Los Angeles County
Downey Bail Bonds
Service area — served from our La Habra office
Downey is one of the larger Gateway cities and one of the few in this corridor that runs its own police department. The Downey Courthouse is also here, which makes the city a hub for the western half of the Southeast District.
Who makes the arrest in Downey
The Downey Police Department is at 10911 Brookshire Avenue, Downey, CA 90241, on (562) 861-0771. Downey runs its own force rather than contracting to the Sheriff, unlike neighboring Pico Rivera and Bellflower.
Do not assume a bond is needed. Since 1 October 2023 the Superior Court’s Pre-Arraignment Release Protocols mean many people arrested in Los Angeles County for non-violent, non-serious felonies and misdemeanors are cited and released at the scene, or booked and released on their own recognizance, with no money bail at all. Money bail still applies to serious and violent felonies, to arrests on a warrant, where a judge sets or increases bail under Penal Code sections 1269c or 1270.1, and where the court restricts the source of bail under Penal Code section 1275.1. Our Los Angeles County guide explains it in full — and if you do not need us, we will tell you.
Where someone is held
Los Angeles County books men and women into different facilities, which is one reason families are told there is no record of their relative. Men are processed at the Inmate Reception Center in downtown Los Angeles — 24-hour intake (213) 473-6080. Women are held at the Century Regional Detention Facility, 11705 S. Alameda Street, Lynwood — (323) 568-4500. Our find an inmate guide explains how to search each system, and our Los Angeles County jails page covers how county custody works.
Ask us to confirm whether the person is still in city custody during booking or has already been transferred into the county system — it decides which building you should be calling.
Which courthouse
- Downey Courthouse — 7500 E. Imperial Highway, Downey, CA 90242
- Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Southeast District
- Public parking is available in the lots in front of the courthouse
Downey is one of the few cities around here with a courthouse inside its own boundaries. That is convenient later, but it does not tell you where someone is being held now, and it does not mean a Downey case is automatically heard there. The building named on the paperwork is what decides it.
Our nearest office to Downey
American Freedom Bail Bonds has no Los Angeles County office. Our three physical offices are Anaheim, Brea and La Habra, all in Orange County. Downey is a service area we cover from our La Habra office, which sits directly on the county line.
Paperwork can be completed electronically and posting happens at whichever facility holds the person, so an agent can meet you at the courthouse or the jail without you coming to an office first.
Charges we are called about
- Warrants — in Los Angeles County a warrant is one of the situations where a bond is genuinely required, because the release protocols address arrest without a warrant.
- Domestic violence — Penal Code section 1270.1 requires a hearing in open court, on two court days’ written notice, before release on own recognizance or at a non-schedule amount for certain of these charges.
- Felony charges — where the serious-or-violent test decides whether the protocols apply at all.
- DUI, drug charges and misdemeanors — frequently within the protocols, so ask before assuming.
- All bail services and payment plans.
Nearby areas we serve
- Pico Rivera — to the north, sheriff-policed
- Bellflower — to the south-east, sheriff-policed
- Norwalk — to the east, same district
- Montebello — to the north, own police department
See also Los Angeles County bail bonds and our service areas.
Where a Downey arrest is held
Downey runs its own police department at 10911 Brookshire Ave., open 24 hours. See Downey Police Department custody for the dispatch number, the transfer route and the courthouse.
The full Downey bail resource network
Most bail websites give you a phone number and nothing else. Below is everything that actually governs a Downey case — where the person is held and for how long, where the bail figure comes from, and the process that controls when they walk out.
Where a Downey arrest is held, and for how long
The Board of State and Community Corrections classifies the Downey City Jail (facility 2100) as Temporary Holding. Under Title 15 § 1006 that means 24 hours or less, pending release, transfer or a court appearance. That is a quarter of the window a Type I city jail has, so a Downey arrest moves to county custody quickly and the useful work happens fast, mostly by phone.
Los Angeles County sets bail differently — and that changes what you should do first
This is the single most important thing to understand about a Downey arrest. Los Angeles County releases many non-violent, non-serious arrests before arraignment at $0 bail, with no bond and no premium. It also publishes no inmate record at all for roughly the first two hours after an arrest, so an empty search result usually means the booking is not finished — not that the person was released or taken elsewhere. Paying anyone before you know which category the case falls into is how people spend money they did not need to spend.
SearchLA County Inmate SearchThe two-hour blackout, and how to search when the record has not appeared yet.Read more
AmountsLA Bail Amount LookupGet the charge, read the county schedule, then check the holds that override it.Read more
WarrantsOut-of-County WarrantsWhy a hold from a neighbouring county stops a release that is otherwise paid for.Read more
The clock, hour by hour
ProcessHow Long Release TakesWhat controls the clock, and the five reasons a release stalls after the money is in.Read more
ProcessJail TransfersWhy someone disappears from the search mid-transfer, and what it does to a bond in progress.Read more
ProcessArraignmentThe PC 825 48-hour rule, excluding Sundays and holidays — and when a judge can change bail.Read more
ProcessArrested on a WeekendWhy a Friday arrest reaches court later, and what can still be done tonight.Read more
PrepareWhat to BringThe information and documents that prevent a second trip.Read more
ProcessAfter You Post BailThe obligations that start the moment the bond is posted — for the defendant and the co-signer.Read more
Before you pay anyone
Co-signerCo-signer ResponsibilitiesA real financial obligation, not a formality. Read this before signing anything.Read more
TrustAvoiding Bail Bond ScamsFive free checks. Start with the Department of Insurance licence lookup — ours is 1841014.Read more
WarrantsHow to Check for a WarrantA second case is the most common reason a paid release does not happen. Check first.Read more
Where a Downey case is heard
Court assignment follows the city of arrest and the charge that is ultimately filed, and the Los Angeles County Superior Court publishes no public city-by-city criminal assignment table. We will not guess at yours: the release paperwork names the actual courthouse, date and time, and that document governs. Use it, and check the date independently before relying on anything else.
See every Los Angeles County courthouse we cover, how to find a court date, and what happens if that date is missed.
Common questions
The courthouse is in Downey. Is my relative there?
No — courthouses do not hold people awaiting release. Check with Downey Police first, then county custody: the Inmate Reception Center for men, Century Regional in Lynwood for women.
Do we need a bail bond?
Often not. Los Angeles County’s release protocols cover many non-violent, non-serious cases. We check before you commit to anything.
Downey has its own police. Does that change things?
It changes who to call first and where the initial paperwork sits. The county release rules apply the same way regardless of which agency made the arrest.
How far is your office?
Our La Habra office is a straightforward drive east. Paperwork can also be completed electronically.
Please note: American Freedom Bail Bonds is a licensed bail bond agency, not a law firm. Nothing on this page is legal advice, and we cannot guarantee a bail amount, a release time, eligibility for release, or the outcome of any case. Los Angeles County release rules changed substantially in October 2023, and court and jail information can change — always confirm details directly with the facility or the court. California bail license 1841014.
Our three offices
Anaheim, CA 92801(714) 520-2002
Brea, CA 92821(657) 286-5038
La Habra, CA 90631(562) 690-8303