South County Detention Center Inmate Bail & Bonds

Search his name on Tulare County Inmate Search; the record names the building. The county has three: the Pre-Trial Facility, 36650 Road 112, Visalia, 559-735-1750; Detention facility for sentenced inmates, 36712 Road 112, Visalia, 559-735-1700; and the South County Detention Facility, 1960 W. Scranton Avenue, Porterville, 559-782-7800.

A 2014 Sheriff's notice sent women and north-county men to the Pre-Trial Facility and planned South County for southern arrests. It is old, so confirm with the search.

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The Sheriff's 2014 scam warning listed four ways: the kiosk in the lobby of any jail, which needs the full bail amount; a cashier's check made out to the Tulare County Sheriff's Department; cash taken to the jail; or a bail bond company. That notice is more than ten years old, and the Sheriff's current detentions page gives no bail steps.

Before you leave home, call the building that holds him and ask whether the kiosk, check, and cash are all still taken and when.

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Lobby kiosks may handle deposits as well, so read the screen. Money put in through the Visalia lobby kiosk covers calls and commissary only; it frees nobody. Paying bail through the "Easy Kiosk" named in the Sheriff's notice must cover the full bail amount.

If the screen is unclear, stop and ask staff at the number for that building. Keep every receipt.

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The Tulare Superior Court schedule dated November 6, 2025, is adopted under Penal Code 1269b and is revised every year. Misdemeanors: simple battery $10,000; domestic battery $25,000; first DUI $10,000; driving on a suspended license $10,000.

Felonies: residential burglary $100,000; other burglary $25,000; grand theft $25,000; assault with a deadly weapon $25,000; robbery $75,000; felony corporal injury $50,000; selling narcotics under an ounce $60,000; murder $1,000,000. The schedule says a magistrate or judge may set a different amount.

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Yes. The schedule says that after the first court appearance, bail and release without bail are up to the court. Penal Code 1275 makes public safety the first factor, then the charge, his record, and the chance he will return. Tulare judges follow Humphrey (2021) and Kowalczyk (2026): look at conditions without cash first, and if money bail is set, keep it payable for him.

The Public Defender's Visalia office is at 559-636-4500; a private lawyer can also file the request.

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In-custody hearings are held remotely from the Pre-Trial Facility. The court's Visalia location is the County Civic Center, 221 S. Mooney Boulevard, 559-730-5000. Other locations are Porterville, 300 E. Olive, 559-782-3700, and Dinuba, 640 S. Alta Avenue, 559-595-6400. All are open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Dinuba, which is closed Tuesdays and Fridays.

The court page does not say which room handles arraignment, so ask the court for the department. Penal Code 825 requires an appearance within 48 hours of arrest, not counting Sundays and holidays.

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Ask the court before you gather papers. Penal Code 1298 requires a hearing and equity worth twice the bail. We found no Tulare-specific rule on out-of-county land or timing. The Visalia court at 559-730-5000 can point you to the right clerk. Expect extra weeks.

If speed matters, cash or a licensed bail agent moves faster. The state Department of Insurance says agent fees are most commonly ten percent of the bond, use filed rates, and are generally not refunded.

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The state Constitution, article I, section 12, lets a judge refuse bail for capital crimes when the proof is evident, and for violent or sexual felonies when a judge finds a substantial likelihood of great bodily harm if he is freed. Murder charged with special circumstances is one example. An outside county's hold, or one from parole or probation, keeps him jailed too.

Call the building that holds him to learn which reason is listed.

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For certain charges, Penal Code 1270.1 requires an open-court hearing before release at any amount other than the schedule, or release without bail. The list includes serious or violent felonies, felony threats, felony corporal injury, and domestic battery. Check this before you collect cash.

The Public Defender can explain. Call 559-636-4500 (Visalia) or 559-782-6960 (Porterville).

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City police departments book people into the county jails, but Visalia Police policy provides temporary holding cells, with a log and a welfare check at least every 15 minutes. Visalia Police are at 303 S. Johnson Street.

Get the report number from the officer's agency, then check the Tulare roster. Porterville's Sheriff substation answers at 559-782-9650 for county-patrol arrests.

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The Tule River Reservation lies near Porterville. We did not find an official page on who polices it or where tribal arrestees go, so do not guess. Ask the Sheriff's Porterville substation at 559-782-9650 which agency made the arrest.

Then search the county roster; some cases never reach county jail.

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The Tulare County Public Defender has a Visalia office in the courthouse at 221 S. Mooney Boulevard, 559-636-4500, a Porterville office at 20 N. Main Street, 559-782-6960, and a Juvenile office, 559-735-1435. At arraignment, request the Public Defender from the bench.

Do not talk about the case on jail phones.

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At the Juvenile Detention Facility at 11200 Avenue 368, Visalia, part of the county juvenile justice center. The Public Defender lists the facility at 559-735-1600, and county probation lists the Juvenile Justice Center at 559-735-1525. The Juvenile court is at the same address, 559-738-2300.

Welfare and Institutions Code 632 puts the Tulare detention hearing on the court day after the petition at the latest. Tulare's adult lookup leaves out juvenile cases.

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The court can declare it forfeited. After the clerk mails notice, Penal Code 1305 gives 180 days, plus 5 for the mailing, to return him or ask the court to vacate the forfeiture. A bail agent should be told at once.

Call the court location that set his case, then the Public Defender if he has one.

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That's not allowed under the 2026 Kowalczyk ruling, unless the court holds a proper no-bail hearing. Visalia and Porterville judges must weigh ability to pay and set an amount he can reasonably post.

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Tulare's criminal cases are heard in Visalia, with a south county justice center in Porterville:

• Civic center courthouse: 221 South Mooney Boulevard, Visalia, CA 93291 · 559-730-5000
• South County justice center: 300 East Olive Avenue, Porterville, CA 93257 · 559-782-3700
• Dinuba division: 640 South Alta Avenue, Dinuba, CA 93618 · 559-595-6400
• Juvenile courthouse: 11200 Avenue 368, Room 201, Visalia, CA 93291 · 559-738-2300
• Pretrial facility courtrooms: 36650 Road 112, Visalia, CA 93291 · 559-730-5020

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Tulare is in the Fresno division of the Eastern District of California:

• A magistrate judge at Fresno federal courthouse, 2500 Tulare Street, Fresno, CA 93721 hears the first appearance.
• Pretrial Services interviews him.
• Release terms or detention follow.
• The Marshals hold anyone detained.

Fresno Marshals: U.S. Marshals Service, 2500 Tulare Street, Fresno, 559-442-2858.

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SB 54 bars it. Release timing reaches ICE only after a serious or violent conviction. A TRUTH Act notice comes before any ICE interview.

San Francisco ICE field office, 630 Sansome Street, Room 590, San Francisco, CA 94111, 415-365-8800 covers Tulare. Detainees go to:

• Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center: 425 Golden State Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301
• Golden State Annex: 611 Frontage Road, McFarland, CA 93250
• California City detention site: 22844 Virginia Boulevard, California City, CA 93505

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• Tulare County Inmate Search: name; booking and bail.
• VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/): California; facility.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/): register number or name; pretrial: 559-442-2858.
• CDCR Inmate Locator (https://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/): CDCR number or name.
• ICE Online Detainee Locator System (https://locator.ice.gov/odls/): A-number or name and birth country; else 415-365-8800.

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The Sheriff warned of callers who claim a relative is in custody and ask for money on a prepaid card. Do not pay, get the caller's details, and phone the Sheriff at 800-808-0488.

Never trust caller ID alone.

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