Jefferson County Jail – Bessemer Inmate Bail & Bonds

Jefferson splits adult bookings between a Birmingham jail and a Bessemer jail:

• Birmingham jail: 809 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N, Birmingham, AL 35203, 205-325-5670. It books state-charge arrests from the Birmingham Division, which covers most of the county.
• Bessemer jail: 1822 2nd Avenue North, Bessemer, AL 35020, 205-481-4160. It books arrests from the Bessemer Division, often called the Bessemer Cutoff, on the western side.

Transfers between Birmingham and Bessemer do happen, and a city lockup may have the person first. When the Birmingham desk has no record, try Bessemer next, and the reverse. Each time, give the legal name exactly and the date of birth so staff pull the correct file.

The bond comes from a judge, magistrate or court officer in whichever court holds the case. The jail copies the amount onto the booking record, but the signed court order is what counts. If the jail and the court show different numbers, go by the order.

When officers arrest without a warrant and hold the person, Alabama Rule 4.3 allows the state 48 hours to show a judge probable cause. For a warrant arrest where the family cannot cover the bond, 72 hours is the outer limit for that first appearance. Domestic violence cases add a short wait, since only a judge sets that bail, and the wait may not pass 24 hours. To read the order, call the circuit clerk in Birmingham at 205-325-5355 or in Bessemer at 205-497-8510.

The sheriff runs a Pre-Trial Release Office inside each county jail. Staff screen people for release on recognizance or a signature bond. When someone does not qualify, the same office helps the family post the bond another way.

• Birmingham office: inside the jail at 809 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N, Birmingham, AL 35203, 205-325-5716.
• Bessemer office: inside the jail at 1822 2nd Avenue North, Bessemer, AL 35020, 205-481-8529.

When you call, ask three things: which window or door to use, what hours it is staffed, and which kinds of payment it takes. Those details can change, so ask each time you go, even if you have posted a bond there before.

Sometimes, yes. A judge can allow a signature bond or release on recognizance, which means the person signs a written promise to return for each court date instead of paying cash. In 2023 the sheriff's office said these bonds are used for amounts up to $15,000. Whether a person qualifies still depends on the charge, their record and the judge.

The person must follow every condition of release, such as staying away from a victim, even when no money was paid. Missing court can turn a free release into a new warrant. To ask about eligibility, call Pre-Trial Release at 205-325-5716 for the Birmingham jail or 205-481-8529 for the Bessemer jail.

Alabama Rule 7.2 gives judges a chart of suggested amounts. A judge in either division may go above or below these figures after looking at the charge, safety concerns, past record and ties to the area:

• Class C misdemeanor: $300 to $1,000
• Class B misdemeanor: $300 to $3,000
• Class A misdemeanor: $300 to $6,000
• DUI: $1,000 to $7,500
• Class D felony: $1,000 to $10,000
• Class C felony: $2,500 to $15,000
• Class B felony: $5,000 to $30,000
• Class A felony: $10,000 to $60,000
• Drug manufacturing or trafficking: $5,000 to $1,500,000

The complete Rule 7.2 bail chart lists every group. Our Alabama bail law overview fills in the statewide rules.

Call the Pre-Trial Release Office at the jail holding the person first. If staff tell you to pay at the court, go to the clerk for that division:

• Birmingham clerk: Jefferson County Courthouse, 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N, Birmingham, AL 35203, 205-325-5355, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Bessemer clerk: Bessemer Justice Center, 1851 2nd Avenue North, Bessemer, AL 35020, 205-497-8510, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Carry photo ID along with the booking number and the person's legal name. Insist on a receipt that carries the case number, and store it somewhere safe until the case ends. The clerk will want to see it if you later ask for a refund.

A money order or cashier's check is the safest choice. Personal checks are refused. Ask the window ahead of time whether it also takes cash or cards, because each office sets its own rules.

Plan for an Alabama add-on charge on top of the bond itself. This state fee is 3.5% of the bond, but never under $100 for a misdemeanor or $150 for a felony. Then $35 more is added. A card payment page for traffic tickets and fines, such as AlaPay, is a separate thing and should not be used for bond without the court's instructions. For the payment rules at either jail, call Pre-Trial Release at 205-325-5716 or 205-481-8529.

Bonding companies post the full bond for a family in exchange for a fee. A judge has to approve a surety bond first. That fee, known as the premium, stays with the company even after the case ends.

• Get the premium, any collateral and your cost if the person misses court in writing.
• The state licenses agents, so confirm yours through the Alabama Professional Bail Bonding Board.
• Do not pay anyone who reached out to you first by text or social media.

Keep the signed contract and every receipt until the case and any collateral are fully settled.

A property bond uses real estate to back the release. Every owner listed on the deed has to sign. The clerk will ask to see the deed and a current value from the tax assessor or an appraisal.

Before you pay for any paperwork, call the clerk in the division that has the case. Ask whether property in another county can be used and what documents are needed. The Birmingham clerk is at 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N, Birmingham, AL 35203, 205-325-5355. The Bessemer clerk is at 1851 2nd Avenue North, Bessemer, AL 35020, 205-497-8510. A property bond can take longer to set up than cash, so ask how long the review usually takes.

City officers may take a person to a city lockup before, or instead of, the county jail. A city charge is bonded through that city's own court, not the county clerk.

• Birmingham City Jail: 425 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205, 205-254-6369. Its desk may take cash, money orders or cashier's checks for city bonds.
• Homewood Jail: 1833 29th Avenue South, Homewood, AL 35209, 205-332-6210.
• Birmingham Municipal Court: 801 17th Street North, Birmingham, AL 35203, 205-254-2161.
• Bessemer Municipal Court: 23 15th Street North, Bessemer, AL 35020, 205-426-8602.

When you pay a city bond with a money order, write the person's name and jail ID on the memo line.

A capital charge may mean no bond at all. Prosecutors in either division can use Aniah's Law to seek a no-bail hearing for listed violent crimes, and murder, kidnapping and first-degree robbery are among them. Voters added more crimes to that list on May 19, 2026. Amendment 1 now reaches attempted murder too, along with shooting into an occupied home, vehicle or building.

The defense lawyer can argue against the request at the hearing. Each division has its own prosecutors:

• District Attorney, Birmingham Division: 801 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N, Birmingham, AL 35203, 205-325-5252.
• District Attorney, Bessemer Division: 1851 2nd Avenue North, Suite 110, Bessemer, AL 35020, 205-497-8610.

Separately, a hold placed by some other agency may keep a person locked up after bond is set.

Only a judge can lower a bond. Jail staff and the Sheriff's Office at 205-325-5700 cannot change it. Usually defense counsel asks in writing, and under Alabama Rule 7.4 the judge may change the terms for good cause once both sides have had a say.

Families can help by collecting proof of work, housing, income and health, plus a plan for getting to each hearing. Rule 7.4 also requires a circuit judge to look again at the conditions once someone has waited in jail over 90 days for trial. That second look may still leave the amount unchanged. To find the case file, call the Birmingham clerk at 205-325-5355 or the Bessemer clerk at 205-497-8510.

Money for a private lawyer is often short. In that case, the accused can ask the judge, at that first setting, to name a lawyer for them. The county Public Defender's Office handles state cases in both divisions and answers at 205-588-4220. The judge makes the appointment after reading a sworn form about income, property and debts.

Posting bond does not by itself make a person ineligible. Alabama Rule 6.3 lets the court look at the question again if money troubles change. For statewide policy, contact the Office of Indigent Defense Services at 100 North Union Street, Suite 680, Montgomery, AL 36104, 334-242-7059. Raising bail is no substitute for a lawyer's advice before a plea or before giving up a hearing.

Missing court in either division usually means a new warrant, and the family may lose its bond money. Alabama Rule 7.6 requires notice and time to answer before forfeiture is final, so hand any court notice to the defense lawyer that same day.

Check the date and the next step with the clerk:

• Birmingham clerk: 205-325-5355, with case lookups on the Birmingham clerk site.
• Bessemer clerk: 205-497-8510, with case lookups on the Bessemer clerk site.

Calling a lawyer quickly often gives the person a better chance to fix the problem before an arrest.

Families who post cash with the court usually see that money returned after the final ruling, so long as every hearing was attended. The court may first subtract fines, court costs or restitution. Rule 7.6(e) covers how the court discharges the bond and sends back the deposit.

A bondsman's premium is a fee for a service, and it is gone for good. Keep every receipt. If the payer moves, give the clerk the new address so the check reaches them. To ask how a refund was handled, call the Birmingham clerk at 716 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N, Birmingham, AL 35203, 205-325-5355, or the Bessemer clerk at 1851 2nd Avenue North, Bessemer, AL 35020, 205-497-8510.

One paid bond may not end custody. Another open case, an out-of-county warrant, probation, a federal order or an immigration hold can each need separate action. Ask the jail about holds before you pay.

Once the money is in, staff must process papers, run final record checks and hand back property. At jails this size, plan on several hours, longer on weekend nights. Phone ahead, and come with ID and someone to drive. The Birmingham jail is at 809 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. N, Birmingham, AL 35203, 205-325-5670. The Bessemer jail is at 1822 2nd Avenue North, Bessemer, AL 35020, 205-481-4160.

A caller who says your family member will be freed if you send gift cards, Cash App money or a wire transfer is running a scam. No county jail or court takes bail that way over the phone. Scammers may already know the person's name and charge, so do not let that convince you.

Hang up and dial the jail yourself: Birmingham at 205-325-5670 or Bessemer at 205-481-4160. Pay only at the clerk's office, through the steps Pre-Trial Release gives you, or to a licensed bondsman you found on your own. If you think you were targeted, tell the Sheriff's Office at 205-325-5700.

Federal charges skip the state chart completely. Federal judges in Birmingham hear these cases in the courthouse named for Hugo L. Black, 1729 5th Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203, 205-278-1700. That court is the Northern District of Alabama, Southern Division.

• The case opens with a hearing in front of a magistrate judge.
• Pretrial services looks into the person's job, address and record.
• The government can ask for detention until trial.
• Under 18 U.S.C. § 3142, release turns on flight risk and danger, not a price list.

Until sentencing, the U.S. Marshals Service handles custody at 1729 5th Avenue North, Room 240, Birmingham, AL 35203, 205-829-6611. The Bureau of Prisons locator shows where a sentenced person is serving time.

Not on bond alone. A paid county or city bond does nothing to an immigration detainer. With Form I-247A, ICE can seek up to 48 more hours of custody so its officers can get there. Any state bond still has to be paid for the state case to move forward.

Questions about Alabama detainers go to ICE's New Orleans Field Office, 181 James Drive W, St. Rose, LA 70087, 504-318-2360. Short ICE stays in this state often happen at three county jails: Etowah (Gadsden), Pickens (Carrollton) and Baldwin (Bay Minette). Search the ICE detainee locator; it needs the person's A-number plus birth country.

Children under 18 on an ordinary juvenile charge go to the Ross-Bell Youth Detention Center, 140 Second Court North, Birmingham, AL 35204, 205-325-5437 or 205-325-5498, not to the adult jails. Juvenile court has no cash bail. Within 72 hours, a detention hearing decides if the child must remain at the center.

Youth cases are heard by Family Court at 120 2nd Court North, Birmingham, AL 35204, 205-325-5491. Juvenile probation intake looks at each complaint and then sends the child home, handles it without a court filing, or files a petition. Youth records are private, so the adult roster may show nothing. Some older teens facing very serious charges are tried as adults, and then adult bail rules apply.

A state prison sentence rarely means a same-day move. Usually the person stays in the Birmingham or Bessemer jail until the Alabama Department of Corrections can take them. A reception unit then screens them and picks a prison.

• Search ADOC's prisoner records. Typing the AIS number, six digits long, avoids mixing up two people with one name.
• Sign up on VINELink, pick Alabama, and set up phone, text or email alerts.
• Read about each prison on our Alabama prison directory.

Until the transfer, the Birmingham jail at 205-325-5670 or the Bessemer jail at 205-481-4160 can tell you if the transfer has happened yet.