Know someone that has been recently arrested and needs help getting out of jail on bail? If so, you may be wondering what the first step is towards getting them released early. If you don't have the cash on hand, you'll need to know some key information so that you can get a bail bond for them. Be prepared to have the following information ready for a bondsman.

The Jail Where They're Being Held

The difficulty of finding out where the family member or friend has been held will depend on where they were arrested. If it was a smaller town, it should be pretty easy to figure out where they're being held since there are not many options. Small towns typically have a central location, which really narrows down your options.

However, a big city can leave you with several potential jails that you need to narrow down. If you were unable to speak directly to the person in jail and don't have the information, it will involve calling around to figure out where they are being held.

The Booking Information

Once to find the jail that the person is held at, you'll need to request their jail booking number so that you can get a bail bond. Having this information is not crucial since it can be looked up by a bail bondsman, but it will speed up the bail process and save some time by not having to figure it out. If you are already on the phone with the place where the person's being held, be sure to ask this during the phone call.

The Bail Amount

A judge will have assigned bail to the person based on the offense and their criminal history, and it is the amount of money you need to get them released from jail. However, there is some flexibility in the final bail amount. A bondsman can even argue on your behalf for a lower bail amount.

If you're getting a bail bond, you may not think it matters how much the bail is, since it is being covered by the bondsman. Be aware that the premium that you pay on a bail bond is based on how much bail is needed. It's a lot like paying interest on a loan, with you paying more in interest as your loan amount increases.

With this information ready to go, your bail bondsman can proceed with getting your loved one out of jail.