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Post bail for an accused person

Before posting bail, you need to decide what to pledge as security. Find out what can be pledged and the documents to bring to the Bail Centre.

Post bail at the Bail Centre

To post bail for an accused, you will need to visit the court that is in charge of their case. Follow these steps to post bail at the State Courts Bail Centre.

Note

Before posting bail, you should know what can be pledged as security.

What to bring

Bring the following documents based on the type of bail:

You should bring:

Your identity card (NRIC) or foreign identification number (FIN).
The accused's passport (if required as a bail condition). The accused should inform you of this, or you may check with the Bail Centre staff.
Where required by the court, evidence of the value of the personal properties you wish to pledge

Lost, expired or no passport

For a lost passport, the accused will have to make a statutory declaration before a Commissioner for Oaths. This is an oral and written statement made to declare that the accused's passport is lost. The Bail Centre staff can arrange for this.
If the accused does not have a passport or their passport has expired, you may not need to surrender their passport. Contact the Bail Centre for further instructions.

You should have decided on the cash or cash equivalents you are using as security.

You should bring:

Your identity card (NRIC) or foreign identification number (FIN).
Supporting documents for the cash or cash equivalents used.
The accused's passport (if required as a bail condition). The accused should inform you of this, or you may check with the Bail Centre staff.

Lost, expired or no passport

For a lost passport, the accused will have to make a statutory declaration before a Commissioner for Oaths. This is an oral and written statement made to declare that the accused's passport is lost. The Bail Centre staff can arrange for this.
If the accused does not have a passport or their passport has expired, you may not need to surrender their passport. Contact the Bail Centre for further instructions.

File an application at the Bail Centre

You will have to file your application to be a bailor at the Bail Centre at the State Courts, Level 4, during the registration hours.

Bail can be processed within the same day if all the documents are presented.

The bail officer will:

Brief you on the duties of being a bailor.
Brief you on what happens if the accused jumps bail.
Check that you are eligible to be a bailor.
Ask you to pledge security and sign the necessary documents.
Process your bail application, then forward the bail bond to the accused to sign.
Check that you know the details of the accused’s upcoming court events.
Arrange for you to appear before a magistrate (usually on the same day).

Note: If you do not speak English, you may request for an interpreter for Malay, Mandarin, Tamil or local Chinese dialects. Other languages may be available upon request.

Getting the outcome of your application

Once you have understood and agreed to your duties, and pledged security for the bail, the Bail Centre will bring you before a magistrate to acknowledge the terms and conditions of the bail.

The magistrate will ask you questions to decide whether to approve or reject your application. Factors include:

Whether you are suitable to be a bailor.
Whether you are aware of a bailor’s duties.
Whether you are aware of the details of the accused's upcoming court hearings.

The magistrate may reject your application if they find that you are unsuitable as a bailor. If this happens, the accused cannot be released until a suitable bailor is found.

If the application is approved, arrangements will be made for the accused to be released.

Go to Step-by-step guide