If a relative or friend needs you to post bail, one of the first things you will probably want to do is to ask if there are no collateral or free bail bonds. Many bail bondsmen will not offer these options since they make less money and in some cases are a higher risk. However, it is in your interest to spend as little as possible so you will have money for their legal defense. There are several tips to know how to take advantage of this free bail bonds.

1. Post the Entire Bond Yourself- One way that will not cost you any money is to post the entire bond yourself. Often the court will require the entire bond be paid in cash. So your money will be tied up but you will get a full refund after the case is settled. If you don’t want to use your money, you can use a bail bondsman. They will try to charge you a set fee based on a percentage of the amount of the bail. For example, if you need affordable bail bonds in Las Vegas, bail agencies will charge you 15% of the bail amount. A person who does not understand how does bail work in Las Vegas will be at a disadvantage.
2. Get a Signature Bond- Another thing you can do is get a signature bond. Basically, this allows you to get the full bail amount without having to provide any collateral. The bondsmen would prefer not ot do this but they need your business, and they know if they don’t give it to you, someone else will.
If in your area, they do not use signature bonds then you can request that they negotiate on what the collateral is. They might accept your car, or a lien on a home. This is not the best situation but it will not force you to use cash.
If you are poor there are many private and non-profit organizations that help those who do not have funds to get bail. If this is your case, you should contact a bail bondsman and ask for a list of these groups in your area.