Franklin County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Franklin County bail and bond: the Eastpoint jail and a long drive for paperwork
Franklin County arrests go to the Franklin County Jail, 270 State Road 65, Eastpoint, run by the Sheriff. Run the name through Franklin County Inmate Search to see if the booking has posted, the charges, and the bail. The Sheriff's Office answers at 850-670-8500. In a small coastal county, the nearest bondsman or judge may be a long drive away, so settle the amount and the payment method by phone before you travel. That is the safest way to handle bond here.
The Eastpoint jail: how do I know my relative is there?
Search Franklin County Inmate Search first. If nothing appears, wait and try again, because bookings are entered after fingerprinting and paperwork. Then call the Sheriff's Office at 850-670-8500. If a different Franklin agency made the arrest, get the report number from it.
Why plan the trip before leaving home?
Franklin County stretches along the Gulf, and Eastpoint, Apalachicola, and Carrabelle are spread out. Phone 850-670-8500 to confirm where the person is, what the bond is, and how the jail takes payment. Driving to the wrong town costs hours.
How much is the bond for a minor charge?
For Franklin, order AOSC25-69 lists $150 for a second-degree misdemeanor absent force and $500 for a first-degree one absent force. With force or a threat, those are $250 and $1,000.
Franklin is in the Second Judicial Circuit. Franklin's 2026 order (AO 2025-02) lifts DUI amounts: $1,000 first offense (second-degree), $1,500 second offense, $2,500 first-degree. The order also says each charge gets its own bond.
And for a felony?
In Franklin, a third-degree felony is $2,500 without force or threat and $5,000 with force. People arrested on higher felonies, or on certain listed charges, have no scheduled bond. They see a judge first (section 903.011). The Second Circuit order also says a warrant carries the amount written on it, and a failure-to-appear or probation warrant with no amount means no bond.
Who is allowed to change the amount?
Only a judge. Franklin follows section 903.011: only judges set, lower, or change bail. Rule 3.130 puts Franklin's first appearance within 24 hours, and there the judge may go above or below the schedule, add conditions, or release with no money.
What can I pay with, and where?
Franklin's sheriff pages skip payment types and hours, so phone 850-670-8500 to ask what the jail takes, where to pay, and when. Do not mail cash. Money you put on a phone or video-visit account does not release anyone.
Should I use a bondsman?
A Franklin bond helps when paying in full isn't possible. The Department of Financial Services in Tallahassee lists the premium as 10 percent of bail, which is $500 on a $5,000 bail. Once your Franklin relative is out, the agent keeps that premium. If release never happens, you should get it back. Security you pledged is returned within 21 days of discharge. Read every page before signing, and check the license with the department.
Can county land secure a bond?
The Sheriff's pages say nothing about property bonds, so ask the Clerk and any agent first. Franklin private sureties must be Florida residents or Florida landowners (section 903.05). In Franklin, a no-show turns the recorded bond into a two-year property lien (section 903.26). Get the court's paperwork list before anyone signs a deed.
What does it mean when the person has no bond?
Article I, section 14 of the Florida Constitution lets Franklin courts refuse release on capital and life counts with clear proof, or where no condition protects the community. Section 903.011 also keeps a Franklin arrestee in until a judge sees him if the new felony came during probation or pretrial release. A probation warrant can do the same. Ask the jail which one it is.
What if the arrest happened in Apalachicola or Carrabelle?
Ask the arresting officer or the Sheriff at 850-670-8500 where the person was taken. Adult arrests in the county go to the Eastpoint jail, and Franklin County Inmate Search will list the booking when entered.
Where is a juvenile held?
The center listed for Franklin County youth is the Leon Regional Juvenile Detention Center, 2303 Ronellis Drive, Tallahassee, 850-488-7672. Confirm that with the Sheriff first. A judge decides whether a young person stays in detention, and juvenile files are private.
Who can represent my relative for free?
At the first court hearing, request a Public Defender. To reach the office, call the Clerk of Court at 850-653-8861 and ask for the Second Judicial Circuit Public Defender's number. A lawyer may ask for lower bail.
What happens to the bond if he never shows up?
The court forfeits the bond. The Clerk mails notice in five days, and payment is due 60 days after (section 903.26). A quick surrender can recover part (section 903.28). Phone a lawyer that day.
When does the cash come back?
After the felony case is disposed of, and only to the person who put up the cash. The Clerk's Felony Division at 850-653-8861 can give you a Cash Bond Release Notice to take to the Sheriff's Office. The court may send some or all of it to fines, costs, or restitution (section 903.286). A bond also expires 36 months after posting (section 903.31). Keep the receipt.
Who is likely to be a scammer?
Anyone demanding gift cards, crypto, or an app payment. Hang up, then call the Franklin jail yourself at 850-670-8500.
How do ICE holds work at the Franklin jail?
- An ICE detainer (Form I-247A) asks the Franklin jail to hold someone longer.
- In Franklin, that means up to 48 more hours.
- Saturdays, Sundays and holidays all count in Franklin.
- A Franklin bond can be paid while the Franklin hold stays.
- Under F.S. 908.105, the Franklin judge setting bond must hear about it.
- The Franklin prosecutor is told too.
- F.S. 908.11 requires the Franklin sheriff to work with ICE under 287(g).
- ICE's official 287(g) list shows these models for Franklin:
- Task Force Model
- Warrant Service Officer
- To find a person ICE took from Franklin, try the ICE locator.
Franklin County bail contacts
- County jail
- Franklin County Jail, 270 State Road 65, Eastpoint, FL 32328; 850-670-8500
- Bond guide
- Jail bail and bond guide
- Custody lookup
- Franklin County Inmate Search
- Sheriff's Office
- 270 State Road 65, Eastpoint; 850-670-8500
- Clerk, felony
- Suite 203, Franklin County Courthouse, 33 Market Street, Apalachicola, FL 32320; 850-653-8861; Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Judicial circuit
- Second Judicial Circuit of Florida
- Youth detention
- Leon Regional Juvenile Detention Center, 2303 Ronellis Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32310; 850-488-7672
- Bail agents
- Florida Department of Financial Services
Franklin jail hours, payment steps, and phones can change, and judges may set any bond. Verify with the jail before sending money or traveling. This Franklin page gives general facts only and can't take the place of a lawyer.
Franklin County Jail
Address:
270 State Road 65
Eastpoint, FL 32328-3616
Phone:
850-670-8519
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Franklin County
Does Franklin County have bail?
What kind of bonds are accepted in Franklin County?
Who can set bail in Franklin County?
When is bail set in Franklin County Florida?
Does Franklin County have bail?
Yes, Franklin 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 Franklin 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 Franklin County?
Florida offers bail in the form of cash bail or surety bond and bonds from a professional bondsperson.
Who can set bail in Franklin 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 Franklin 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 Franklin 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 Franklin 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 Franklin 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, Franklin 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 Franklin 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 Franklin County have bail?
Yes, Franklin 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 Franklin County?
Florida offers bail in the form of cash bail or surety bond and bonds from a professional bondsperson.
Who can set bail in Franklin 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 Franklin 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 Franklin 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 Franklin County Jail at 850-670-8519 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 Franklin County Florida?
Some counties do accept online payment. Other only accept cash, money orders, or cashier’s checks. Contact the Franklin County Jail at 850-670-8519 for more information regarding accepted forms of payment.
What options are there to pay bail in Franklin 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 Franklin County Jail for more information about posting bail in Franklin 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 Franklin 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 Franklin 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.