Bail Bonds Glossary: Georgia Terms, Plain English
Every word you will hear at the jail, at the courthouse and on the paperwork — explained without the jargon.
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The vocabulary nobody explains to you
Nobody hands you a dictionary at 2 a.m. Here is the language you are about to hear, in the order you are likely to hear it.
If a term on your paperwork is not here, call us at 770-224-9150 and we will explain it. We would rather answer the question than have you sign something you do not understand.
Most-asked terms
- Premium
- Indemnitor
- Exoneration
- Forfeiture
- First appearance
- Bail restricted offense
- Unsecured judicial release
- Remission
Arraignment through Forfeiture
- Arraignment — the hearing where the charges are formally read and a plea is entered. In Cherokee County State Court, a licensed Georgia attorney may waive arraignment by filing a waiver with the clerk.
- Bail — under Georgia law after SB 63, a release secured by a monetary amount. Distinct from unsecured judicial release.
- Bail restricted offense — a charge listed in O.C.G.A. § 17-6-12 for which unsecured judicial release is not available. Money or property has to secure the bond.
- Bench warrant — a warrant issued by a judge, usually for failing to appear.
- Bond — the instrument guaranteeing the defendant’s appearance. Not a fine, and not a payment toward one.
- Booking — the intake process at the Adult Detention Center: identification, fingerprints, photograph, property inventory, medical screening.
- Cash bond — the full bond paid in cash or cashier’s cheque, refunded at the end of the case less fees.
- Commitment hearing — a preliminary hearing before a Magistrate judge on whether probable cause exists.
- Exoneration — the court releasing the bond and the surety’s liability at the conclusion of the case. This is when a co-signer is truly finished.
- First appearance — the hearing where a judge sets bail. Required within 48 hours of a warrantless arrest, 72 hours on a warrant.
- Forfeiture — the court declaring the bond due after a failure to appear.
Indemnitor through Surety
- Indemnitor — the co-signer. The person who guarantees the bond back to the bonding company.
- Magistrate Court — in Cherokee County, the 24/7/365 court that sets bail at first appearance and issues warrants.
- O.C.G.A. — the Official Code of Georgia Annotated. Bail law lives in Title 17, Chapter 6.
- Premium — the non-refundable fee paid to a bonding company. Capped at 15% of the bond, minimum $50 per charge.
- Principal — the defendant, in bond paperwork.
- Property bond — real estate equity securing the bond. Cherokee County requires twice the bond plus a $5,000 homestead exemption in clear equity.
- Remission — getting back some or all of a forfeited bond under O.C.G.A. § 17-6-72, on a strict timetable.
- Revocation — the court cancelling a bond, usually after a violation of its conditions.
- Surety — the party guaranteeing the bond to the court. A licensed professional bondsman is a surety.
- Surrender — a surety or indemnitor returning the defendant to custody, ending forward liability.
- Unsecured judicial release — release without a monetary amount, Georgia’s post-SB 63 term. Unavailable for bail restricted offenses.
- Walk-through — arranging a bond in advance, then surrendering on a warrant at a time you choose.
Questions we get asked
Bail is the amount the court sets. A bond is the instrument that satisfies it — cash, property or a surety bond written by a bondsman.
The court has released the bond and the surety’s obligation. For a co-signer, that is the moment the responsibility genuinely ends.
The co-signer — the person who signs a contract guaranteeing the bond to the bonding company and takes on financial responsibility if the defendant fails to appear.
Related Cherokee County guides
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