Napa County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Search for an Inmate or Active Arrest Warrant in Napa County

California • Napa County • Bail & bond help

Napa County bail and bond: the new jail south of town, and the courthouse downtown

People arrested in Napa County are held at the Napa County Jail, 2210 Napa Vallejo Highway, which opened in August 2025 and replaced the old downtown jail. The county Department of Corrections runs it, not the Sheriff. Its phone is 707-253-4401. Court is still downtown at 1111 Third Street. Look up your family member with Napa County Inmate Search before you go anywhere, and use the phone for the rest.

Which building is he in, the old one on Third Street or the new one?

The new one. A court statement on detention says the jail at 2210 Napa-Vallejo Highway opened August 20, 2025, replacing the downtown jail damaged in the 2014 earthquake. Some websites still list 1125 Third Street. Do not drive there looking for him. Check Napa County Inmate Search, then call 707-253-4401.

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Why does the Sheriff's number not get me anywhere?

Napa County's jail is run by the Department of Corrections, and the Sheriff's Office does not manage it. The Sheriff, Oscar Ortiz, is at 1535 Airport Boulevard. For custody and release questions, the jail line is 707-253-4401. For a report or an arrest by sheriff's deputies, the Sheriff's main line is 707-253-4509.

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Where do I pay bail?

The county's bail page does not name a payment window or give hours. It says lists of licensed bail bond companies are posted at every public entrance of the jail, and that you should call the bond company for details. For cash, ask the jail first at 707-253-4401 where a deputy takes bail, and bring photo ID.

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Is the lobby kiosk for bail?

No. The lobby kiosk is for putting money on an inmate's account, and the county says it runs on weekdays during normal business hours, not holidays. That money buys phone time and store items. It does not buy freedom. You can also deposit through SmartInmate or by phone at 888-277-2535. Keep deposits and bail in separate receipts.

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How much is bail for the charge on his paper?

Napa's schedule dated June 11, 2025, lists these examples: misdemeanor DUI, $5,000; domestic battery, $10,000; corporal injury to a spouse or partner, $25,000; felony drug possession for sale under Health and Safety Code 11378, $50,000; assault with a deadly weapon, $50,000; second-degree robbery, $100,000. First- and second-degree murder show no bail. A judge may change any figure, and the jail desk, 707-253-4401, has the number for your case.

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Can the jail release him without seeing a judge?

Often, yes. Penal Code 1269b lets the officer in charge of a jail accept bail at the scheduled amount, and the court's judges revise that schedule every year. Some cases are different. Under Penal Code 1270.1, a judge must hold a hearing before release for serious or violent felonies and certain domestic violence cases. Ask at 707-253-4401 which category applies.

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What time does the judge see someone who is still locked up?

The court's criminal page lists in-custody felony arraignments in Department 1 each weekday at 2:30 p.m. Misdemeanor arraignments for people who are not in custody are in Department 3 at 8:30 a.m. The criminal courthouse is at 1111 Third Street, 707-299-1180. A local rule says in-custody complaints must be filed by 11 a.m. on the second court day after the arrest.

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What if the court date has passed and he is still inside?

State law, Penal Code 825, requires a first appearance within 48 hours of arrest, not counting Sundays and holidays. Court holidays and weekends can stretch the wait. Call the clerk at 707-299-1180, open weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and a lawyer can press the issue. A drop box takes same-day filings and payments until 5:00 p.m.

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Are the bail agents in Napa the same as in the paper listing?

Treat the county's posted list as a starting point. The county says the companies on it are vetted and licensed, and the list is also in a PDF on the county Corrections site. You may use any agent licensed in California. Compare fees in writing. The state Department of Insurance says ten percent of the bond is the most common premium, and it is generally not refunded.

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Can we use our house instead of cash?

A property bond is possible in some cases, but Napa's court has not posted rules online for how much equity counts or whether out-of-county land is accepted. Property can be lost if the person fails to appear. Before gathering deeds, call the criminal clerk at 707-299-1180 and ask the court's rules.

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He cannot afford bail. What do I ask for?

Ask a lawyer to request release without money or a lower amount at the first court date. In April 2026 the California Supreme Court held in In re Kowalczyk that a judge may not set bail at an amount the person cannot reach, and should first ask whether conditions short of money would work. Bring proof of a job, a home, and family ties.

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When can the court refuse bail?

The California Constitution, article I, section 12, allows no bail in certain capital cases. It also allows it for some violent or sexual felonies when a judge finds a substantial likelihood of great bodily harm. Napa's own schedule marks first- and second-degree murder as no bail. A probation hold or a warrant from another county can also block release.

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Who represents him if we have no money?

The Napa County Public Defender, 1125 Third Street, Second Floor, Napa, 707-253-4442, is open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The office moved to this address in July 2025. Ask the judge at the first appearance to appoint the office.

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Does a city police station hold people before the jail?

Napa, American Canyon, St. Helena, Calistoga, and the Sheriff all make arrests in the county, and the county lists no city jail. A person may spend a short time at a police station before being taken to the county jail. If you do not know which agency made the arrest, ask the jail at 707-253-4401. The old downtown jail is no longer the booking site.

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Where do arrested teenagers go?

Napa County Probation runs the Juvenile Justice Center, a secure juvenile hall at 212 Walnut Street, Napa, 707-253-4361. It is open all day, every day. A court statement says it holds up to 50 young people. Juvenile records are confidential, so a teenager will not appear in the adult search.

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What happens if he misses court after we paid?

The court can order the bail forfeited. When the bond is over $400, the clerk mails notice, and there are 180 days, plus five for mailing, to bring the person back, under Penal Code 1305. Call 707-299-1180 and the bail agent the same day.

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Napa County bond contacts

County jail
Napa County Jail, 2210 Napa Vallejo Highway, Napa, CA 94558; 707-253-4401
Bond guide
Napa County jails and bail guides
Custody lookup
Napa County Inmate Search
Corrections
Department of Corrections, director A.J. Alarcón; main 707-253-4401
Sheriff
Sheriff Oscar Ortiz, 1535 Airport Boulevard, Napa, CA 94558; 707-253-4509
Criminal court
Criminal Courthouse, 1111 Third Street, Napa, CA 94559; criminal division 707-299-1180; clerk 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Public defender
1125 Third Street, Second Floor, Napa, CA 94559; 707-253-4442
Juvenile hall
Juvenile Justice Center, 212 Walnut Street, Napa, CA 94559; 707-253-4361

Bail amounts, hours, and payment steps can change, and a judge may set a different amount than the schedule. Check with the jail or clerk before you pay anyone. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Napa County Jail

Address:
Hall of Justice
1125 Third Street
Napa, CA 94559
Phone:
707-253-4401

Frequently Asked Questions

California Bail Bond Information


Does Napa County have bail?

What kind of bonds are accepted in Napa County?

Who can set bail in Napa County?

When is bail set in Napa County California?

 

 

Does Napa County have bail?

Yes, California is a bail state, and Napa County allows bail; however California is among a growing number of states who will attempt to release a defendant under bail conditions and/or a reasonable dollar amount rather than impose a dollar amount that cannot be met.

 

 

What kind of bonds are accepted in Napa County?

The court will consider what type of bonds from the following list depending on the circumstances of the arrest.

1.    Judicial public bail/bond is the release of a defendant without any money but must have some kind of supervision while out on bail. 

2.    Cash bail is payment by the defendant or another person in part or in full of the total bail.  The Napa County Clerk of Court supervises this bond. 

3.    Property bail is when one or more people put up property owned in the state of California to cover the bond.  

4.    Professional surety bail is when the defendant is release on bail by having a professional bond company execute the bond.

5.    Unsecured bond is where the arrested is released from custody without having to pay a dollar amount upfront. Instead, the arrested and/or surety signs a bond that says that they will pay the full bond amount if they don’t show up to court. Even though there is no money paid, there are usually conditions such as supervised release, curfew, restraining order or attendance at a treatment center.

6.    A secured bond is where someone called a surety puts up property with greater value than the bond. A professional bondsperson can be a surety in California or a family or friend with property value that exceeds the amount of the bond amount.

 

 

Who can set bail in Napa County?

For most misdemeanors, the police and bail magistrate can set bail at the time of the arrest and initial detention.

There are many factors to consider whether the arrested should be given bail and released or be detained until the arraignment. If the circumstances are such that the bail recommendations do not apply, then bail is set by the judge in Superior Court. The Superior Court judge can also consider changing the initial bail terms at the first court appearance.

 

 

When is bail set in Napa County California?

For some lesser crimes, bail can be set at the time of initial detention and for other crimes, bail is set at the arraignment which must occur within 48 hours of the arrest. 

What is Bail?

Bail is what the arrested in Napa County must pay or do to stay out of jail until the first court appearance. 

The agreement to bail acts as a promise that the arrested will return to court for court dates and trial. Bail usually refers to a dollar amount, but bail can also mean something that has to be done, or a condition such as reporting to an officer of the court, a curfew, restraining orders or attending a treatment program. 

Bail is usually a significant enough amount of money and/or condition that the person will be negatively impacted and has incentive to return to court and not flee. A flight risk usually means that the person would flee the area, and not necessary that they are going to take an airplane. 

If a judge in Napa County feels that the arrested will return to court for further proceedings, the arrested could be released under a conditional release without needing to pay bail money. This is called Released on Own Recognizance, or ROR.  

Conditions for ROR might be to obey all court orders and laws, maintain contact with the lawyer, report changes in residence or have no contact with the victim. Family support will show the court that there are people who will make sure that the defendant makes it to court. 

If the judge or bail schedule determines that the defendant would be a danger to the public if they were released, bail can be denied, and the person will be detained in the Napa County Jail until the case is resolved or goes to trial. 

In California, bail can be denied under the following circumstances:

Capital crimes as with murder, acts of violence or threats to another when the evidence given supports the likelihood that the arrested committed the crime or will act upon the threats. Bail can also be denied if terms of parole, mandatory supervision, post-release orders or felony parole are violated. 

What is the difference between Bail and Bond?

Bail and bond are used interchangeably to mean the same thing but technically, they are different.

The bail is the amount to be paid and a bond is a signed document promising payment of the bail amount with certain conditions.

Think of a bond as a loan to pay for the bail.  

The bond payment is always written to the court in your municipality, Napa County or district directly and does not go through the defendant. Chances of obtaining a bond from a bond company or clerk of court are better if family is involved.  

The thought of being in jail can cause the arrested to panic and try to secure a bond immediately.

DO NOT panic and take the time to understand all the options.  

More courts are now trying to work with defendants to make bail work and might provide non-monetary options or even reduce the bail.  

Payments to a bond company are not refundable. It is a long process to get back property title or money that was given to the clerk of court or bondsperson to secure the bond.  This could put your loved ones into a difficult financial situation. 

Another reason not to unnecessarily rush into securing a bond is that if the court notes that you came up with the money to pay a bond company, they may assume you have resources to pay a defense attorney and decline public defense.  

On the other hand, as anyone who has ever been involved in their criminal defense understands, fighting your case while ‘out on the streets’ gives you a much better chance of either winning, or getting a more favorable sentence.  

What are the different types of bonds in Napa County?

Based on a review of information from the arrest, the judge or bail officer will determine and notify the accused of which types of bonds are available to them.

To describe the types of bonds, let’s use an example of buying your neighbor’s car. Your neighbor decides the price of the car and how they would be paid. Similarly, the court (meaning a police or bail officer, clerk of court, bail magistrate or judge) determines the bail amount and how it would be paid.

Here are different options that the seller of the car or the court might consider:

You could pay full asking price for the car in cash. This is similar to paying cash bail. The full amount of bail would be paid to the town or county clerk or at the jail. Cash, cashier’s checks and credit cards are usually accepted.

You could sign an agreement on your own or with another person to pay for the car at a future date knowing that your neighbor would know where to find you if you stopped payment. This would be similar to a cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond which are bonds to where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front. 

If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you. 

Cash bonds and PR bonds are types of unsecured bonds because you are not securing it with any money down. In bond terms, a surety is a person who will be responsible for making sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up.

Surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.

You can put a deposit down for your neighbor’s car and sign an agreement that the car will be paid off at a later date. Cash percentage in lieu of bonds is when the defendant pays a percentage of the bail amount, usually 10%, to the court which then holds the money until the case is over. 

The amount is returned to the person who paid the 10% after the case is over. In most cases, the full amount is not returned if there are court fees or fines due. This is a type of surety bond if another person signs the bond paperwork.

You could sign an agreement that if the car were not paid off, that your neighbor would get your house or something of value.

A property bond is a bond that the courts might consider in which the bond is pledged in land or home real estate (mobile homes are not accepted).  

Usually, the property must be in the same state as the courts, and it must be worth at least 1 ½ - 2 times the amount of the bond.  

There are multiple court fees involved to execute a property bond with the courts and a tedious process to get the property deed back. This is another type of surety bond if another person or a bond company is used to secure the bond. 

You could also go to a local bank and take out a car loan offering property or anything of value for collateral. You may get someone to co-sign on the loan and offer their property. The bank charges fees, interest and could keep your property if you did not pay the loan back, or even on time.  

A professional bondsperson makes money, at least 10% of the bond amount by providing you with a “loan” called a bond. The percent that they charge is fixed by the state and cannot be negotiated. The defendant or surety does not get that 10% or more back even if the terms of the bail are met. 

With a property bond, the property deed would need to be signed over to the bondsperson and everyone on the deed would need to be involved. 

Since the bondsperson signed off, to be responsible that you show to court as your surety, they can send a bounty hunter to bring you to court if you flee. A bondsperson does not have to give you a bond if the defendant seems to be too much of a risk.

Ask the bondsperson to explain all the costs: percentage, fees or court fees. There is never a reason to rush through signing the paperwork with a bond company. Make sure that everything told to you is in writing and that you understand what you are signing.

Ask questions, and if you feel rushed or don’t understand the contract with the bond company, you might want to call another one.

(There have been phone scams where a bond company calls and informs a person that their family member has been arrested and they ask for financial information.  A bondsperson will not call asking for money without involvement of the arrested.)

Does Napa County California have bail?

Yes, California is a bail state, and Napa County allows bail; however California is among a growing number of states who will attempt to release a defendant under bail conditions and/or a reasonable dollar amount rather than impose a dollar amount that cannot be met.

What kind of bonds are accepted in Napa County?

The court will consider what type of bonds from the following list depending on the circumstances of the arrest.

1.    Judicial public bail/bond is the release of a defendant without any money but must have some kind of supervision while out on bail. 

2.    Cash bail is payment by the defendant or another person in part or in full of the total bail.  The Napa County Clerk of Court supervises this bond. 

3.    Property bail is when one or more people put up property owned in the state of California to cover the bond.  

4.    Professional surety bail is when the defendant is release on bail by having a professional bond company execute the bond.

5.    Unsecured bond is where the arrested is released from custody without having to pay a dollar amount upfront. Instead, the arrested and/or surety signs a bond that says that they will pay the full bond amount if they don’t show up to court. Even though there is no money paid, there are usually conditions such as supervised release, curfew, restraining order or attendance at a treatment center.

6.    A secured bond is where someone called a surety puts up property with greater value than the bond. A professional bondsperson can be a surety in California or a family or friend with property value that exceeds the amount of the bond amount.

Who can set bail in Napa County?

For most misdemeanors, the police and bail magistrate can set bail at the time of the arrest and initial detention.

There are many factors to consider whether the arrested should be given bail and released or be detained until the arraignment. If the circumstances are such that the bail recommendations do not apply, then bail is set by the judge in Superior Court. The Superior Court judge can also consider changing the initial bail terms at the first court appearance.

When is bail set in California?

For some lesser crimes, bail can be set at the time of initial detention and for other crimes, bail is set at the arraignment which must occur within 48 hours of the arrest. 

Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Napa County California? 

Yes, your attorney can request a bond reduction if the bail had already been set.

In Napa County California, who can pay bail for me? 

The person posting bail should be a relative or close friend, called a surety, because they are promising and taking responsibility that you will return to court to get their money back. 

A surety is not responsible for court fees or paying off personal debts for the defendant. A professional bondsperson who is approved by the State of California could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.

Can bail be paid online in Napa County California?   

Yes, California does offer online bail payment. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail: Go to the Napa County Jail for more information about the jails in Napa County.

What options are there to pay bail in Napa County California? 

Most all jail and courts accept cash, a cashier or bankers’ check. Some accept a credit card with fees. Please contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted.

Go to the Napa County Jail for more information about posting bail in Napa County.  

Will I get all my bond money back in California? 

Bail money is returned to the person who paid the bail; in whole or in part once the case is finished. There may be fees, restitution (money to pay for damage caused by the crime) or fines that come out of that amount.

If you used a bondsperson, you would not get your 10% back. Property is returned by the court or bondsperson after the appropriate requests and formal paperwork are completed with the court.

Can I get bail or a bond with no money down in Napa County? 

The judge or officer who sets bail determines which kind of bail will be an option for you, but a cash bond and PR bonds usually do not require cash down, though you might have to pay court fees.

A cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond are bonds where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front. 

If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you. 

Cash bonds and PR bonds are types of unsecured bonds because you are not securing it with any money down. In bond terms, a surety is a person who will be responsible to make sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up.

A surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.

What are the least expensive and affordable bail bonds in California?  

The Napa County Jail or court in this jurisdiction can provide you with a list of approved and licensed bond companies, but they cannot recommend a specific company. You are not obligated to use the first company available and can call several companies to compare what kind of bonds that the bondsperson is willing to execute.  

The percentage of bail that the bond company can charge is set, usually at 10%, by the state and cannot be negotiated.

Search for an Inmate or Active Arrest Warrant in Napa County

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Every detail on this page is checked by hand, not scraped. This unofficial directory helps friends and family of incarcerated individuals find critical information — inmate lists, locations, bail resources, visitation hours, rules, and text, phone, email, and mail services — for jails, detention centers, and prisons across the United States.