§ 15A‑540.  Surrender of a defendant by a surety; setting new conditions of release.

(a) Going Off the Bond Before Breach. – Before there has been a breach of the conditions of a bail bond, the surety may surrender the defendant as provided in G.S. 58‑71‑20. Upon application by the surety after such surrender, the clerk must exonerate the surety from the bond.

(b) Surrender After Breach of Condition. – After there has been a breach of the conditions of a bail bond, a surety may surrender the defendant as provided in this subsection. A surety may arrest the defendant for the purpose of returning the defendant to the sheriff. After arresting a defendant, the surety may surrender the defendant to the sheriff of the county in which the defendant is bonded to appear or to the sheriff where the defendant was bonded. Alternatively, a surety may surrender a defendant who is already in the custody of any sheriff by appearing in person and informing the sheriff that the surety wishes to surrender the defendant. Before surrendering a defendant to a sheriff, the surety must provide the sheriff with a copy of the bail bond, forfeiture, or release order. Upon surrender of the defendant, the sheriff shall provide a receipt to the surety.

(c) New Conditions of Pretrial Release. – When a defendant is surrendered by a surety under subsection (b) of this section, the sheriff shall without unnecessary delay take the defendant before a judicial official, along with a copy of the undertaking received from the surety and a copy of the receipt provided to the surety. The judicial official shall then determine whether the defendant is again entitled to release and, if so, upon what conditions.

(d) A surety may utilize the services and assistance of any surety bondsman, professional bondsman, or runner licensed under G.S. 58‑71‑40 to effect the arrest or surrender of a defendant under subsection (a) or (b) of this section. (1973, c. 1286, s. 1; 1995, c. 290, s. 2; 2000‑133, s. 2; 2001‑487, s. 46.5(a); 2013‑139, s. 2; 2014‑120, s. 12(b).)