San Luis Obispo County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

San Luis Obispo County Jail

Address:
1585 Kansas Ave.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405

Phone:

805-781-4600

How do Bail Bonds work at San Luis Obispo County Jail

San Luis Obispo County Jail Inmate Bail

805-781-4600

  • Unless a San Luis Obispo County inmate has a hold or has a "No Bail Status," bail may be posted by paying to the jail the full amount.
  • Bail may be paid in U.S. currency, cashier's check, official bank check, certified check, or U.S. Postal Service money order made out to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.
  • Personal checks or credit cards are not accepted.
  • To post a bond as bail, search online for licensed bail agencies.
  • Bail for out-of-county (but still in California) warrants may be posted in the same manner as listed above.
  • For bail information on an inmate currently in custody call (805) 781-4600.

 

Who do I call to find out the Bond for an Inmate?

Please call the jail at 805-781-4600 for the type of bond and any information that is required for a particular individual at San Luis Obispo County Jail.
A bond is set according to a court-approved schedule.
The purpose of the bond is to assure the offender's appearance in court.

Instructions on how to post Bail or Bond in San Luis Obispo County

Because San Luis Obispo County and California can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the San Luis Obispo County Jail at 805-781-4600, or the court in the jurisdiction (i.e. Municipal Court, District Court, etc.) where the offender was charged, right after an arrestee has been booked. 

Ask the staff at the San Luis Obispo County Jail or the San Luis Obispo County Court Clerk these specific questions:

  1. Is the defendant eligible for bail or a bond?
  2. How much will the bail or bond be, and what are the additional fees?
  3. Where do I go to pay it?
  4. Are there any days or times of the day or night when I cannot post bail?
  5. What types of payment are allowed? Cash? Money order? Credit card? What types of credit cards? Property or other collateral? Surety bonds?
  6. Do I have to use a bail or bond agent?

If you feel the bail is too high and you wish to get it reduced, contact a lawyer or the defendant's public defender and get them to look into what they can do to get a bail reduction. The sooner you get working on this the quicker you will get your loved one released. 

This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.

Option 1 - How to Post Bail using Cash for a Defendant at San Luis Obispo County Jail

The first option, a cash bond, is to pay the full bail amount in cash, cashier's check, or money order. Personal Checks are not accepted.

Depending on the crime, this amount could be anywhere from $100 to $75,000 or more.

To pay a cash bond, go to San Luis Obispo County Jail or to the court where the bail hearing occurred. Going directly to the jail will quicken the release of the defendant as any bail paperwork processed at the court will have to be transferred to the jail.

Cashier's Checks and Money Orders may be made out to San Luis Obispo County Jail where the defendant is being held, but usually to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office or to the San Luis Obispo County Court.

To purchase money orders visit any Western Union, Moneygram or Post Office.

Option 2 - How to Post a Private or Surety Bond for a Defendant at San Luis Obispo County Jail

In the event that someone does not have the full bond amount available to him or her, there is what is called a private bond or surety bond.

This is an agreement made with a bail agent or bondsman who will post the full bail amount. In return, the defendant and/or cosigner will pay a premium to the bail agent. This premium will be 10-15% of the full bail amount.



For example, if bail is posted at $5,000, then the premium will cost approximately $500-$750.

A bail agent will often require some form of collateral, for example, a lien on a house, a car or jewelry. This is to ensure that if the defendant skips bail, or does not appear in court, the bail agent has some sort of compensation for the full bail amount being paid.

Remember, by making an agreement with a bail agent the signatory takes responsibility for paying the full bail amount if the defendant does not appear in court.

Option 3 - How to Post a Property Bond for a Defendant at San Luis Obispo County Jail

If you are a landowner in San Luis Obispo County you may be able to post a property bond. Property within San Luis Obispo County may be used as collateral to bail someone out. All owners of the property must be present to sign the bond in order for this to happen.

To find if property located outside of San Luis Obispo County can be used as collateral, call a local bail or bond agent or contact a defense lawyer.

Click here for additional information on how to post bail at San Luis Obispo County Jail.

Who can post Bail or Bond for a Defendant at San Luis Obispo County Jail?

Anyone over the age of 18 who can produce a valid government-issued photo ID can post bail. Accepted forms of ID include a Photo Driver's License, Passport, or Motor Vehicle issued ID.

In many circumstances, if the defendant has the resources, they can post their own cash bail from jail.

Surety Bonds are arranged by a third party, typically a California state licensed Bail Bond firm.

Juveniles may only be bailed or bonded out of custody by a parent or legal guardian.

San Luis Obispo County Justice System Flowchart

When will the Cash Bail or Collateral be returned to me?

Money or collateral will not be returned until the defendant's court case is finished, so realistically it could take several months to years, depending on the severity of the charges. If a defendant posts his or her own bail, San Luis Obispo County Court may retain whatever amount of fines or fees have accumulated throughout the trial.

What happens to my Bail or Collateral if the Defendant misses Court?

The San Luis Obispo County Judge may order a failure to appear warrant for the person's arrest or the Judge may order a Bail Commissioner's Letter be issued that will be sent to the person with a new court date.

If cash bail was paid, the entire amount may be forfeited.

How Do Visit an Inmate in San Luis Obispo County Jail?

To visit an inmate in San Luis Obispo County you need to do the following:

San Luis Obispo County Jail uses the services of NCIC for remote video visitation. In other words, you can visit your inmate in jail by using your home computer, as long as it is equipped with a microphone and camera that supports video.

When available, the jail also provides use of ‘video visit kiosks’ in the San Luis Obispo County Jail lobby if you do not have a computer at home. These ’on-site’ video visits are FREE.

Costs
NCIC Video Visitation fees are subject to change, but the cost to you is roughly $7.50 ($0.25 per minute) for a 30-minute visit + an additional fee of $2.00 for the connection.
On-site (at the jail) video visits are FREE.

How to set up your Video Visit

  • Register here.  
  • Select San Luis Obispo County Jail
  • Select your inmate.
  • Choose your date and time.

Your inmate will be notified by the San Luis Obispo County Jail staff of the date and time for the visit. Be sure to be in front of your computer and connected to NCIC at least 15 minutes before the start of the visit.

NCIC Customer Service
Phone - 800-943-2189 or 903-247-0069
Email – [email protected]

For all the information you need to know, whether it be 'in person' at-the-jail visitation or remote video visitation with your San Luis Obispo County inmate, go to our Visit Inmate Page.


 

San Luis Obispo County Jail Inmate Mail Policies and Address - What Can You Send, and Where?

For inmates receiving mail in the San Luis Obispo County Jail there are different addresses and policies depending on the inmate's status, as well as what type of mail they are receiving; personal mail, legal mail, subscriptions or books sent from a third-party such as Amazon.

All mail is to be shipped to the San Luis Obispo County Jail:
Inmate's Full Name & Identification Number
San Luis Obispo County Jail
880 Oklahoma Avenue
San Luis Obispo, CA. 93405


For complete information on mail policies, what you can send an inmate and what address to send them, check out our Inmate Mail page.


 

How to Send a Secure Email Message to an Inmate in San Luis Obispo County

To send a secure email message to an inmate in San Luis Obispo County Jail follow these steps:

San Luis Obispo County Jail uses the services of NCIC for you to deposit funds into your {San Luis Obispo County inmate’s account so that you and they can purchase secure email messaging services from this jail’s e-messaging service.

You can deposit money three different ways:

•    Deposit online at NCIC.com
•    Deposit at the kiosk in the San Luis Obispo County Jail lobby, if available.
•    Deposit over the phone 24/7 at 800-943-2189 or 903-247-0069 (Note: if you deposit money using a live agent the fee is $5.95).
Email – [email protected]

For all information on how to Text/Email an Inmate in San Luis Obispo County Jail check out our Secure Messaging Guide for San Luis Obispo County.


 

How Do I put Money on an Inmate's Commissary Account in the San Luis Obispo County Jail to Purchase Phone Cards?

There are FOUR options for putting money on an inmate's books:

Option 1 - Dropping Money at the San Luis Obispo County Jail
Bring money to the jail in person. 
Either the jail personnel will process the Inmate Account payment or you will use the NCIC self-serve kiosk in the lobbies that accepts cash, debit or credit cards.

Option 2 - Deposit Inmate Money Online
San Luis Obispo County Jail uses NCIC to process all online deposits to an inmate's account. NCIC charges you a small fee for doing so, but the fee probably isn't as much as gas and parking would cost to take it to the jail in person.



Option 3 - Mail the Inmate Deposit to the Jail
Mailing a deposit takes more time to process than the other methods but can be done if you live too far away to bring it in person and you don't have a debit/credit card for online deposits. Never send cash. Always send a Money Order from the US Post Office, a reputable bank or Western Union.
Make the Money Order out to the inmate's name and put their Inmate ID# in memo section of the Money Order.  Mail it to the San Luis Obispo County Jail address on this page, or to the address below if it is different than the facility address.
Inmate's Full Name & Identification Number
San Luis Obispo County Jail
880 Oklahoma Avenue
San Luis Obispo, CA. 93405

Option 4 - Make an Inmate Deposit over the Phone by calling 800-943-2189

For more information about sending an inmate money for phone cards or other commissary sundries, check out our Inmate Money Page.


 

How to Rent a Tablet for an Inmate at the San Luis Obispo County Jail

San Luis Obispo County Jail offers NCIC tablets to rent to inmates that they can use for video visitation and calls, phone calls, instant messaging, education and entertainment.

They can also be used for commissary ordering.

To find out more bout how much tablets cost to rent, and what programs, entertainment, education and other things it can be used for, check out our Tablet Page.


 

How to deposit money in an inmate's account in the San Luis Obispo County Jail

  • To deposit money online go the NCIC website
  • To deposit money over the phone call 800-943-2189
  • To deposit money at the jail use the NCIC Kiosk in the San Luis Obispo County Jail lobby.
  • Call the jail at 805-781-4600 to confirm lobby hours for depositing inmate funds.

For complete information on depositing money in an inmate's account, check out our Inmate Money page.


 

How to Deposit Money into an Inmate's Account in San Luis Obispo County Jail

To deposit money into the account of an inmate in San Luis Obispo County, follow these instructions:

  • Create an account with Touchpay Services, a GTL company.
  • Select California.
  • Select San Luis Obispo County Jail
  • Enter the Inmate ID of your inmate.  This can be found by calling 805-781-4600 or by looking up the inmate's name in the Inmate Search link.
  • Enter your billing information and send money.
  • You can also deposit cash using the kiosk at the San Luis Obispo County Jail.  To do this you need the Inmate's ID Number and the Facility Locator Number for San Luis Obispo County.

For all the information you need regarding making an inmate deposit, what it costs, how much you can send, how long it takes for your inmate to receive funds and more, and to get the Facility Locator Number, check out our Send Money Page.


 

How Does an Inmate Make Phone Calls in San Luis Obispo County Jail?

To receive phone calls from an inmate in San Luis Obispo County follow these instructions:

San Luis Obispo County Jail uses the services of NCIC for inmate phone calling. It is called a ‘friends & family account”.

In order to receive phone calls from your inmate, you need to do the following:

  • Register here, or by phone 800-943-2189
  • Choose California.
  • Choose San Luis Obispo County Jail
  • Select your Inmate.
  • Enter the phone number your Inmate will be calling.
  • Fund your Account. ($10-$100 at a time)

NOTE:
1.   You cannot receive any calls to your phone number from your inmate until both you and your phone number are registered.
2.  When you do receive a call, the number you will view on your phone from the incoming call is: 800-943-2189.
3.  When allowed by San Luis Obispo County Jail, families can also leave secure voicemails for inmates to listen to.

Fees

  • Adding funds to your account - $3.00 
  • Cost of phone call of a Prepaid Collect Account - $0.21 per minute
  • Cost of an interstate (ex. California to a different state) phone call NOT Prepaid - $0.25 per minute
  • Cost of an intrastate (ex. California to California) phone call NOT Prepaid - $0.25 per minute
  • Cost if you set up your account (or fund it) by phone using a live agent, you will be charged a one-time fee of $5.95.

NCIC Customer Service
Phone - 800-943-2189 or 903-247-0069
Email – [email protected]
Full list of participating jails.

For all the information regarding phone calls with San Luis Obispo County inmates; rules, policies, phone calling times, fees, limits and more visit our Inmate Phone Page.


 

How to Send a Carepack Commissary Package Directly to an Inmate in San Luis Obispo County

To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in San Luis Obispo County Jail follow these steps:

  • Register here to create an account with icaregifts for San Luis Obispo County.
  • Choose California, then San Luis Obispo County Jail, and then the products you want shipped to them, and input your payment method. 
  • NOTE: There may be a limit on how much product you can send your inmate in San Luis Obispo County at any one time.
  • There are a total of fourteen (14) pre-determined icaregift packs available to choose from. 
  • The gift packs for inmates in San Luis Obispo County range in price from $10.49 for ten pre-stamped envelopes, 2 pens and a pad of writing paper, to $104.99 for a box of 85 snack and food items.

For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in San Luis Obispo County Jail, as well as sending money to the inmate so that they can purchase their own items, check out our Commissary Instructions Page for San Luis Obispo County.


 

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