Bail bond questions, answered.

South Carolina law (SC Code 38-53-170) caps the bondsman's premium at 15% of the bond amount. The minimum is $100 or 10% of the bond, whichever is greater. The premium is the fee for posting the bond and is not refunded. Call us for an exact quote, or use our bond cost calculator for the legal range.

Yes. State law allows a written payment agreement with at least $100 down, paid off within 18 months. If two monthly payments in a row are missed, the law requires us to send a certified notice. If the balance is still not brought current within 10 days, we must surrender the defendant. We will always walk you through the terms first.

We post as soon as bond is set and the paperwork is signed. Our office is directly across Leeds Avenue from the Al Cannon Detention Center, so there is no drive time on our end. The jail controls how long its release processing takes, so we cannot promise an exact time, but we will keep you updated.

The Charleston County Centralized Bond Court at 3831 Leeds Avenue holds hearings Monday to Friday at 10 AM, 2 PM and 7 PM, and at 10 AM and 2 PM on weekends and holidays. Dorchester County holds bond court every day at 9 AM and 3 PM. For Berkeley County, call us and we will tell you the next session.

The person's full legal name and date of birth, the jail they are in, the booking number if you have it, the charges and the bond amount if it has been set. If the bond has not been set yet, call anyway and we will get ready before the hearing.

The indemnitor (co-signer) is the person who signs for the bond. You promise that the defendant will go to every court date, and you are responsible for the premium and any losses if they do not. Make sure you trust the person before you sign. We explain every line of the agreement before you do.

Call us before you do anything else. Robinson has been certified by the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) for electronic monitoring and has fitted GPS devices in Charleston since 1988. We arrange the bond and fit the device at release, so the person leaves already in compliance. GPS monitoring starts at $220 a month.

South Carolina law requires whoever provides the monitoring to tell the solicitor within 48 hours about any violation of the court's monitoring order (SC Code 38-53-84). In violent-offense cases, contact with the alleged victim must be reported within 24 hours (SC Code 38-53-55). We follow both rules, and we explain them on day one so there are no surprises.

Under SC Code 38-53-84, failing to pay the full monthly monitoring fee is, by itself, enough cause for the bondsman to ask to be relieved of the bond and to surrender the defendant. Talk to us early if money is tight. We would much rather work it out.

Yes. We write nationwide transfer bonds, so bail can be posted in other states through licensed agents there. In most cases the paperwork can be done here in North Charleston, with no travel.

The judge can issue a bench warrant and the bond can go into forfeiture. Call us right away. The sooner we know, the more options there are to get the case back on track before it becomes expensive for the co-signer.

No. The premium pays for the bond being posted, and the service is complete once the defendant is released. Collateral, if any was taken, is handled under the terms of your written agreement once the bond is discharged.