Paying bail or posting a bond in Orange County
Bail can be paid in full at the jail cashier, or a bail bond can be posted. Here is where, when and how, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
The short answer
Some bail must be paid in cash or check only: check the amount and accepted methods with Inmate Records before you pay. Inmate Records: (714) 647-4666. Release after bail or bond takes about four hours on average, anywhere from two to six.
Official: Cashier & Bail Information; Inmate Records - location; Custody FAQs (OC Sheriff’s Department), checked
Paying bail in full
- Before paying bail, check the person’s full name, booking number and the full bail amount with Inmate Records.
- Bail paid in full is paid at the IRC cashier: in cash, bank cashier’s checks, personal checks, money orders or traveler’s checks. Each kind of check has its own conditions, below.
- Cashier’s checks: accepted only once verified with the bank that issued them, so bring a business card with the bank employee’s name and phone number. The check must be for the exact amount, payable to the “County of Orange – Sheriff’s Department”, and drawn on an acceptable US financial institution.
- Personal checks need two forms of identification, must match your California driver’s license or ID card and be drawn on a California bank with a California address, are accepted up to $7,500 per checking account, and are payable to the court; second- and third-party checks are not accepted.
- Traveler’s checks: signed at the Jail Cashiering office in front of a cashier, for the exact amount, payable to the “County of Orange – Sheriff’s Department”, drawn on an acceptable US financial institution; bring satisfactory identification.
- Company or business checks are not accepted.
- Bail for courts outside Orange County must be paid in cash.
The Intake Release Center cashier: Intake Release Center, 550 North Flower Street, Santa Ana: 24 hours a day, (714) 647-6085
Official: Cashier & Bail Information (OC Sheriff’s Department), checked
Posting a bail bond
Bonds are accepted at the Intake Release Center and the Theo Lacy Facility. Hours:
- Intake Release Center: 24 hours a day
- Theo Lacy Facility: daily 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Theo Lacy: bond hours are shorter than cashier hours
At Theo Lacy, the jail cashiering hours are daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but bonds are accepted only daily from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
- Anyone bringing a bond who isn’t a licensed bond agent is fingerprinted and has their identity verified.
Official: Cashier & Bail Information (OC Sheriff’s Department), checked
How long it takes
- Bail information is usually available two to three hours after booking.
- Release after bail or bond takes about four hours on average, anywhere from two to six.
Official: Custody FAQs (OC Sheriff’s Department), checked
Bail bond companies
We don’t list or recommend bail bond companies. The Sheriff’s Department cannot recommend or refer you to any bail bond agent or company.
To check where someone is held first, see finding someone in custody.
Where to go next
- Finding someone in custody Where someone is held, and their booking number.
- Orange County courts Court addresses and phone numbers.
- Putting money on an account Money for commissary and other purchases.
Sources
Orange County Sheriff’s Department
Every fact above links to the official page it comes from, with the date we checked it. We quote official wording only where the exact words matter. See how we check facts.