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Bond Info

The information on this page applies only to defendants in our custody. A defendant is a person charged with a crime.

After a defendant is arrested, he/she is required to appear before a judge or magistrate.

A bond is the amount of money set by a judge for releasing a defendant from jail before his/her trial. It is a written agreement executed by the defendant or one or more sureties that the defendant designated will appear before the court.

If the defendant appears when he/she was ordered to, bond is refunded. However, if the defendant fails to appear, the court keeps the bail and issues a warrant for his/her arrest.

Bonds

You can find the defendant’s charges by using our Inmate Search; bond information appears under each charge.

What does it mean when the bond line says ANY type of bond?

The defendant may post a cash, surety, or personal bond.

What does it mean when the bond line says cash or surety?

The defendant may only post a cash or surety bond; no personal bonds will be taken.

What does it mean when the bond line says no bond information available?

No bond has been set for this charge; bond may be set later.

Cash Bonds

You can pay a cash bond in-person at the jail facility where the defendant is housed (either the Bonding Office or the Travis County Correctional Complex). Please call 512-854-4180 to obtain their location.

Blackwell Thurman Criminal Justice Center | Bonding Office (map)
509 W. 11th St.
Austin, TX 78701

Travis County Correctional Complex (map)
3614 Bill Price Rd.
Del Valle, TX 78617

Cash bonds are the full amount of the bond posted by EXACT cash (we do not have change nor accept overage), cashier's check or money order. All cashier's checks or money orders should be made payable to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. 

Out-of-county cash bonds may be posted for another county's charges. You will need a money order, cashier's check, or traveler's check for the full amount of the bond. We will instruct you on whom to make the money order payable to at the time the bond is posted.

Refunds

If a defendant appears in court as scheduled, and the case is disposed of, the court will issue a refund order. Bonds paid for delinquent child support (see below) are NOT refunded to the payee or to the defendant. All cash refunds relative to a Misdemeanor Class A, B and appealed C cases are processed through the Travis County Clerk. All cash refunds relative to a Felony case are processed through the Travis County District Clerk.

Cash Bonds Paid In Delinquent Child Support Cases

The amount of the cash bond is based on the amount of the child support that is delinquent (in arrears), as either a percentage of the arrears or the full amount of the arrears. The cash bond monies posted/paid by the defendant (called "respondent" in civil law) at TCSO are forwarded to the Travis County District Clerk.

From there, the monies are sent to the child support registry who in turn sends them to the person who has legal custody of the children (called the payee). The cash bond is not returned to the person who paid the bond, however, the person who owes the child support does get credit for this payment towards his/her child support obligation.

Personal Bonds

A personal bond is a sworn agreement by the defendant that he/she will return to court as ordered and will comply with the conditions placed on his/her release. No money is required at the time of release, but the defendant is required to pay an administrative fee of $40 or 3% of the bond amount to Travis County Pretrial Services within seven days of release.

To post a personal bond, individual defendants cannot post a personal bond themselves. Only Travis County Pretrial Services or an attorney may submit a request for release on personal bond to a judge. Only a judge can approve release on a personal bond.

Travis County Pretrial Services interviews most defendants booked on Travis County charges and considers them for release on personal bond. If you wish to inquire about the status of a defendant’s personal bond application, you should contact Travis County Pretrial Services at 512-854-9381.

Surety Bonds

Surety bonds are bonds posted through approved Travis County bonding companies that charge a fee for their services. Once bail is posted, the defendant will receive a future court date and be released from jail.

Attorney & Bondsman Photo ID Program

Attorney & Bondsman Photo ID Program

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