Someone you love is in custody after a Pomona arrest, and people treat bail and bond as one thing. You need the difference to know what you will pay and what you can get back. For the full sequence, see how bail works in Pomona.
What is the difference between bail and bond?
Bail is the amount; a bond is one way to pay it. Before the first court appearance, the amount comes from the arrest warrant or the countywide bail schedule, which Los Angeles County’s judges revise each year. After that appearance, the judge sets it (PC 1269b).
The California Department of Insurance describes a bail bond as a surety bond a bail company posts with the court to guarantee the arrestee’s appearance at all court dates. A licensed bail agent writes it for an insurance company, the surety, which owes the full bail when the defendant skips court and the forfeiture stands.
You pay the agent a premium, its fee for the bond. A relative may also sign as the indemnitor, promising to repay the surety if it pays a forfeiture. Our cosigner and collateral guide covers what that signature risks.
Bail vs bond vs $0 release: how do the main options compare?
| Option | Who pays | How much | Comes back? | Missed court date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash bail | The defendant or anyone else | The full bail | Yes, after judgment: a relative’s deposit in full; the defendant’s after restitution, fines and costs | The court can forfeit the deposit (PC 1305) |
| Surety bond | You pay the agent | One premium, 10% in most cases | No, except two surrender cases | The surety risks the full bail; the indemnitor may owe the surety |
| $0 release | No one; the person signs a promise to appear | $0 (Cite and Release, Book and Release) | Nothing paid | Possible bench warrant; a willful no-show can be a crime (PC 853.7, PC 1320) |
| Own recognizance | No one; the defendant signs a promise | $0 | Nothing paid | Possible bench warrant; a willful no-show can be a crime (PC 1320) |
The $0 row covers arrests without a warrant under Los Angeles County’s Pre-Arraignment Release Protocol, which took effect October 1, 2023. Magistrate Review charges also show $0, but the person stays in custody while a magistrate decides on release, and you cannot post a bond in the meantime. Serious and violent felonies, PC 1270.1 charges and charges with listed enhancements do not qualify for $0 release. The felony schedule makes some charges, such as special-circumstance murder, ineligible for release before arraignment. Before you pay anyone, check whether you need a bond.
Cash ties up the full amount until the case ends. A bond costs the premium plus any actual, reasonable expenses, and an indemnitor shares the forfeiture risk.
How do you post cash bail or a bond in Pomona?
Anyone can pay the full bail in cash at the jail or to the court clerk, or have a licensed agent post a bond there (PC 1269b, PC 1295). Release takes 2 to 6 hours after the agent posts the bond, in our experience.
Most Pomona police bookings happen at Pomona City Jail, 490 W. Mission Blvd.; its jail line is (909) 620-2131. According to the City, people who can post bond or bail, or who qualify for a citation, leave from there.
If Pomona Courthouse South, 400 Civic Center Plaza, hears the case, its clerk’s office is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The clerk writes the receipt in the depositor’s name, so hold on to it.
Our cash bail and surety bond pages cover each route, and what happens after posting bail covers the weeks after. An arrest east of the county line can mean booking at West Valley Detention Center under San Bernardino County’s schedule.
Which money comes back after the case?
The clerk returns cash after judgment, as long as no forfeiture stands, and PC 1297 sets how much:
- A relative’s or friend’s deposit comes back in full, within 10 days of that person handing in the receipt.
- The defendant’s own deposit pays restitution, fines and costs first, and the defendant gets any balance.
The premium stays with the agent in most cases, and dropped charges do not change that. California allows two surrender exceptions. If the agent hands the defendant back to custody ahead of a court date, 10 CCR 2090 requires a refund of the premium. The agent can hold back only out-of-pocket costs that 10 CCR 2081(c) and (d) permit, and only if it shows a substantial increase in risk. Under PC 1300(b), a judge may order a refund when a surrender lacked good cause. Since January 1, 2022, PC 1276.1 has capped each bond at one premium.
What happens if the defendant misses court?
The judge forfeits the bail, cash or bond alike, when the defendant misses court without a sufficient excuse (PC 1305), and may order a bench warrant (PC 978.5). If bail exceeds $400, the clerk has 30 days to mail a notice of forfeiture. The defendant has 180 days to return, counted from the forfeiture or, when the law requires notice, from the mailing plus 5 days. If the defendant returns to court in time, the judge sets aside the forfeiture and exonerates the bond.
Once that period ends with no court extension (PC 1305.4), the depositor loses the cash. With a bond, the surety owes the full bail, which County Counsel collects, and the indemnitor may owe the surety. Call the agent that day. A warrant walk-through bond lets the defendant surrender with a fresh bond in place.
Common Questions About Bail vs Bond
Neither. The bail amount stays the same; a bond is one way to pay it. Only your cost changes: cash means depositing the full figure, while a bond costs a premium of 10% in most cases. On $50,000 bail, that is $50,000 in cash or a $5,000 premium.
It means the bail is $20,000. You can deposit all of it, or pay a licensed agent a one-time premium, 10% in most cases: $2,000. A filed 8% rate, or $1,600, is open to qualifying veterans, active-duty service members, union members and private-attorney clients.
Own recognizance, or OR, is release on a signed promise instead of money. Under PC 1318, the defendant promises to appear, obey court conditions, not leave California without permission, and waive extradition if caught out of state. A misdemeanor defendant held for arraignment gets OR unless the court finds a safety or no-show risk (PC 1270).
Exonerated means the court releases the bail, often when the case ends. A forfeiture vacated inside the PC 1305 window also ends in exoneration. For a bond, it ends the surety’s liability, and collateral comes back then, once nothing remains owed on the premium or charges. For cash, a relative who paid can claim the refund with the receipt.
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Pomona Bail Bonds · California Department of Insurance Lic. 1844710