Bail bond glossary: key terms explained
A plain-English bail bond glossary — FTA, forfeiture, exoneration, remission, indemnitor, power of attorney and more — for agencies, indemnitors and defendants.
Bonds & parties
Bail bond
A financial guarantee, posted by a bail agent on behalf of a defendant, that the defendant will appear at required court dates. If they don't, the bond can be forfeited.
Surety bond
The most common bail bond type: an insurance company (the surety) backs the bond, and the bail agent writes it on the surety's behalf using a power of attorney.
Bail agent / bondsman
A licensed professional who posts bail bonds for a fee (the premium) and is responsible for the defendant's appearance.
Indemnitor (co-signer)
The person who signs for and guarantees the bond, agreeing to be financially responsible if the defendant fails to appear.
Defendant / principal
The person who has been arrested and for whom bail is posted.
Surety (insurer)
The insurance company that underwrites the bond and assumes the ultimate financial risk.
Power of attorney (PoA / power)
A numbered certificate from the surety that authorizes the agent to write a bond up to a specified amount. Agencies track their power inventory carefully.
Court & compliance
Arraignment
The first court appearance where charges are read and bail may be set.
Failure to appear (FTA)
When a defendant misses a required court date. An FTA can trigger a bench warrant and start the forfeiture clock on the bond.
Bench warrant
A warrant issued by a judge for a defendant's arrest, commonly after an FTA.
Forfeiture
The process by which the court demands payment of the bond amount because the defendant failed to appear.
Exoneration
The release of a bond's liability — for example, when the case concludes or the defendant appears as required. The agent's obligation ends.
Remission
A partial or full refund of a forfeited bond, granted when the defendant is returned to custody within a set period.
Reinstatement
Restoring a bond to active status after an FTA, often once the defendant is located and appears.
Money & collateral
Premium
The non-refundable fee the client pays the agency to post a bond, typically a set percentage of the bail amount.
Collateral
Property or assets pledged to secure a bond, returned when the bond is exonerated.
Payment plan
An arrangement letting a client pay the premium over time. BailSoft's Payment Plans is a ledger only — it tracks what's owed and paid.
Bail amount
The total dollar amount the court sets for release; the bond guarantees this amount.
Build-up fund (BUF)
Funds an agency holds with its surety as security against future losses.
Monitoring & recovery
Check-in
A scheduled confirmation that a defendant is complying with bond conditions, increasingly done via app with GPS and a selfie.
GPS monitoring
Consent-based location tracking of a defendant as a condition of the bond (BailSoft handles this through Guardian).
Geofence
A virtual boundary; crossing it can trigger an alert if the defendant leaves an allowed area.
Skip / jumper
A defendant who fails to appear and cannot be located — a 'skip.'
Recovery agent
A licensed professional (also called a bail enforcement agent) who locates and returns defendants who have skipped. Rules vary by state.
Booking
The administrative process after an arrest — recording the person into the jail system. New bookings are a key signal in county data.
Re-arrest
When a defendant already out on bond is arrested again — a critical event agencies want to know about immediately.
FAQ
What does FTA mean in bail?
FTA stands for Failure to Appear — when a defendant misses a required court date. It can lead to a bench warrant and start the process of bond forfeiture.
What is the difference between exoneration and remission?
Exoneration ends a bond's liability normally (e.g., the case concludes). Remission is a refund of a bond that was already forfeited, granted when the defendant is returned to custody within a set period.
What is a power of attorney in bail bonds?
It's a numbered certificate from the surety insurer that authorizes a bail agent to write a bond up to a specified amount. Agencies track their 'powers' as inventory.