Massachusetts does not have bail bondsmen, so whoever is going to post the bail will have to come up with the entire amount.
The bail bond agent will need you to sign some paperwork in order for you to secure their services. This usually means paying an amount to the agent, usually a percentage of the total bail amount, and signing off on any collateral for the bond.
Bail bond agents can carry firearms (like regular citizens) and make arrests in California. However, they do not have the same power as police officers to investigate crimes, enforce traffic laws, or cordon off specific areas.
In the state of California, bail bond agreements must be verified and certified by the California Department of Insurance. The practice of commercial bail bonds is unlawful in the states of Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon, and Wisconsin.
As of 2008, only four states, Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon and Wisconsin, had abolished commercial/for-profit bail bonds by bail bondsmen and required deposits to courts instead. As of 2012 Nebraska and Maine in addition to the aforementioned Illinois, Kentucky, Oregon and Wisconsin prohibited surety bail bonds.
At the time of writing, there are eight states that do not allow private bail bondsmen (or have very strict policies), namely Washington, D.C, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Illinois, Maine, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Oregon. Additionally, each state has different prerequisites (such as age, criminal history, etc.)