Huntington Beach is the largest city in west Orange County, with roughly 194,000 residents and a large seasonal visitor population. The downtown blocks around Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway carry a dense concentration of bars and restaurants.

There is one fact about Huntington Beach that matters more than any of that when someone is arrested here.

Huntington Beach runs a real jail, not just a holding cell

The Huntington Beach Police Department at 2000 Main Street operates a Type I city jail. Unlike a short-term holding room, this facility houses pre-trial arrestees on both felony and misdemeanour charges, with published capacity for 56 men and 16 women. The department publishes a jail line at (714) 536-5691.

The City adds that the jail is staffed by 18 detention officers, five detention shift supervisors and four licensed nurse detention officers, and that it averages over 6,000 bookings annually. The practical consequence for a family is simply this: for a Huntington Beach arrest, the city jail is a real possibility rather than a formality, so it is worth checking before assuming Santa Ana.

Custody can still move to the Orange County Intake Release Center, and county housing may then be at Theo Lacy or Musick. Neither the City nor the Sheriff publishes a fixed sequence or any timings, so we confirm the current location rather than predicting it. We check the city jail first for Huntington Beach, and the county second.

Posting bail at the Huntington Beach City Jail — the published rules

Most Orange County cities publish nothing at all about posting bail. Huntington Beach is the exception, and the detail is worth reading before you drive anywhere.

Who is eligible. The City states that “All inmates booked in the Huntington Beach City Jail are eligible to be released on bail or bond, unless specified by warrant, court order, bail schedule, or the level of the inmate’s intoxication makes it unsafe.”

What the jail accepts for cash bail. Cash, a cashier’s cheque, a money order, or a personal cheque drawn on a California bank, for the full amount. Personal cheques are capped at $7,500, and while several cheques can be combined to make up the total, they cannot come from the same bank account.

What a bond is. The City describes a bond as the deposit of a surety bond by a licensed bail bond company for the amount of the bail. The department does not recommend particular companies — that choice is yours, and it is worth asking any agency what its rate is and how the premium can be paid. See our bail services and payment plans.

Booking, and the phone call. The City describes booking as registering and entering the charges, with personal details recorded, a photograph, fingerprints, a Department of Justice records check and property documented. Medical questions are asked, and calls may be made under Penal Code section 851.1.

Questions about someone in the city jail go to (714) 536-5691.

Visiting the city jail — and why a bail agent is different

The City publishes visiting hours of 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Each inmate may have one visit a day with a maximum of two visitors, each visit lasting 15 minutes per visitor, and no later than the calendar day following arrest. Visitors need government-issued photo identification, complete a visitor form, and are subject to a pat-down. Under-18s may not visit unless accompanied by a parent or guardian, or unless they are the inmate’s spouse.

The exception that matters here: the City states that attorneys, bondsmen and clergy may visit at any time, with valid identification and professional credentials. Arranging a bond therefore does not have to wait for the afternoon visiting window, and does not consume the family’s single daily visit.

If custody has moved to the county

If the person is no longer at Main Street, the Sheriff publishes both county posting points. The Intake Release Center, 550 N. Flower Street, Santa Ana, accepts bonds 24 hours a day on (714) 647-6085. Theo Lacy, 501 The City Drive South, Orange, accepts them daily between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on (714) 935-6905. Note that bail for any court outside Orange County must be paid in cash. To locate someone in county custody, see find an inmate or Orange County jails.

How bail is set

Under Penal Code section 1269b, the superior court judges of each county must adopt and annually revise a uniform countywide bail schedule, and the officer in charge of the jail where a person is held is among those authorised to approve and accept bail. Because Huntington Beach operates its own jail, that authority frequently sits right there in the building on Main Street.

Which courthouse handles the case

• Stephen K. Tamura — West Justice Center — 8141 13th Street, Westminster, CA 92683
• Phone: (657) 622-5900
• Handles traffic, minor offences and criminal matters

The court lists nine cities it serves: Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Stanton and Westminster. It is a full security facility — weapons screening on entry and x-ray of hand-carried items.

Our nearest office to Huntington Beach

American Freedom Bail Bonds has no office in Huntington Beach. Our three physical offices are Anaheim, Brea and La Habra, in the north of the county. Huntington Beach is a service area we cover from them — principally from Anaheim.

The distance matters less than it looks. Bail paperwork is completed electronically and the posting happens at whichever facility holds the person. An agent can meet you at the Main Street jail or at the West Justice Center.

Charges we see most often in Huntington Beach

• DUI — Vehicle Code section 23152 sets 0.08% for most drivers and 0.04% for commercial drivers and those carrying passengers for hire.
• Misdemeanours — public intoxication, open container and disorderly conduct.
• Domestic violence — Penal Code section 1270.1 requires a hearing in open court, on two court days’ written notice, before release on own recognisance or at a non-schedule amount for certain of these charges.
• Felony and drug charges, and warrants.
• All bail services and payment plans.

Nearby cities we also serve

• Westminster — to the north, where the courthouse sits
• Fountain Valley — to the north-east, same courthouse
• Costa Mesa — to the south-east, same courthouse
• Seal Beach — up the coast, same courthouse
• Garden Grove — inland, same courthouse

See also Orange County bail bonds and our service areas.

Common questions

Is my relative at the Huntington Beach jail or the county?

Check the city jail first. The City describes it as a Type I facility that houses pre-trial arrestees on both felony and misdemeanour charges, with room for 56 males and 16 females, so a Huntington Beach arrestee may well still be in the building on Main Street. We check it first and the county second.

Does the city jail accept bail directly?

Yes — and unusually for an Orange County city, Huntington Beach publishes the rules. The City states that “All inmates booked in the Huntington Beach City Jail are eligible to be released on bail or bond, unless specified by warrant, court order, bail schedule, or the level of the inmate’s intoxication makes it unsafe.” Penal Code section 1269b is what puts that authority with the officer in charge of the facility. We still confirm the position in your particular case before you commit to anything.

The arrest happened during a big summer event. Does that change anything?

Not legally. It can affect how long booking takes, simply because volume is higher. That is a practical timing issue, not a difference in process, and we cannot guarantee a release time in any case.

Which courthouse, and where is it?

The West Justice Center at 8141 13th Street in Westminster — not Santa Ana. Huntington Beach is one of the nine cities it serves.

Official sources

• Huntington Beach Police — Jail Bureau — Type I classification, capacity and staffing
• Huntington Beach Police — Booking & Bail Information — eligibility, accepted payment forms and the cheque limit
• Huntington Beach Police — Visitation — visiting hours and the rule for bondsmen, attorneys and clergy
• OC Sheriff — cashier and bail information — county posting hours and payment forms
• OC Sheriff — inmate information system — the county locator
• Orange County Superior Court — West Justice Center — the cities it serves

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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. Court and jail information can change — always confirm details directly with the facility or the court. California bail licence 1841014.