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What can be pledged as security for bail

Find out what types of property may be pledged as security by a bailor, depending on the bail amount.

Types of security you can pledge for bail

If you agree to act as a bailor, you will need to provide property to the court as a guarantee that the accused will comply with the court's directions once released from custody. This is known as security, and will only be forfeited if the accused breaches some conditions of bail.

The type of property you can pledge as security depends on the amount of bail offered.

Non-monetary bail

For non-monetary bail, you may pledge any form of personal property as security.

Non-exhaustive examples of common types of security include:

Furniture.
Luxury goods.
Jewellery and watches.
Moveable household items and appliances.

The security must fulfil all of the following conditions:

Must be owned by the bailor.
Must be paid in full.
Must not be under any instalment plan.

While you do not need to surrender your personal property, you will have to declare to the court that your personal property satisfies the bail amount. Please note that the court may also require you to provide evidence of the value of the stated properties.

Monetary bail

For monetary bail, you will have to pledge cash or cash equivalents as security. Refer to the following to understand the conditions attached for each type of cash equivalent.

You must provide a savings passbook, original bank statement or ibanking e-statement showing the bank account number and account holder's name, for refund purposes.

You have to bring this document to the court when posting bail.

You may make payment via PayNow or NETS using one of the following methods:

Using your own ATM card.
(For PayNow payments) Using an ibanking mobile application.

In either case, you must also provide the court with a savings passbook, original bank statement or ibanking e-statement showing the bank account number and account holder's name, for refund purposes. You have to bring this document to the court when posting bail.

The cashier's order:

Must contain the exact bail amount.
Must be made payable to the Registrar, State Courts.
Must be accompanied by a savings passbook, original bank statement or ibanking e-statement showing the bank account number and account holder’s name, for refund purposes.

You have to bring this document to the court when posting bail.

The savings account used for posting bail:

Must be presented together with the account holder.
Must be accompanied by a bank balance enquiry slip, savings passbook, original bank statement or ibanking e-statement showing the bank account number and account holder’s name.

You have to bring this document to the court and it has to be updated on the day of posting bail.

Must not be used for GIRO deductions or any other payment.
Must not be a joint account.

Note Joint accounts may only be used if there are 2 bailors and the joint account belongs to both of them.

If you've chosen to use your bank account, the bank will be notified by the court to freeze the specified assets. This means you will not be able to use them until the accused's case concludes, or when the court grants you permission to be discharged as bailor.

The fixed or time deposits used for posting bail:

Must be in Singapore dollars.
Must belong to the bailor.
Must have a minimum of 6 months to maturity from the date of posting bail.
Must be accompanied by the fixed or time deposit slips showing the bank account number and account holder’s name.
- The slip must reflect the principal amount of the fixed or time deposit.
- You have to bring this document to the court and it has to be updated on the day of posting bail.
Must not be concurrently used as a form of security for other purposes.
Must not be a joint account.

Note: Joint accounts may only be used if there are 2 bailors and the joint account belongs to both of them.

If you've chosen to use your bank account, fixed or time deposit as security, the bank will be notified by the court to freeze the specified assets. This means you will not be able to use them until the accused's case ends, or when the court grants you permission to be discharged as bailor.