Types of Bail Bonds

If a person has an open warrant for their arrest and a bail bond has been set by the court then a non-arrest bail bond can be posted so that the person who has the warrant can keep from being arrested and going to jail.

If a person has an open warrant for a more serious offense such as a Class A or B Misdemeanor or a Felony, then the Bail Bond must be taken to the Harris County Sheriff’s bonding window by the person that is being charged with the offense. The person is lawfully placed under arrest when they present the non-arrest bail bond at the window; the person is not placed in hand cuffs or put into jail.

It is very important to understand that when the bond is presented, after you have handed a non-arrest bail bond to the Sheriff’s Department you are no longer free to leave until they say you can.

Whether you just got a ticket, you’re worried about old tickets you never attended to, or you’re concerned an arrest warrant is out there with your name on it, we’re here to help!

Traffic Citation: When a traffic ticket is issued, there is an appearance date on the ticket. If you do not appear in court on the date listed or you have not contacted the court prior to that date to take action, an arrest warrant will be issued.

Warrants: If you have an arrest warrant for your unpaid tickets, 2 Be Free will issue a traffic ticket bond and help you set a new court date without going to jail or paying all your expenses at once. All you have to do is pay 10% of your total fine and we’ll help set a new court date, so you can breathe without worrying about arrest or mounting fines.

Violation Fees: Often the recipient of a traffic ticket will have to pay fees on top of the actual ticket amount. This depends on the driving record and points accumulated.

Class C misdemeanor bail bonds are required for Municipal Courts and Justice of the Peace Courts.

A Municipal Bail Bond is needed if a person receives a citation by a Police Officer in one of the many municipalities throughout Harris County and then fails to appear in court.

A Justice of the Peace Bail Bond is needed if a person is issued a citation, regardless of where they are, by a Harris County Sheriff, Harris County Constable, Texas State Trooper, or a Parks and Wildlife Officer, and then fails to appear in court.

Class C Misdemeanors include:

• Traffic Offenses such as speeding, driving with an invalid license, expired license, no insurance, expired registration, defective equipment, and the list goes on;
• Non-Traffic Offenses such as public intoxication, petty theft, possession of drug paraphernalia, assault without injury, disorderly conduct, bad check issuance, and the list goes on;
• City Ordinance Violations such as leash laws, health & safety ordinances, solicitation or panhandling, trash & litter, and the list goes on;

A Municipal Bail Bond is needed if a person receives a citation by a Police Officer in one of the many municipalities throughout Harris County and then fails to appear in court and a warrant is issued for their arrest.

Most Municipal Bonds are posted as Non-arrest bail bonds – before the person is arrested and goes to jail. However, 100s of people are arrested each day in every municipality throughout Harris County. In most municipalities the process of posting a bail bond and getting out of jail is pretty simple and quick. However, the City of Houston Municipal Court and the City of Houston Jail are much larger and the process of getting someone out of jail is much slower.

Posting a Municipal Bail Bond can get more difficult when a person is arrested in a municipality other than the one where the warrant was issued. An example would be:

A person with an open warrant in Pasadena is arrested in the city of Bellaire. Because the person was arrested in Bellaire the Bellaire Police must take the person to their jail in Bellaire. Now the person in jail must either sit in jail waiting for Pasadena to come and pick them up. Or, if someone wants to get them out of jail quicker they must take a bail bond to the city of Bellaire and have the defendant sign and thumbprint the bond and then take the bond to Pasadena. Then Pasadena will issue a release so that the person can be released from the city of Bellaire.

A Justice of the Peace Bail Bond is needed if a person is issued a citation, regardless of where they are when issued, by a Harris County Sheriff, Harris County Constable, Texas State Trooper, or a Parks and Wildlife Officer, and then fails to appear in court and a warrant is issued for their arrest.

Justice of the Peace Courts operating hours are Monday thru Friday, generally from 9:00am – 5:00pm, and closed on weekends. Justice of the Peace Bail Bonds can only be posted with the court during their operating hours.

Non-arrest – While Non-arrest Justice of the Peace bail bonds can be made after hours and on weekends, until the bond is posted with the court, the open warrant is still active and the defendant, if arrested, will go to jail.

In Jail – A Bail Bond CANNOT be obtained or posted for any person in jail for any offense prosecuted in a Harris County Justice of the Peace Court.

Yes, you read that correctly. New bail reform policies prevents anyone that is in jail for any offense prosecuted in a Harris County Justice of the Peace Court, even if the offense is something as simple as a speeding ticket, from posting bond and getting released from jail. Instead all persons in jail must first appear in front of a judge before they will be released.

DON’T RISK BEING ARRESTED – get a Non-arrest Justice of the Pease Bail Bond before it’s too late!

2 Be Free Bonding provides Bail Bond Services in counties other than Harris County and also Bail Bonds Nationwide.

Requirements to post a bond are the same and arrangements conveniently done by phone and fax.