Are Bail Premiums Negotiable?
No, bail premiums are not negotiable. The percentage of the total bond that makes up the bail bond is mandated by each state (or in the case of Texas, each county) and is not negotiable. These rates can vary depending on the state, but are often times set by statute or the state's Department of Insurance. Typically the bail bond premium is 10 to 15 percent of the total amount of the bond ordered by the court.
These fixed rates set cannot be discounted. It is illegal for a company to discount their fees and if they do so they risk having their license revoked. And while this rate can sometimes seem steep, there is justification behind this pricing. The purpose of bail bonds is to be an assurance to the court that the defendant will appear for their trial, therefore the defendant's bail is set to an amount that corresponds with the crime and motivates the defendant to appear. So if that amount was negotiable or able to be reduced, hypothetically the motivation to appear would be reduced as well.
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