What is remission of bail?

• A. A charge for services provided by the court
• B. A check used in place of cash
• C. The amount of cash received by the court
• D. When a court returns all or part of a forfeited bail under certain legal conditions

Answer: (D)

Remission of bail is the court’s act of returning all or part of the bail money or property after a forfeiture is set aside under lawful conditions. Bail is posted to ensure the defendant shows up in court; if they don’t, the bail is typically forfeited to the court. Remission happens when the court, under specific legal circumstances, decides to cancel or reduce that forfeiture—for example, if the failure to appear wasn’t due to the defendant’s fault, or the defendant later complies with the conditions and the court approves the remission. This is about refunding the forfeited bail, not about charges, checks, or simply the amount the court holds.