A bail bondsman is a person that is hired by the family or friends of someone who has been arrested, for the purpose of posting bail to allow the jailed person a temporary release. The bail bondsman is able to offer cash surety for the bond in exchange for holding the title to a large asset, usually a car or a house, depending on the size of the bail.
A bail bondsman is employed by someone who is facing a criminal charge that will likely lead to jail time and for which a court appearance is necessitated. The bondsman has enough cash on hand to meet the ten percent requirement of any bond and is tasked with evaluating the flight risk potential of the person for whom the bail is needed. A bail bondsman is also registered and insured for the work and is usually someone who has a background in law enforcement, such as a retired police officer. The main job of the bail bondsman is to assess the chances that the person in need of a bail will show up to court on the required day; if the person is likely to do so, the bail bondsman will post the bond, but if the bondsman feels there is too much risk, they are not obliged to post the bond.