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Bail Bond Services

What we post bail for, how California bail is actually set, and what to expect after an arrest — explained without jargon. Find your charge below, or call and we will tell you where things stand tonight.

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Since 1997CA License 1841014Open 24 Hours2 Counties Served

Bail services

Start with the charge

We post bail for most bailable offenses across Orange County and the neighboring Los Angeles County communities. Different charges behave very differently — a misdemeanor and a domestic violence arrest are not the same problem, and the second one has a hearing requirement the first does not.

The cards below go straight to the charge you are dealing with. If you are not sure which applies, call us; working that out is the first thing we do, and there is no charge for it.

By charge

The services we handle

Each page covers how bail is set for that charge, what tends to complicate it, and what happens at the first court appearance.

PC 273.5Domestic ViolenceThe most procedurally complicated bail situation families encounter, because of protective orders and the § 1270.1 hearing requirement.Domestic violence bailVC 23152DUIAlcohol, drugs, combined, and the lower thresholds that apply to commercial and rideshare drivers.DUI bailFelonyFelony ChargesHigher bail amounts, and more situations where a hearing is required before bail can be changed.Felony bailMisdemeanorMisdemeanor ChargesLower bail, faster release, and the “wobbler” offenses that can be charged either way.Misdemeanor bailDrugsDrug ChargesSimple possession is treated very differently from possession for sale. The distinction changes the bail amount substantially.Drug charge bailPC 978.5WarrantsA bench warrant issued after a missed court date works differently from an arrest warrant.Warrant bailPC 240 / 242 / 245Assault & BatterySimple assault and battery sit near the bottom of the schedule. Assault with a deadly weapon sits far above it, and the weapon decides which.Assault & battery bailPC 459.5 / 484 / 487Theft & ShopliftingThe $950 line drawn by Proposition 47 separates a citation-level misdemeanor from a felony that carries a five-figure bail.Theft & shoplifting bailPC 25400 / 25850Weapons ChargesCarrying offenses have scheduled figures. Several common firearm sections do not, and are set from the state prison term instead.Weapons charge bailChargesRobberyPC 211. A violent felony: $100,000 first degree, $50,000 second degree on the Orange County schedule, and reductions need a hearing.Read moreChargesBurglaryPC 459. Residential burglary is a strike at $50,000; commercial is second degree, and under $950 in an open shop is usually shoplifting instead.Read moreChargesVandalismPC 594. The damage figure decides infraction, misdemeanour or felony — and the bail follows.Read moreChargesResisting ArrestPC 148 and PC 69 share an everyday name but are very different charges. One is a misdemeanour; the other can be a felony.Read moreChargesFraud & ForgeryWhere the alleged amount sets the figure, and where a PC 1275.1 source-of-funds hold is unusually likely.Read morePC 1320 / 1320.5Failure to AppearMissing court is its own chargeable offense, and it adds a second bail on top of the one already posted.Failure to appear bailPC 1203.2Probation ViolationMany violations are held without bail until the court rules. Knowing which are and which are not changes what a family should do first.Probation violation bailPC 1275.11275 HoldsA judge can stop a bond being accepted until the source of the money is shown. What triggers a hold, and what actually lifts one.Source-of-funds holdsPC 1305Bail ForfeitureThe 180-day period after a missed court date, every route to vacating a forfeiture, and when § 1306 turns it into a judgment.PC 1305 referenceCostPayment PlansPayment options and financing where circumstances allow. If affordability is the obstacle, say so on the call.Payment options

How bail works

Two things decide the number you are quoted, and they work in a specific order.

Step 1

The county bail schedule

Under Penal Code § 1269b, the superior court judges in each county must prepare, adopt and annually revise a uniform countywide schedule of bail covering all bailable felony, misdemeanor and infraction offenses. The schedule accounts for the seriousness of the offense and adds amounts for aggravating or enhancing factors.

That schedule applies before a person has appeared in front of a judge — which is the window most families are calling us in.

Step 2

Who can accept the bail

The same section authorises jail officers in charge of the facility, sheriff’s or police officers assigned to the jail, superior court clerks, and designated department employees to approve and accept bail and issue a release order.

In practice that means bail is posted at the custody facility — not at a courthouse, and not at our office.

Some charges are different. Under Penal Code § 1270.1, certain offenses require a hearing in open court before someone can be released on their own recognizance or on bail set at an amount other than the schedule — and the prosecutor and defense must get two court days’ written notice. Domestic violence offenses are on that list. See domestic violence bail bonds for what that means in practice.

What happens after an arrest

  1. Booking. Fingerprints, photograph, property inventory, records check. Nobody can be bailed out until booking finishes, and how long it takes depends on how busy the facility is.
  2. Bail is set from the county schedule, unless the charge is one that requires a hearing first.
  3. The bond is posted at the facility holding the person. In Orange County the Intake Release Center accepts bail 24 hours a day; Theo Lacy only between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
  4. Release, on the jail’s timetable rather than ours.
  5. First court appearance at the courthouse covering the city of arrest.

More background is in our frequently asked questions and California bail bond resources.

Process & money

How bail actually works, and what it costs

Reference pages for the questions that come before the charge — what the schedule sets, what a bond costs, who is on the hook, and how a bond ends.

Start hereHow Bail Works in CaliforniaArrest to exoneration in the order it happens, tied to the statutes and the current county schedules.The full explainerProcessArraignmentThe Penal Code 825 48-hour rule excluding Sundays and holidays, and the first moment a judge can change the bail.Read moreProcessThe Booking ProcessWhy nobody can be bailed out until booking finishes, and why the inmate search shows nothing for hours.Read moreProcessHow Long Release TakesWhat controls the clock, and the five reasons a release stalls when the money is already in.Read moreProcessJail TransfersWhy someone vanishes from the inmate search mid-transfer, and what it does to a bond in progress.Read moreProcessAfter You Post BailThe obligations that start the moment a bond is posted — for the defendant and for whoever signed.Read moreWarrantsHow to Check for a WarrantThere is no public statewide lookup in California. What exists in each county, and how to check without walking into an arrest.Read moreBefore you payAvoiding Bail Bond ScamsFive free checks to run before money moves — starting with the Department of Insurance licence lookup.Read moreProcessHow to Find a Court DateThere is no single California lookup. What each county shows, and the PC 1305 window if a date is missed.Read moreHoldsImmigration Holds & ICE DetainersA federal request outside the state bail system. Why a bond may not produce a release.Read moreWarrantsOut-of-County WarrantsThe most common reason a release stalls after the money is in — two cases, two bails.Read morePracticalWhat to BringFive pieces of information, what a co-signer signs, and the counter rules that turn people away.Read moreAmountsHow California Bail Schedules WorkPenal Code 1269b makes the schedule countywide and annually revised — which is why counties disagree about the same charge.Read moreProcessCan Bail Be Denied?What “no bail” actually means: not yet set, a hold, or a genuine denial — and they resolve very differently.Read moreProcessArrested on a Friday or WeekendPC 825 excludes Sundays and holidays from the 48-hour clock. What can still be done tonight.Read moreJuvenileCan a Juvenile Get Bail?Information only — juvenile delinquency court does not use bail, and there is no bond to post.Read moreChargesCriminal Threats (PC 422)A wobbler that is a strike as a felony — which is why no physical contact still produces a high figure.Read moreChargesElder Abuse (PC 368)Physical abuse, neglect and financial exploitation under one section, with three very different cases.Read moreChargesHit and RunVC 20002 is property damage only; VC 20001 involves injury. Fault for the collision is not the offence.Read moreChargesEvading PoliceVC 2800.2 adds “wilful or wanton disregard” — proved by traffic violations during the pursuit, not by speed.Read moreChargesStalking (PC 646.9)One of the PC 1270.1 offences, so a reduction waits for a hearing while the scheduled amount can be posted now.Read moreChargesKidnapping (PC 207)A violent felony where distance is judged in context, not miles.Read moreChargesArsonPC 451 is wilful, PC 452 is reckless. Whether the structure was inhabited decides the tier.Read moreProcessThe Preliminary HearingA felony-only hearing weeks after arraignment, and one of the few points where bail genuinely moves.Read moreCo-signerSurrendering a Bond (PC 1300)How a co-signer gets off a bond, and the good-cause rule that decides whether the premium comes back.Read moreAmountsStrike Priors and BailOne strike prior takes Orange County bail to $100,000; two to $200,000 — even on a minor current charge.Read moreChargesDUI Causing Injury — VC 23153A different statute from an ordinary DUI, with a different bail tier and a great bodily injury allegation that can make it a strike.Read moreWarrants & releaseParole Violation HoldsNot bailable in the ordinary way. Why a bond on the new charge will not lift it, and what does help.Read moreCostsCash Bail vs a Bail BondOne ties up the full amount and comes back; the other costs a premium that does not. Which is right, and why 10% is not a legal ceiling.Read more
CostWhat a Bail Bond CostsFiled rates, what 10 CCR 2081 permits, lawful rebates, and why there is only ever one premium.Pricing & payment plans
IndemnitorCosigner ResponsibilitiesWhat the signature actually commits you to, the ceiling on exposure, and the rights that cannot be waived.Before you sign
SecurityCollateralWhen it is asked for, how it must be held, when it comes back, and the one sequence that puts it at risk.How collateral works
Orange CountyOC Bail ScheduleThe 2026 schedule explained — including what happens to charges that are not listed in it.Read the schedule
LA CountyLA Bail ScheduleDollar figures, CR/BR/MR designations, and a side-by-side comparison with Orange County.Read the schedule
$0 bailLA Pre-Arraignment ReleaseWho is released without money in Los Angeles County since October 2023 — and who is not.When no bond is needed
PC 1270Own Recognizance ReleaseRelease on a signed promise instead of money, and the misdemeanor entitlement most families never hear about.OR release
PC 1289Bail Reduction HearingsWhat the judge must weigh, the unusual-circumstances rule, and why no agent can promise a result.Reduction motions
PC 1303 / 1305Bail ExonerationThe nine ways a bond ends, and why exoneration is not the same as getting money back.When a bond ends

Both counties

Orange County and Los Angeles County

These services apply across both counties, but the two work differently. Los Angeles County has operated Pre-Arraignment Release Protocols since October 2023, and for many arrests there no money bail is required at all. Orange County still runs on its county bail schedule.

Orange CountyBail BondsHow bail works across the county, our three offices, and what to do first after an arrest here.Orange County hubOrange CountyCourthousesThe four justice centers, which cities each covers, and how to work out where a case is heard.OC courthousesOrange CountyJails & Inmate InformationThe three county facilities, the official inmate locator, and what has to happen before bail can be posted.OC jailsLos Angeles CountyBail BondsWhat the release protocols changed, when a bond is still needed, and how we work the county from the line.Los Angeles County hubLos Angeles CountyCourthousesThe Southeast, East and South district courthouses, with addresses and what each one covers.LA courthousesLos Angeles CountyJails & Inmate InformationMen and women are booked into different facilities here. Find out which one before traveling.LA jails

The communities we cover are listed on Orange County cities & areas and Los Angeles County cities & areas, or the global areas we serve index. In Orange County, the eight cities of North Orange County go to the North Justice Center in Fullerton; others go to Central in Santa Ana, West in Westminster, or Harbor in Newport Beach. The full index is at courthouses.

Questions people ask before anything else

These are the ones that decide whether you need a bond at all — and the answer is often that you do not. We would rather you read these first than pay for something you did not need.

ReferenceJail vs Prison in CaliforniaDifferent systems at different stages. Only one of them has bail, and knowing which decides what can be done tonight.Read more
ProcessCite and Release (PC 853.6)For most misdemeanours the law’s default is a notice to appear — no booking, no bail amount, no bond.Read more
WarrantsWalk-Through BailThere is a warrant but no arrest yet. Arrange the bond first, then surrender — including the lawyer step most people skip.Read more
ProcessPosting Bail From Out of StateYou almost certainly do not need to fly in. What a co-signer provides remotely, and what a hold changes.Read more
Bail lawBail Fugitive Recovery (PC 1299)California does not recognise the bounty hunter of television. What the law actually permits.Read more

Someone in custody right now?

Call the office nearest the city of the arrest. We will locate them, confirm the bail amount, and tell you honestly what can happen tonight. All three offices serve both counties, so if you are not sure which to call, any of them will help you.

After the release

What happens once someone is out — the paperwork, the obligations, and the questions co-signers ask most.

PaperworkUnderstanding Release PaperworkWhich document actually controls the court date, and why it beats any website.Read moreCo-signerDoes the Co-signer Go to Court?Short answer no — and the longer answer about what you are really on the hook for.Read moreJailGetting Property BackPhones, wallets and keys come back on a different schedule — and the towed car is worse.Read moreJailInmate Phone CallsRecorded, reviewed, and used as evidence — and why you may not have heard from them yet.Read more

Charges and the statutes behind them

The charge recorded at booking is what sets the bail figure, so the exact code section matters more than the label. These pages explain the sections people are most often arrested on in Orange and Los Angeles County — including the ones where the honest answer is that no bond is needed.

VC 14601Driving on a Suspended LicenceHigh volume — and the warrant it uncovers is usually what keeps someone in custody.Read morePC 647Disorderly ConductIncluding public intoxication — the classic overnight hold that often needs no bond.Read moreHS 11351Possession vs Possession for SaleThe single line that turns a misdemeanour into a five-figure felony amount.Read moreVC 10851Vehicle Theft & Unlawful TakingTwo different statutes cover taking a car, and the difference changes the bail figure.Read morePC 496Receiving Stolen PropertyA wobbler turning on value and knowledge — Prop 47 moved the line to $950.Read moreVC 23103Reckless DrivingUsually a citation — unless injury, alcohol or a warrant is involved. Plus what a “wet reckless” really is.Read morePC 166Violating a Court OrderThe charge that follows a breached protective order, and why release is scrutinised.Read morePC 236False ImprisonmentMisdemeanour unless effected by violence, menace, fraud or deceit.Read morePC 12022How Enhancements Change BailWhy the figure is often far higher than the charge alone would suggest.Read morePC 290Registration ViolationsHow these are treated at the bail stage, and the holds that override the schedule.Read more
HS 11550Under the InfluenceA misdemeanour that usually means a hold until sober, not a bond.Read morePC 415Disturbing the PeaceMisdemeanour or infraction — usually a citation.Read morePC 602TrespassingOrdinary trespass vs PC 601 aggravated trespass, which can be a felony.Read morePC 148.9False IdentificationWhy a false name turns a citation into a booking.Read moreCannabisCannabis After Prop 64What is legal, and what still leads to an arrest.Read morePC 530.5Identity TheftA wobbler that rarely arrives alone, and the source-of-funds issue.Read morePC 32Accessory After the FactCharged not for the offence, but for what someone did afterwards.Read morePC 182ConspiracyAn agreement plus one act — punished as the target offence.Read morePC 136.1Dissuading a WitnessOften created by a recorded jail call after the arrest.Read moreLawWhat Is a Wobbler?Why the same conduct can be a felony or a misdemeanour — and why booking is not the filing decision.Read moreDUIDrug DUI (VC 23152(f))No breath test and no legal limit — including prescribed medication.Read moreDUIUnderage DUIZero tolerance, and a licence suspension with no conviction at all.Read morePC 148.5Falsely Reporting a CrimeUsually arrives at the end of a dispute where both sides called police.Read morePC 466Possession of Burglary ToolsA misdemeanour that turns entirely on intent.Read morePC 484eAccess Card FraudCredit and debit cards have their own scheme — and counts stack fast.Read more

Warrants, holds and release conditions

The questions that decide whether a posted bond actually gets someone out — and what can take release away again.

HoldsHolds and Multiple CasesWhy posting bail does not always mean release — check this before paying.Read moreWarrantsWarrant RecallA bench warrant can often be recalled — sometimes with no custody at all.Read moreBail lawBail RevocationRevocation, forfeiture and surrender are three different events.Read moreReleaseElectronic MonitoringAn ankle monitor is a release condition, not a bail product.Read moreCo-signerRemoving a Co-signerWhy you cannot simply withdraw, and the three options that work.Read moreDUIDUI Test RefusalImplied consent, the DMV and the 10-day hearing deadline.Read moreDUIDUI With PriorsSecond, third and felony DUI, and the probation hold that usually matters more.Read moreChargesMurder and ManslaughterWhere the Constitution allows bail to be denied outright.Read moreHoldsMental Health Holds (5150)A bond does not end a psychiatric hold — and paying early can be wasted.Read moreWarrantsTraffic Ticket WarrantsMost warrants we see started as a citation — and they do not expire.Read moreBail lawArrested Again While on BailPC 12022.1 adds a consecutive two-year term, not just a second case.Read moreAfterIs a Bail Bond Public Record?What is actually visible, and what a background check really reports.Read moreWarrantsRamey WarrantsArrested before the DA has filed anything — why no case shows up.Read more

Practical questions families actually ask

The things nobody warns you about: the car, the lawyer, who is allowed to pay, and what it means when the record disappears.

After arrestGetting a Car BackStorage accrues daily and a 30-day hold can apply — the jail has nothing to do with it.Read moreCourtHow to Get a Public DefenderThe most valuable money is usually a lawyer — and you may not have to spend it.Read moreCo-signerWho Can Post Bail?You need not be family — but two situations make the willing payer the wrong payer.Read moreSearchReleased, or Transferred?A vanished inmate record means one of four things. Only one is good news.Read moreBookingIdentification ProblemsNo ID is a bottleneck at booking and again at release.Read moreAfter releaseConditions of ReleaseGetting out is not the end of the rules — and they often cannot go home.Read moreAfter releaseWho Gets Told About a ReleaseMarsy’s Law gives victims a right to notice. Both sides should understand it.Read more

The first hour: what actually helps

If you have just had the call, this is the order that works. Most of it costs nothing, and two of the steps regularly save people from paying for something they did not need.

  1. Find out which agency made the arrest. A city police department, a Sheriff’s station and the CHP all lead somewhere different. This one fact determines everything after it.
  2. Do not panic at an empty search result. Nobody appears until booking completes, and Los Angeles publishes nothing for roughly the first two hours — see not showing in the search yet.
  3. Get the full legal name, date of birth, and the charge as booked. The bail figure comes from the charge, not from the situation.
  4. Check whether bail is even required. Most misdemeanours default to release on a notice to appear under PC 853.6, and LA releases many non-violent arrests at $0 bail — see cite and release and LA pre-arraignment release.
  5. Ask the facility whether there are holds. A warrant, probation or parole hold, or an immigration detainer means a bond may release nobody — see holds and multiple cases.
  6. Say nothing about the case on the phone. Jail calls are recorded and routinely used as evidence — see inmate phone calls.
  7. Then, and only then, work out the money. See cash bail vs a bail bond, and consider appointed counsel before committing everything to a premium.
SearchNot Showing in the Search YetAn empty result almost never means what it feels like.Read moreHoldsMedical Holds & Hospital TransfersTreatment comes before booking — and a bond posted early buys nothing.Read moreCourtWhen the Court Date ChangesMissing a moved date costs exactly as much as missing the first one.Read more

Court procedure, holds and what comes next

The parts of the process that decide how long this lasts, what can end it early, and what keeps someone in custody when the money is already paid.

CourtHow Long Does a Case Take?And how long the co-signer stays obligated.Read moreCourtDiversion ProgramsPC 1000, 1001.36 and 1001.80 — when a case can end without a conviction.Read moreCourtCompetency (PC 1368)When a doubt is declared, the criminal proceedings stop.Read moreProbationSearch ConditionsThe most common route back into custody — and no bond lifts the hold.Read moreHoldsExtradition HoldsWhen another state wants someone, a California bond does not open the door.Read moreAfter releaseFirearm RelinquishmentA lawful owner can become a prohibited person overnight.Read moreCourtCourt InterpretersLanguage should never be why a date or a condition is misunderstood.Read moreJailSending Mail to an InmateThe one channel not metered by the minute — but it is read.Read moreJailMedication & Medical CareWhat actually helps, and why you cannot hand medication over at a counter.Read more

Our three offices

Anaheim1055 N Harbor Blvd
Anaheim, CA 92801(714) 520-2002
Brea1211 W Imperial Hwy #202
Brea, CA 92821(657) 286-5038
La Habra510 E La Habra Blvd
La Habra, CA 90631(562) 690-8303

Open 24 hours, 7 days a week. These are our only physical locations — full details for Anaheim, Brea and La Habra, or see all locations.

Please note: American Freedom Bail Bonds is a licensed California bail bond agency (license 1841014). We are not attorneys and nothing on this page is legal advice. Statute references are provided for general information and are current to the best of our knowledge; law and local practice change. We cannot guarantee bail amounts, release times, eligibility for release, or the outcome of any case. For advice about a specific case, speak to a defense attorney.