A bail bond is a surety bond in the amount of a defendant’s bail. A bonding company, bail agent, or bail bondsman provides a bail bond in exchange for collateral that releases a defendant from jail until his or her court date.
A criminal bail bond exists for defendants facing criminal charges and usually entails a much larger bail amount. A criminal bail bond ensures the defendant appears in court as required and guarantees payment for fines and other penalties against the defendant.
A civil bail bond basically ensures the payments of debts or penalties from civil cases, plus interest and other expenses.