What is a bail bondsman?

A bail bondsman is usually a licensed insurance agent who is registered and regulated by the state that is hired by an indemnitor that presents a surety bond to a court of law to affect the release of a defendant that would otherwise be held in jail until trial. With this agreements the defendant is able to be released from jail with a fee usually 10 percent of the bond rather than having to post the complete face amount of the bond to the court prior to release. In effect, the bail bondsman is making a guarantee that the defendant will return to the court as required or be held responsible for making restitution to the court for the full amount of the original bail.