Clay County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Clay County bail and bond: the Green Cove Springs jail and the 8 a.m. judge
Clay adults are booked at the Clay County Jail, 901 North Orange Avenue, Green Cove Springs, run by the Sheriff's Office. Begin with Clay County Inmate Search for custody, charges, and bail. Clay's jail desk, 904-529-5905, fills in what the search lacks. A judge hears new arrests every morning at 8:00, and the first bail decision often happens there. The money for a cash bond goes to the Sheriff, while the court papers sit with the Clerk.
Is my family member inside the Clay County Jail?
Type the name into Clay County Inmate Search. In Clay, it's the quickest way to check if a booking posted. A brand-new Clay arrest may be missing for a while; recheck later. If the name still is not listed, call the jail at 904-529-5905 and ask whether the arresting agency has brought the person in.
Arrests can come from Sheriff's deputies or from a town or city police department. Empty Clay search? Get the report number and the person's location from the arresting agency.
What happens in Clay in the first hours after an arrest?
Clay follows Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.130, so a judge sees the arrested person within 24 hours. In Clay County those first appearances begin every day at 8:00 a.m., according to the Clerk of Court. The judge reads the charges, decides about a lawyer, and sets the release terms. The Clerk lets the public watch by Zoom, and the link is on the first appearance page.
Someone arrested after the morning session usually waits for the next day's hearing, unless the person qualifies for release under the standard schedule first.
Where is a Clay cash bond paid, and in what form?
Clay's jail FAQ says the jail accepts cash, a cashier's check, or a postal or bank money order. Payable to the Clay County Sheriff's Office, each check or money order should show the inmate's name and booking number. The sheriff warns never to mail cash. The jail says a bond must be paid in full.
The Sheriff's pages do not list posting hours, so call 904-529-5905 before you drive over. Carry a photo ID and the booking number.
Why is release slow even after the bond is paid?
The jail cannot start a release until the judge's paperwork reaches the booking room. Paperwork for regular court and for first appearance arrives together, not in the order each person saw the judge. People are not brought back to the jail until everyone has been seen, which can take several hours. The Sheriff says releases after a cash or surety bond are moved up in line.
Plan for a wait on a first appearance morning and ask the jail desk at 904-529-5905 how far along the process is.
What is bail for a common Clay County charge?
For Clay release before a judge reviews the case, the Florida Supreme Court's order AOSC25-69 sets the 2026 statewide schedule. It sets $150 for a second-degree misdemeanor with no force and $500 for a first-degree misdemeanor with no force. If force or a threat of force is part of the charge, those figures are $250 and $1,000. A third-degree felony is $2,500, or $5,000 when force is involved. Clay sets $500 for a first drunk-driving charge, or $1,000 when charged as a first-degree misdemeanor.
The order lets a chief judge set a higher local schedule, so the Fourth Circuit may differ. Many serious charges have no bond until a judge acts. Check the booking record, then ask the jail at 904-529-5905 what applies.
Does the judge have to use that schedule?
No. Section 903.011 of the Florida Statutes says only a judge may set, reduce, or change bail, and the Supreme Court order itself says it does not bind a judge at first appearance. A Clay judge weighs the charge, community ties, and flight risk (section 903.046). The judge may set a different amount, add conditions, or order release with no money.
What does a bail bondsman charge, and can I get it back?
In Clay County, as everywhere in Florida, the Department of Financial Services puts a state bond's premium at 10 percent of the bail. On a $2,500 bail, that is $250. In Clay, the premium is earned once the agent gets the person out, and it isn't refunded. A premium paid for someone who never leaves jail must be given back. A car title or deed you left as security should reach you within 21 days of the discharge.
The Sheriff does not recommend any bonding company. Ask for every term in writing. The agent sends the paperwork to the jail after you finish your part.
Can Clay land or a house bond someone out?
The Sheriff's published pages do not describe property bonds, so call 904-529-5905 or the Clerk at 904-284-6302 before you plan on it. In Clay, section 903.05 says a private surety must live in Florida or own land in the state. A recorded bond becomes a lien on that property under section 903.26 if the person does not appear.
Expect more paperwork and more time than with cash. Ask whether a bail agent will take the property as collateral instead.
Does Clay jail account money count as bail?
No. The kiosk in the jail lobby, the phone line, and the website take deposits of $25 to $100 with a 5 percent service fee. That money buys phone time and commissary. In Clay, it pays no bond and frees no one. The lobby kiosk runs 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday, per the Sheriff.
Why does it say no bond, or hold?
Clay courts can detain on capital or life charges where proof is plain or guilt strongly presumed (Article I, section 14 of the Florida Constitution). The same section also allows pretrial detention if no conditions can protect the community, make sure the person returns, or protect the court process. Section 903.011 lists other charges that wait for a judge, such as arrests while on probation or pretrial release, and drug trafficking.
Clay release may also be blocked by a probation violation, an outside warrant, or a federal hold. Ask the jail at 904-529-5905 which hold is on the record.
What if a Clay town officer made the arrest?
Adult arrests by town and city officers are normally booked into the county jail in Green Cove Springs. A department may keep someone briefly at its own station first, so ask it where the person is, then check Clay County Inmate Search.
Where does Clay County take a teen after an arrest?
The Duval Regional Juvenile Detention Center, 1241 East 8th Street, Jacksonville, holds youths from Clay, Duval, and Nassau counties who a judge orders held. Its line is 904-798-4820. Clay youth records are private and stay out of the adult search. Clay's Clerk, 904-284-6302, can explain the hearing.
If we can't hire a lawyer, who can defend my relative in Clay?
At first appearance, tell the judge you need the Public Defender. The Clay County office is in the courthouse at 825 North Orange Avenue and answers at 904-269-6318. The office serves people who qualify under the court's income rules. Clay lawyers can have a judge take another look at the bond.
What if he misses a court date?
The court declares the bond forfeited. The Clerk must mail notice within five days, and the money is due within 60 days of that notice under section 903.26. A person who surrenders the defendant or is found early can ask the court to return part of the forfeited money (section 903.28). Reach a lawyer and your agent the same day.
Will Clay return my cash when the case ends?
Usually, but not always in full. When someone other than a licensed agent posts a cash bond, the Clerk takes out unpaid fines, fees, and court costs before returning the rest (section 903.286). Keep every receipt. Ask the Clerk at 904-284-6302 how to request the refund once the case closes.
Which messages about my relative's bond are fake?
Clay courts, jails, and clerks never want payment by gift card, crypto, or app. Hang up on anyone claiming to be a Clay deputy who wants payment within minutes. Dial the jail at 904-529-5905 or the Clerk at 904-284-6302 yourself.
How do ICE holds work at the Clay jail?
- An ICE detainer (Form I-247A) asks the Clay jail to hold someone longer.
- In Clay, that means up to 48 more hours.
- Saturdays, Sundays and holidays all count in Clay.
- A Clay bond can be paid while the Clay hold stays.
- Under F.S. 908.105, the Clay judge setting bond must hear about it.
- The Clay prosecutor is told too.
- Every Florida jail sheriff, Clay included, must join 287(g) (F.S. 908.11).
- ICE lists these 287(g) models for Clay:
- Jail Enforcement Model
- Task Force Model
- If ICE takes someone from Clay, search the ICE detainee locator.
Clay County bail contacts
- County jail
- Clay County Jail, 901 North Orange Avenue, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043; 904-529-5905
- Bond guide
- Jail bail and bond guide
- Custody lookup
- Clay County Inmate Search
- Sheriff
- Clay County Sheriff's Office, same address; non-emergency 904-264-6512
- Clerk and courts
- Judge William A. Wilkes Judicial Complex, 825 North Orange Avenue, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043; 904-284-6302; Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- First appearance
- Daily at 8:00 a.m.; watch by Zoom
- Public defender
- 825 North Orange Avenue; 904-269-6318
- Youth detention
- Duval Regional Juvenile Detention Center, 1241 East 8th Street, Jacksonville, FL 32206; 904-798-4820
- Bail agents
- Florida Department of Financial Services
Hours, fees, and phone numbers at the Clay County jail and Clerk can change, and a judge can order any bond amount. Call before you send money. This Clay page is general information, not legal advice.
How do Bail Bonds work at Clay County Jail
Clay County Bail Bond Information
- The method of bonding someone out of jail is dependent upon the type of charges he or she was arrested on.
- A bond must be paid in full and may be posted as a Cash Bond or Surety Bond (which requires a bonding agent).
- Payment can be in the form of cash or if paid by a cashier’s check or money order it must be made out to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office with the inmate’s name and booking number for reference.
- The Clay County Jail will not accept cash through the Lobby Receptionist window. All cash must utilize the Kiosk in the lobby for bonding with exact cash amount. This does not apply to money orders or cashier’s check. This Kiosk does charge a 7% fee to process the bond that must be paid at the time of bonding.
Clay County Jail
Address:
901 North Orange Avenue
Green Cove Springs, FL 32043
Phone:
904-529-5905
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Clay County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Clay County?
Who can set bail in Clay County?
When is bail set in Clay County Florida?
Does Clay County have bail?
Yes, Clay County has bail and recognizes most types of bonds.
As of January 1, 2024, Florida moved to a statewide uniform bond schedule. The uniform bond schedule may change every year. The Clay County Jail will let you know the amount of the bond.
Under most circumstances your bond amount is set during the booking process, and you are eligible to bond out prior to going to court. Prior to January 1, 2024, each county set their own bond schedule. For more serious crimes, bond will be set at the first appearance.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Clay County?
Florida offers bail in the form of cash bail or surety bond and bonds from a professional bondsperson.
Who can set bail in Clay County?
Under most circumstances your bond amount is set during the booking process by a judge, and you are eligible to bond out prior to going to court. Prior to January 1, 2024, each county set their own bond schedule.
For more serious crimes, bond will be set at the first appearance. Bail is set by a judge in accordance with a precalculated schedule based on the seriousness of the offense.
When is bail set in Clay County Florida?
In most cases bail is set immediately after arrest, based on the precalculated schedule. If a defendant is not eligible for immediate release bail may be set by a judge at the initial court hearing, or arraignment.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Clay 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 Clay 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 Clay County Jail until the case is resolved or goes to trial.
Bail can be denied if the defendant did not comply with bail conditions from a previous arrest. Bail is usually denied in cases of violent offenses.
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, Clay 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 Clay 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. A Florida bondsperson will not write a bond for under $250.
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.
A bondsperson might consider a transfer bond that is transferable across state lines but generally a bond company will only assume the loan to adjoining states. For a Florida resident arrested in another state, bond companies will do transfer bonds but the person putting up the security has to be a Florida resident.
Since the bondsperson signed off, to be responsible that you show to court as your surety and ultimately, 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 Clay County have bail?
Yes, Clay County has bail and recognizes most types of bonds.
As of January 1, 2024, Florida moved to a statewide uniform bond schedule.
Under most circumstances your bond amount is set during the booking process, and you are eligible to bond out prior to going to court. Prior to January 1, 2024, each county set their own bond schedule. For more serious crimes, bond will be set at the first appearance.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Clay County?
Florida offers bail in the form of cash bail or surety bond and bonds from a professional bondsperson.
Who can set bail in Clay County?
Under most circumstances your bond amount is set during the booking process by a judge, and you are eligible to bond out prior to going to court. Prior to January 1, 2024, each county set their own bond schedule.
For more serious crimes, bond will be set at the first appearance. Bail is set by a judge in accordance with a precalculated schedule based on the seriousness of the offense.
When is bail set in Florida?
In most cases bail is set immediately after arrest, based on the precalculated schedule. If a defendant is not eligible for immediate release bail may be set by a judge at the initial court hearing, or arraignment.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Clay County Florida?
Yes, if there are extenuating circumstances, let the judge know at your initial appearance. Your attorney can also request a bond reduction.
In Clay County, who can pay bail for me?
Monetary bail may be posted by any friend or relative. Surety bonds are only accepted from registered bail bond agent. Bail may be posted at the county jail where the defendant has been charged. Please contact Clay County Jail at 904-529-5905 for information related to types of payment accepted, hours of operation, and location.
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 Florida could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Clay County Florida?
Some counties do accept online payment. Other only accept cash, money orders, or cashier’s checks. Contact the Clay County Jail at 904-529-5905 for more information regarding accepted forms of payment.
What options are there to pay bail in Clay County Florida?
Cash or surety bond. Surety bonds are only accepted from registered bail bond agents. Bail may be posted at the county jail where the defendant is charged. Please contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted: Go to the Clay County Jail for more information about posting bail in Clay County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Florida?
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 Clay County?
The judge or officer who sets bail determines which kind of bond will be an option however personal recognizance bonds are not offered in Florida, leaving few options for no money up front.
What are the least expensive and affordable bail bonds in Florida?
The Clay 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.