Bail Bonds

If your spouse, partner, child, or friend has been arrested for DUI in Colorado, you may be wondering how to help him or her get out of jail. If you know someone who has been arrested for DUI, he or she may need to post a bail bond to secure release from jail. Information as to the amount that must be posted can be obtained by calling the detention facility where the person is being held.

How to Post bond for a DUI arrest in Colorado

When a driver is arrested for DUI in Colorado, the driver will likely be booked into jail and required to post bail. In Colorado, there are four types of bail bonds that may be posted to get a person released from jail.

Cash Bond – The person arrested posts the entire amount in cash (or credit card) directly to the court clerk. The person will forfeit the amount if he or she does not appear at the future court date on the DUI charges. Once the case is completed, the sum will be returned to the person.

Surety Bond – A bondsperson posts the amount of the bond for a fee. This is generally the most common bond. A bail bondsperson can be contacted by the accused, family, friend, etc., and will typically charge a fee up to 15% of the amount of bond posted.

Personal Recognizance Bond (PR Bond) – If a person accused of DUI in Colorado meets certain criteria regarding his or her assurances to appear in court and be law abiding while the case is pending, the court may allow the person to sign out for a sum that would be owed in the future if the person absconds. A $1,500 PR Bond would mean that the accused would be released without putting up any money, but if he or she fails to appear for court, $1,500 would be owed to the court.

Property Bond – While rare, the accused or a family member can provide a property trust deed to the court in the amount of 1.5 times the amount of the bail bond.

Conditions of DUI Bonds in Colorado

In addition, persons arrested for DUI offenses in Colorado that have a prior conviction are subject to pretrial supervision. For instance, pursuant to C.R.S. § 16-4-105(6)(a), a court must order monitored sobriety as a condition of any bond set in a case involving a driver with a prior to ensure that the driver “abstain[s] from the use of alcohol or illegal use of drugs.” Additionally, any person arrested for an offense under § 42-4-1301(1) or (2)(a) may not attend a bail hearing until no longer intoxicated. C.R.S. § 16-4-104(4).