No, a co-signer of a bond will not go to jail. The only time a co-signer would go to jail is if they violated the terms of the agreement or purposely tried to help the defendant flee.
In most cases, if the defendant fails to show up for court, the bail bond company will recoup the cost of the bail bond from the co-signer. The co-signer may also be required to pay additional fees, including court costs and attorney’s fees. In other words, being a co-signer on a bail bond comes with some major financial responsibilities. However, those responsibilities don’t extend to jail time as long as the co-signer follows the law and the terms of the bail bond agreement. If the co-signer does not have the ability to pay the bail bond company, they may surrender any collateral that was pledged as part of the bail bond agreement. Collateral may have a high value, so it’s always important to recognize the responsibility that comes with co-signing on a bail bond.