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When a friend or family member calls you to bail them out, they usually don't have a lot of information at hand. Sometimes they may not even know their bail amount. Bail is set based on the charges that someone is brought in on in conjunction with their prior offenses -- and you need to have the exact amount. This article will tell you how to find out how much bail you need to pay.

1. Call Your Local Police Precinct

If you know where your family member is being held, you can often call the precinct directly and ask them for the amount. You will need to know exact information regarding the person you are calling about. This includes name and address but may also extend to date of birth -- essentially, identifying information that proves that you know the person. Though your friend or family member is also in the precinct, they may not have a phone call so they might not be able to call you when they find out their bail amount.

2. Contact Your Local Courthouse

If the police precinct is busy or not answering -- which can happen, especially outside of regular hours -- you may want to wait until the courthouse opens and call the court. They can also direct you to someone who can tell you exactly how much you need to bail the person in question out. Often it is the courthouse that will decide whether a person can even be bailed out, especially for more serious issues. A bail hearing might be necessary and this bail hearing can take a while. 

3. Call a Bail Bondsman 

Sometimes it's easier to just have someone deal with things for you. If you're going to need a bondsman anyway, you might as well call them directly and have them deal with the exact amounts. The bondsman will need to start the paperwork anyway to help you get your friend or family member bailed out. At the same time, the bondsman will let you know how much cash you will need to pay upfront for the bond. Usually this is anywhere from 10 to 15 percent of the total amount, but it may include a fee for each additional charge. 

When in doubt, you should always call a bail bondsman from a company like Nickel Bail Bonds. Even if they can't get information directly, they will be able to advise you on your next course of action. Bailing someone out can be a stressful situation, but you should always take some time to think everything through.