Our Mission

The mission of the Mississippi Bail Agents Association is to provide information, education, and representation for the bail agents of Mississippi.

Who We Are

The Mississippi Bail Agents Association (MBAA) was founded in 1991 as the Professional Bail Agents Association of Mississippi, Inc.  MBAA is statutorily authorized to approve pre-license and continuing education in the State of Mississippi and is recognized as the voice of the bail agents of Mississippi.

In 2006, MBAA began working with the state legislature to upgrade the bail laws. In the legislative session of 2000, the law was changed requiring 40 hours of pre-license education and 8 hours of continuing education annually.  Since 1992, there have only been two years in which the MBAA did not succeed at making changes to the state bail statutes.  Our goals are to protect, promote and preserve our profession.

What We Do

A bail agent works with the justice to help assure the appearance of a person charged with a criminal offense in court.  A bail bond is a three way contract between the state, the agent and the defendant that guarantees the state that the defendant will appear for court whenever, and as many times as the court demands, until there is a final disposition on the charges.

The bail agent does three things:

1. We guarantee the defendant's appearance in Court.
2. If the defendant fails to appear, we locate the defendant and bring them back to court or jail.
3. If we cannot do the first two, we pay the face amount of the bond to the court.

Along with the criminal defense attorney, we help to protect an individual's constitutional right to remain innocent until proven guilty by a court of law, while at the same time protecting victims rights by insuring they get their day in court by insuring the defendant's appearance.

How Much is a Bail Bond?

The minimum bail bond premium for a Mississippi resident is as follows: The bail agent shall charge and collect ten percent (10%) of the amount of the bond or One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), whichever is greater. In addition to this, there is a Fifty ($50.00) processing fee on each charge.

For a defendant who resides outside the state of Mississippi or any defendant who is charged with a capital offense, the premium is fifteen percent (15%) plus the applicable processing fees.

The above fees shall be charged and collected as prescribed by law in the State of Mississippi and are NOT negotiable!

In addition to the bail premium, most Mississippi county jails charge a processing fee (sometimes called a turn-key fee) of twenty-five ($25.00) or more.  Some jails may charge other fees as well.

Regulation

Bail agents in Mississippi are regulated by the Mississippi Department of Insurance. A license is required to write bonds and to do bail recoveries.  Operating as a bail agent or impersonating a bail enforcement agent or bail agent is a criminal offense and violators will be prosecuted. Out of state recovery agents must be licensed bail agents and must register with the Sheriff BEFORE any action is taken.