Posting bail means for a criminal defendant (or a cosigner) to pay bail.
Once a defendant is arrested, if he is not released on citation ("cited out") or released on recognizance (ROR), he is taken to a holding jail where he is processed by the holding authority (state, county or federal). At this point he is given a chance to make a phone call (most jails only allow one). At this point the defendant may contact someone to try to arrange to post bail.
Through a surety bond, the defendant (or his cosignor) enters into a contract with an insurance company. A bail agent (or bondsman in some states) guarantees that the defendant will show up for his court dates. The bail agent backs up this promise with his own assets, or works with an insurance company that has the assets. The defendant is charged a percentage of the bond, a "premium" (generally 10 percent of the total bond).
First, the bail agent interviews the defendant or his cosignor. If a bondsman does not wish to write the bond because of risk of flight or other reasons, the friend or family member will need to call other bond agencies to try to get someone to write the bond. After gathering information including the defendant’s full name and social security number, the bondsman then contracts with the cosignor to pay the premium and guarantee that she will pay the entire bond or any expenses incurred by the bail agent should the defendant skip bail. This contract guarantees that the defendant will appear at all scheduled hearings and trials. If the defendant skips bail and cannot be apprehended, the bond is forfeited and the bondsman will attempt to collect the full amount of the bail bond from the cosigner.
The bondsman then goes to the holding facility to post bail, and have the holding authority complete the bond paperwork. Once signed off on, the defendant is released into the bondsman’s custody. The bondsman will then submit the completed paperwork to the surety company.
If no bail bond agency will write the bond, the cosigner must raise the money to post bail in cash. If a cash bond has been issued to the defendant, he can post the total amount of the bail to the court in cash.
Sometimes a property bond may be posted with the court. The court will record a property lien on the property of the defendant (or of his cosignor). The property must be worth at least the amount of the bail. Should the defendant skip bail, the court has the right to start foreclosure proceedings on the property used as collateral.