contacted, and their answers matter — an unverified claim carries less weight than a confirmed one.

The interview covers personal information, criminal history, employment, residence and community ties, and assesses flight risk and any previous failures to appear.

These interviews are not confrontational. They are an opportunity to put verifiable information in front of the court, which is why having a family member reachable by phone at that moment genuinely helps.

In some cases the assessment includes a mental health or substance use screen, which can open a route to supervision or treatment rather than a higher bond.

The Jail Re-Interview Program is for people who are still in custody after arraignment because they have not been able to post their bond. Court Support Services Division staff go back and interview them again.

The purpose is to work out whether the person can be safely supervised in the community instead. Staff put together a supervision plan addressing the court's concerns and the person's needs, and present it to the court as a request to modify the bond.

The program began in 1997 as a joint effort between the Department of Correction and the Judicial Branch, and it is aimed particularly at people whose mental health or substance use needs are better met outside a correctional facility.

It is not a re-entry or reintegration program, and it is not a substitute for posting bond. If a bond can be posted now, that is almost always the faster route — call us and we will tell you what it would cost.

The Impaired Driving Intervention Program is a court-administered diversionary program for people charged with operating a motor vehicle or vessel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It replaced the former Alcohol Education Program.

Eligible participants receive alcohol education or substance use treatment instead of going through a trial. Eligibility is decided by the court and is generally limited to people who have not used the program before.

On successful completion, the charge is dismissed.

Whether you qualify is a question for your attorney, not for a bondsman. What we can tell you is that being released on bond is what makes it practical to attend the program in the first place.

Participants complete either a 12-session impaired driving education component or a substance use treatment component of at least 15 sessions, depending on the assessment carried out when they enter the program.

They must also comply with any additional conditions the court imposes, such as attending a victim impact panel and paying the program fee.

Sessions are typically spread over the best part of a year, so it is a commitment rather than a formality. Missing sessions can mean removal from the program and a return to the original charge.

The Drug Intervention and Community Service Program is a diversionary program for people charged with drug possession or drug paraphernalia offenses. Eligible participants receive education or substance use treatment and complete community service instead of going through a trial.

Eligibility is set by the court, and participation is limited. On successful completion, the charges are dismissed.

Participants complete one of two components: a 12-session drug education program, or a substance use treatment component of at least 15 sessions.

Alongside the sessions, participants complete community service and comply with any other conditions the court sets.

Completing all of it is what produces the dismissal. Partial completion does not.

The School Violence Prevention Program is for people facing charges arising from the use or threat of physical violence at a public or private elementary or secondary school, or during a school-sponsored activity.

It is a diversionary program: the aim is to address the behavior through counseling rather than through prosecution, and to keep the incident from repeating.

Eligibility is decided by the court. On successful completion, the associated charges are dismissed.

The program typically includes a minimum of eight group counseling sessions focused on anger management and non-violent conflict resolution.

Depending on the case, the court may add individual counseling, family counseling or mediation between the parties involved.

Sessions usually cover communication skills, empathy and emotional regulation. Completing the full program is what leads to dismissal of the charges.

This program is an alternative for people under 21 charged with certain motor vehicle or underage drinking violations. Instead of a fine or a trial, they attend an educational program built around the offense.

It is a diversionary program, which means the point is a dismissal at the end rather than a conviction on the record — and at that age, a record is the part that follows a person longest.

Eligibility is set by the court and the program can generally only be used once.

The participant attends a non-confrontational forum run by a non-profit organization representing victims of crashes caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol, drugs or both.

On fulfilling all the program requirements, the criminal charges are dismissed.

The format is deliberate. Hearing directly from people affected tends to land harder than a classroom, which is the whole idea.