With so many clubs, bars, casinos, and restaurants serving alcoholic beverages to people having a good time in the cities and towns across Nevada, it appears that being arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) is a high possibility for many people. However, if you have been caught committing this offense, you might not need to sit in jail until the authorities review and resolve your case. Posting a DUI bail can secure your jail release while your criminal case is negotiated or tried.

DUI Bail Amounts

Nevada considers drunk- or drugged-driving a severe offense, and the consequences of a conviction can be severe. Virtually every DUI violation in Nevada has a set bail value. To know the precise bail value for a drunk- or drugged-driving violation, you first must understand the various forms of DUI.

Nevada law recognizes four primary types of DUI violations:

  • First DUI offense.
  • Second DUI offense.
  • Third DUI offense.
  • A DUI causing a collision and great bodily injury.

The above classes of DUI violations differ in bail amount and penalty. First and second DUI offenses are misdemeanors and are assigned misdemeanor bail values. Generally, the amount is below five thousand U.S. dollars. Sometimes, the judge can release you on your own recognizance (OR) if you are arrested for a first-offense DUI. Being released on your own recognizance means you will not post bail. Instead, you will sign a written promise to appear in court whenever required.

Third-offense DUI and DUI causing substantial bodily injury are felonies, meaning they have felony amounts. Generally, the bail amount for these violations is above ten thousand U.S. dollars. If another person died during the perpetration of your DUI offense, like a DUI felony, the prosecution may charge you with murder. In this case, the judge may deny you bail.

DUI Bail Hearing

A DUI bail hearing is when the judge sets a DUI bail amount that the defendant must pay to be released. In most cases of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you can be granted an own recognizance release or post a minimal bail value to be set free without being subject to a bail hearing. But if arrested for DUI causing bodily harm or death, the court may need you to appear at your first court date, called an arraignment.

At the arraignment, the judge will read your charges and ask how you plead. Usually, defendants enter a not-guilty plea. After the judge reads the charges, they will set bail. Judges have complete discretion to set a lower or higher bail amount than the above figures. Your lawyer can help negotiate a lower bail amount depending on the offense you are accused of.

Also, judges have the discretion to deny bail depending on the facts of the case. However, judges are highly likely not to deny bail in DUI cases unless it is a felony DUI offense in which someone else died. If the judge grants you bail, you can pay the required amount to secure a jail release while waiting for your trial and other court dates.

Posting DUI Bail

Once the judge has set bail, there are several ways in which you can pay the amount to secure your release. They include the following:

  • Cash bail—this entails paying the total bail amount using cash. For example, if your bail amount is $10,000, you or your loved one deposits the entire $10,000 with the jail where you are being held and secures your release. If you make all the court appearances, the amount will be returned to you at the end of the case.
  • Property bonds—in this case, you give your property to the jail facility to hold onto until you have made all your court appearances. The property value must equal the bail amount. Once you make all court appearances, the property will be returned to you. Property bonds take plenty of time to process since the court must complete a property appraisal.
  • Bail bond—here, you contract a Nevada bail bond agency to post bail on your behalf.

When you retain a bail bonds company to post bail on your behalf, anticipate paying 15 percent of the total bail value. For example, say the total bail amount you must pay to secure your release is five thousand U.S. dollars. In this case, you will need to pay seven hundred and fifty U.S. dollars to the bondsman so they can post the complete bail value of five thousand U.S. dollars.

The Nevada Department of Insurance sets the rates for bond services. Lower rates might be granted to eligible defendants. The 15 percent amount is not refundable since it is the service fee you pay the bond company so that they can post the set bail amount for you.

The DUI Bail Bond Process

If you plan to hire a bail bond company to assist you in posting DUI bail, you must understand how the process works. Most importantly, you may have to involve a third party to help you deal with the bail bondsman. The following steps are involved:

  • Contact a professional and licensed bail bond service.
  • Give the bail bondsman the necessary information, including your name and where you are detained. If your loved one is helping you post bail and they do not know where you are being held, they should not worry, as the bail bondsman can have real-time access to these details.
  • Pay the bondsman 15 percent of the bail value.
  • Once you pay, the bail bondsman will travel to where you are being held to secure your release. Once you are released, you must make all court appearances whenever required.

Find a Relatable DUI Bail Bondsman Near Me

Choosing the right bail bondsman is critical. Navigating the DUI bail bond process can be intricate if the bondsman does not have in-depth knowledge of every jail's operations. At Express Bail Bonds, we boast professional and reliable bail bondsmen who can expedite your bail release process if arrested for DUI or any other bailable offense. Our bondsmen extensively understand the Nevada bail process and how courts and jails operate. They will strive to secure your release as soon as possible. If you have been arrested in Las Vegas, please call us at 702-633-2245 for a consultation.