If you have a criminal record and someone asks you to bail them out of jail, you may be wondering if your past will prevent you from doing so. Generally, your criminal record should not prevent you from posting a bond for someone. As long as you have the money, you can bail them out. However, there are circumstances when your past crimes may be an issue. Here's what you need to know.

You're Still Dealing with the Consequences

You shouldn't have any problems if the case on your criminal record is completely resolved. However, if the case remains active for some reason or the resolution involved a prohibitory stipulation, then there's a greater chance it could interfere with your ability to post bail for another person.

For instance, you're on probation for the crime and the terms of your probation prohibit you from posting bail from others. Another example is your sentence restricts you from associating with certain people and the person asking you to bail them out of jail falls in that category. Technically, you could post bail for them but doing so could result in a lot of legal trouble for you.

Before agreeing to bail your friend out, review your court case and talk to any related professional (e.g. probation officer) to ensure you won't be breaking any rules or laws by posting a bond for another person.

The Bail Bondsman May Decline the Case

If you don't have the money to post bail directly with the court, then you would need to use the services of a bail bond company to get your loved one out of jail. This is where things can get a little tricky for people with criminal records. Although it's not standard in the industry, many bail bond companies will run background checks on people taking out bail bonds.

This is because the bonds are actually a type of insurance product, and bail bond companies need to adhere to the requirements of the insurance company, which may include conducting background checks. If your record includes a disqualifying crime, then your application for a bail bond may be rejected.

In cases like this, the best you can do is shop around for a bondsman that doesn't do background checks or where your criminal record isn't an issue. Alternatively, you may have to find someone else to take out the bond for you and just give the person the money for the fee.

For more information about how a criminal record may impact your ability to take out a bail bond or for assistance with getting someone out of jail, contact a local bail bondsman.