Bail Bond Calculator

Enter the bail amount and your state to compare what posting it costs: the full amount in cash with the court, a bond through a licensed bail agent, or a percentage deposit with the court where state law offers one. Uses each state’s own premium and deposit rules; covers all 50 states and D.C. It runs in your browser and nothing is stored.

Enter the bail amount to compare the ways to post it.

How bail bonds work

Bail is money or a promise that secures a person’s return to court. When a court sets an amount, there are usually up to three ways to post it. Paying the full amount in cash to the court ties up the most money, but all of it can come back when the case ends if every date is kept (in some states after fines or fees are taken out). A bail agent instead posts a bond for the full amount in exchange for a fee called the premium, which pays for the service and is generally not returned. Some states also let the defendant deposit a percentage of the amount with the court, which returns most of it when the case ends.

Commercial bail bonds are lawful in 47 of the 51 jurisdictions covered here. They are not part of the system in Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, Wisconsin. Where they are allowed, 5 fix the premium rate in a statute or rule, 9 cap it, 2 set a minimum rate, and 7 have agents charge rates filed with the insurance regulator. 23 offer a percentage deposit with the court.

Whatever the route, missing a court date puts the money at risk: the court can forfeit cash bail, and a bail agent who loses the bond will look to the person who signed the agreement and any collateral pledged.

Bail bond rules by state

Each row shows whether commercial bail is allowed, how the premium is set and whether a percentage deposit with the court is available, with links to the rule. Pick a state in the calculator above to run the numbers.

Northeast

9 of the 9 jurisdictions in this region allow commercial bail bonds, and 5 offer a percentage deposit with the court.

StateBail agentsPremiumCourt deposit
ConnecticutAllowed (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29-151(a))Rates filed with the insurance regulator (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 38a-660b(a))None found
MaineAllowed (4 M.R.S. § 1054)No statute foundYes (15 M.R.S. § 1026(3)(A)(11))
MassachusettsAllowed (G.L. c. 175, § 105)No statute foundNone found
New HampshireAllowed (RSA 598-A:1)No statute foundNone found
New JerseyAllowed (N.J.S.A. 17:31-13)No statute foundNone found
New YorkAllowed (N.Y. Ins. Law § 6804(a))Capped by statute (N.Y. Ins. Law § 6804(a))Yes (N.Y. Crim. Proc. Law § 500.10(18))
PennsylvaniaAllowed (42 Pa.C.S. § 5742)Not set by statute (42 Pa.C.S. § 5748)Yes (Pa.R.Crim.P. 528(C))
Rhode IslandAllowed (R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-13-21)No statute foundYes, 10% (R.I. Gen. Laws § 12-13-10)
VermontAllowed (13 V.S.A. § 7554a)No statute foundYes (13 V.S.A. § 7554(a)(1)(D))

Midwest

10 of the 12 jurisdictions in this region allow commercial bail bonds, and 8 offer a percentage deposit with the court.

StateBail agentsPremiumCourt deposit
IllinoisNot part of the system (725 ILCS 5/110-1.5)n/aNone found
IndianaAllowed (IC 27-10-1-4)Rates filed with the insurance regulator (IC 27-10-4-5)Yes (IC 35-33-8-3.2(a)(2))
IowaAllowed (Iowa Code § 811.3(1)(a))No statute foundYes (Iowa Code § 811.2(1)(a)(3))
KansasAllowed (K.S.A. 22-2809b(a)(1))Minimum set by statute: at least 10% (K.S.A. 22-2809b(d)(1)(A))None found
MichiganAllowed (MCR 6.106(E)(1)(a)(i))No statute foundYes, 10% (MCR 6.106(E)(1)(a)(ii)(B))
MinnesotaAllowed (State Court Administrator, Bail Bond Procedures (Minn. Stat. ch. 60M))Rates filed with the insurance regulator (Minn. Stat. § 60M.02, subd. 1(a))None found
MissouriAllowed (RSMo § 324.2109)Not set by statute (RSMo § 324.2166)Yes (Mo. Sup. Ct. R. 33.01(c)(14))
NebraskaAllowed (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-901(5))No statute foundYes (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-901(3)(c)(i))
North DakotaAllowed (N.D.C.C. § 26.1-26.6-04)Capped by statute: up to 20% (N.D.C.C. § 26.1-26.6-08)Yes (N.D.R.Crim.P. 46(a)(2)(K))
OhioAllowed (R.C. 3905.84)Rates filed with the insurance regulator (R.C. 3905.93(A))Yes, 10% (R.C. 2937.011(C)(2))
South DakotaAllowed (SDCL 58-22-4)Not set by statute (SDCL 58-22-30)Yes (SDCL 23A-43-3(4))
WisconsinNot allowed (Wis. Stat. § 969.12(2))n/aNone found

South (incl. D.C.)

16 of the 17 jurisdictions in this region allow commercial bail bonds, and 5 offer a percentage deposit with the court.

StateBail agentsPremiumCourt deposit
AlabamaAllowed (Ala. Code § 15-13-111)No statute foundNone found
ArkansasAllowed (Ark. Code Ann. § 17-19-301(a)(2))Set by statute: 10% (Ark. Code Ann. § 17-19-301(a)(1))None found
DelawareAllowed (18 Del. C. § 4332(18))Capped by statute (18 Del. C. § 4347(b))None found
District of ColumbiaAllowed (D.C. Code § 23-1105)Not set by statute (D.C. Code § 23-1105)Yes (D.C. Code § 23-1321(c)(1)(B)(xii))
FloridaAllowed (Fla. Stat. § 648.33(2))Rates filed with the insurance regulator (Fla. Stat. § 648.33)None found
GeorgiaAllowed (O.C.G.A. § 17-6-54(a) (as amended by 2024 Ga. Laws SB 63, § 6))Capped by statute: up to 15% (O.C.G.A. § 17-6-30(a))None found
KentuckyNot allowed (KRS 431.510(2))n/aYes, 10% (KRS 431.530)
LouisianaAllowed (La. C.Cr.P. art. 321(A))Set by statute: 12% (La. R.S. 22:1443(A))None found
MarylandAllowed (Md. Code, Crim. Proc. § 5-203(c))Rates filed with the insurance regulator (Md. Code, Ins. § 27-216(b)(1)(i))Yes, 10% (Md. Code, Crim. Proc. § 5-203(a)(2))
MississippiAllowed (Miss. R. Crim. P. 8.7(c))Set by statute: 10% (Miss. Code Ann. § 83-39-25(1))Yes (Miss. R. Crim. P. 8.4(b)(1))
North CarolinaAllowed (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 58-71-1(11))Capped by statute: up to 15% (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 58-71-95(5))None found
OklahomaAllowed (59 O.S. § 1303(A))Not set by statute (59 O.S. § 1316(B))None found
South CarolinaAllowed (S.C. Code § 38-53-80)Capped by statute: up to 15% (S.C. Code § 38-53-170(e))Yes (S.C. Code § 17-15-15)
TennesseeAllowed (Tenn. Dept. of Commerce & Insurance (Pub. Ch. 491, 2025))Set by statute: 10% (T.C.A. § 40-11-316(a), as amended by Pub. Ch. 318 (2025))None found
TexasAllowed (Tex. Occ. Code § 1704.151)Not set by statute (Texas Department of Insurance)None found
VirginiaAllowed (Va. Code § 9.1-185)Capped by statute: up to 15% (Va. Code § 9.1-185.8(I))None found
West VirginiaAllowed (W. Va. Code § 51-10-8(i))Minimum set by statute: at least 10% (W. Va. Code § 51-10-5a)None found

West

12 of the 13 jurisdictions in this region allow commercial bail bonds, and 5 offer a percentage deposit with the court.

StateBail agentsPremiumCourt deposit
AlaskaAllowed (AS 21.27.150)No statute foundYes (AS 12.30.011)
ArizonaAllowed (A.R.S. § 20-340.01)Not set by statute (A.R.S. § 20-340.03(A)(6))None found
CaliforniaAllowed (Cal. Dept. of Insurance (Ins. Code ch. 7, § 1800 et seq.))Rates filed with the insurance regulator (Cal. Dept. of Insurance, Bail Bonds)None found
ColoradoAllowed (C.R.S. § 16-4-104(1)(c)(IV))Capped by statute: up to 15% (C.R.S. § 10-2-707(1))None found
HawaiiAllowed (HRS § 431:9N-101)Capped by statute: up to 15% (HRS § 804-62(a))None found
IdahoAllowed (Idaho Code § 41-1039(1))Not set by statute (Idaho Code § 41-1042(1))None found
MontanaAllowed (MCA 46-9-401(1)(d))No statute foundNone found
NevadaAllowed (NRS 697.090(1))Set by statute: 15% (NRS 697.300(1)(a))None found
New MexicoAllowed (Rule 5-401(E)(2)(c)(ii) NMRA)No statute foundYes, 10% (Rule 5-401(E)(2)(a) NMRA)
OregonNot part of the system (ORS 135.265(2))n/aYes, 10% (ORS 135.265(2))
UtahAllowed (Utah Code § 31A-35-401)Not set by statute (Utah Code § 31A-35-608)None found
WashingtonAllowed (RCW 18.185.010)No statute foundYes (CrR 3.2(b)(4))
WyomingAllowed (Wyoming Department of Insurance)No statute foundYes (W.R.Cr.P. 46.1(c)(1)(B)(xi))

What this tool does not do

  • It does not set or predict bail. Judges set bail and release conditions case by case, and many people are released without paying.
  • It does not quote any bail agent. Where the law does not fix the premium, the result uses the rate you enter.
  • Collateral, payment plans and extra fees depend on the agreement you sign with an agent and are not included.
  • It collects nothing. Your entries stay in your browser and are not added to the page address.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a bail bond cost?

The cost is the bail agent’s premium, a percentage of the bail amount. 5 jurisdictions fix the rate by statute or rule, 9 cap it and 2 set a minimum rate; elsewhere agents file their rates with the insurance regulator or the law sets none. The premium is the cost of the service and is generally not returned.

How does bail work?

The court sets an amount to secure the person’s return. It can be paid in full in cash, covered by a bail agent’s bond for a premium, or, in some states, posted as a percentage deposit with the court. Cash and court deposits are returned, minus any amount the law lets the court keep, when the case ends if every date is kept.

Do you get bail money back?

Cash bail paid to the court is returned when the case ends if every court date is kept, though some states let the court apply it to fines, fees or restitution first. A bail agent’s premium is generally not returned. On a missed date, cash bail can be forfeited.

Which states do not allow bail bondsmen?

In our data, commercial bail is not part of the system in Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, Wisconsin. The table above links each state’s rule.

Sources

Statutes and official pages last checked October 20, 2026.

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