Verified by Licensed Bail Bond Professionals•Last updated: March 2026
Definition: The person or company that guarantees the bail bond to the court. In practice, the surety is the bail bond company (backed by an insurance company) that posts the bond on the defendant's behalf in exchange for the 10% premium.
Category: Bail & Bond · Statute: F.S. 903.09 · Source: Florida Legislature
Florida Statute 903.09 — Sufficiency of Sureties"Bail may be posted by the accused or by any other person for the accused with sufficient surety or sureties."
How the Surety System Works
The bail bond system involves a chain of financial responsibility:
- You pay 10% to the bail bondsman
- The bail bondsman (licensed agent) posts the bond with the court
- The surety insurance company backs the bondsman's guarantee
- The court accepts the bond and releases the defendant
If the defendant fails to appear, the surety insurance company is ultimately responsible for paying the full bail amount — but they pass that liability down to the bondsman, who passes it to the co-signer.