You’ll probably be familiar with the bail bond system to a degree. After all, we’ve all seen those movies where an arrested person “posts bail” and returns home to their family (or onto their next adventure). 

That’s phase one of the bail bond process. You’ll be given a bail amount to be paid, you’ll get in touch with us here at 24 Hour Online Bail Bonds, we work our magic, and you head home. But that’s not the end of the bail story. There are other stages to the process. For example, bail may be revoked if the conditions of the initial bond have been violated.

There’s also the matter of exonerated bonds. This occurs when the bail is essentially no longer needed. In this post, we’ll run through everything you need to know about the exonerated bond meaning, including answering the following questions:

  • What does exonerated bond mean?
  • What does it mean when a bond is exonerated?

Understanding Exonerated Bonds

First, let’s think about bail bonds. They’re granted once the bail amount has been paid, but the payment of the monetary value is not the only condition. There are also a series of other requirements attached to bail, most notably promising to show up to future court dates. If a person doesn’t show up for those court dates, then bail may be revoked and there will be a warrant out for the person’s arrest.

If a person does comply with the requirements laid out in the bond agreement, then eventually they will have fulfilled all of the requirements. At that stage, there’s no longer any need for a bond. It’s at this stage that the bond is exonerated. So the answer to the question, ‘What does bail bond exonerated mean?’ is really that the bond is no longer needed. 

There’s more than one exonerate bond meaning. As we’ve just mentioned, it’ll be exonerated if the individual complies with all the requirements of the bond. But there is another bond exonerated meaning, too. For instance, if there’s insufficient evidence and the court decides to take the case to trial, then the bond will be exonerated. 

Ultimate, you can think of the bond exonerated meaning as indicating that there’s no longer a need for the bond. If the legal process has come to an end or otherwise been resolved, then the bond will be exonerated and any collateral will be returned. 

The Meaning of Bond Exoneration 

To understand the meaning of bond exoneration, you have to understand what bonds are for. They’re provided to allow people to return home on the condition that they show up for future court appearances. If that condition is removed, either because the case is dropped or the individual has attended all the required appearances, then there’s no longer any need for the bond. At this point, it is exonerated.

What Happens When a Bond is Exonerated?

When a bond is exonerated, the following things will usually happen:

Parties will be notified

You will be notified that the bond has been exonerated.

Money is Released

In most cases, the money that was put up as part of the initial bond will be returned. Note that people who used a bail bond agent to post bail will still need to pay any outstanding bail bond agent fees.

There are no more legal obligations

A bond being exonerated signifies that the matter has come to a close, so there will be no more legal obligations associated with the bond. 

Do I Still Have to Pay if Bail is Exonerated? 

Many people ask us, if bail is exonerated do I still have to pay? And the answer to that is that it depends on how you paid for the initial bond.

If you paid out of your own pocket, then all of the money that you put up as collaratel will be returned to you once the bond has been exonerated. Though it’s worth noting that this can take many months — even people who can afford to post bail themselves often find that it’s best to work with a bail bond agent to avoid having a large sum of money tied up for long periods. 

If you’ve worked with a bail bond agent to post bail, then you will still have to pay even when the bond is exonerated. Bond agents provide their services in exchange for a fee — usually 10% — which the individual must pay. If you took out a bail bond on a payment plan, then those payments will still be due irrespective of the bond’s legal status. 

Bond Exoneration: Felony Revocation Explained 

So far, we’ve talked about exonerated bonds in the context of all the legal requirements being fulfilled. However, a bond may also be exonerated if the bond is revoked. A felony bond revocation usually occurs when the individual has broken one or more of the terms associated with the initial bond. In that case, the bond is revoked and the individual is taken back into custody. The bond will still be exonerated since there’s no longer any need for it, but the money or collateral will likely be forfeited. 

Decoding the Meaning of Exonerated Bonds 

So, what does bond exonerated mean? It’s no great mystery. It simply means that the legal case for which the bond is attached has come to a conclusion. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including if the individual has met all of the requirements of the bond or if the case is dismissed due to lack of evidence. In the end, it essentially means that since the legal matter is now closed, there’s no need for a bail bond. 

Contact 24/7 Online Bail Bonds Today

If you’ve been arrested and need help getting out of jail, then be sure to contact us here at 24/7 Online Bail Bonds. As our name suggests, we’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. You can begin the process of posting bail by calling 800-930-8999 or clicking the ‘Get Started’ button at the top of this page.