Bail and bond are interchangeable terms. Bail is set at your arraignment. There is a guideline schedule bail chart in your county, which will indicate to the judge what bail should be set at. What that means is how much money should be hanging over your head, to ensure that you are going to show up in court when you are ordered to appear. The court wants to ensure that you are not going to pose a flight risk or run away, and that you are not going to be a danger to society while you are out. The bail is what is going to hold you accountable for that. A bail will be set and you can either post bail in full or hire a bail bondsman. Let’s say your bail is set at $25,000, you can pay $25,000 to get out of custody and stay out of custody, so long as you comply with the conditions of your bail. Alternatively, you can get a bail bondsman to bond you out, meaning that they will post on your behalf. You will pay them a percentage fee, usually about 10% and then the bail bondsman will post the entire amount with the courts to get you out. The percentage you have to put down depends on the individual bail company’s payment plans, whether you qualify for any discounts like a military discount, or if you hire an attorney and receive a reduced rate.