What happens to the bond (bail) money after the court case ?

Question

What happens to the bond money paid to the court ? Is it returned to the defendant after the case is over ?

Answer 1

Well if you paid the bail directly to the court then it should be returned, but if you were bailed out by a bail bondsmen then they keep the money that you paid them

Answer 2

Omar above me is correct, but I will respectfully add just a little bit more information that was left out.

As noted, if paid to a bondsman, the amount paid is his profit for trusting that you will come back to court and his paying the full amount of your bond.

If you paid the amount yourself in full, you will only receive back the amount left over after the court deducts any fines, fees or court costs. That will be deducted from the bond money you posted.

I just want to add that it can take up to 3 or 4 months to fully resolve the case, so dont expect your cash back right away.

Best of luck and I hope this is useful to you

Answer 3

Well, Omar is on the right track. It actually depends on a few things. If you posted money for bail directly with the court, when your case is closed by either conviction, dismissal or other order of a judge, then the money you posted with the court can be used by the court to ensure that any fines and fees are paid and you would get back whatever is left over. Now, if you posted bail through a bail bondsman, it is different. You pay the bondsman a "premium" for the bail bond. That money is not returned. That is the bondsman's fee for guaranteeing the full face value f your bail. Any money in addition to the premium is held as collateral until the completion of your case. Once you case is closed, the collateral would be returned.