Martin County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Martin County bail and bond: the Monterey Road jail and your options
People arrested in Martin County are held at the Martin County Jail, 800 SE Monterey Road, Stuart, which the Martin County Sheriff's Office runs. For custody and the bail, check Martin County Inmate Search. For questions the search leaves open, the sheriff says to call the Booking Unit at 772-220-7200, option 0, for charges, bond information, and release dates. The amount comes from a statewide schedule unless a judge sets something else.
Where do I look first to find out if my cousin is in the Stuart jail?
Start with Martin County Inmate Search. It shows booking and charges once the intake is finished. Martin may not list a very recent arrest yet, so look again later.
If the name is missing, call Martin's Booking Unit at 772-220-7200, option 0. Stuart Police or another agency may have made the arrest and not yet brought the person in. Stuart Police are listed at 772-287-1122.
What is the address of the jail?
The jail is at 800 SE Monterey Road, Stuart, Florida. The sheriff's own page shows two ZIP codes, 34997 and 34994, so rely on the street address and the phone, not the ZIP. The sheriff's non-emergency and after-hours line is 772-220-7000.
How can I find the bond amount?
Open the person's record on Martin County Inmate Search. Each charge has its own amount, because Florida requires a separate bond for each charge. If there is no number yet, a judge may still need to decide. The Booking Unit at 772-220-7200, option 0, handles bond information and can say whether the figure came from the schedule or from a judge.
What do common charges cost under the 2026 schedule?
Order AOSC25-69 sets Martin pre-hearing release at $150 for the lightest misdemeanor and $500 for a first-degree misdemeanor absent force, through December 31, 2026. With force or a threat, a first-degree misdemeanor in Martin is $1,000. A third-degree felony is $2,500 without force and $5,000 with force or a threat. In Martin, a first DUI treated as a second-degree misdemeanor is $500.
The Nineteenth Judicial Circuit's chief judge may raise amounts, and a Martin first appearance judge does not have to follow this list.
How do I pay in Martin, and what should I bring?
Martin's sheriff pages list no bond window, hours, or payment types. Check the amount on Martin County Inmate Search, then phone the Booking Unit, 772-220-7200, option 0, about where, when, and how to pay. Martin asks for a government photo ID plus the booking details. Keep every receipt. Martin commissary or phone deposits do not pay bail.
How soon does the judge see my son?
Martin follows Florida Rule 3.130, so first appearance comes within 24 hours of arrest. The Martin judge reviews the charges, rules on release, and may add terms like no contact with the alleged victim (section 903.047). A minor Martin misdemeanor might end with a notice to appear, not a jail stay. The Clerk of Court at 772-288-5576 can tell you which courtroom hears Martin County first appearances.
Does a bondsman charge the same everywhere?
It should. The Florida Department of Financial Services sets the Martin premium at 10 percent, so $2,500 bail means a $250 fee. Once the agent has you or your relative out of jail, the fee is the agent's to keep. If the person never gets out, it must be returned. Section 648.33 holds a Martin agent to the state-filed premium rate, so a secret discount breaks the rule.
Ask for the contract in writing. The state expects collateral back in your hands within 21 days once the court discharges the bond.
Will Martin County land or a home secure a bond?
Sometimes. Florida's bail law sets no single checklist. Ask the Clerk of Court at 772-288-5576 or a lawyer. A recorded Martin bond creates a two-year land lien (section 903.26).
What does "held without bond" mean?
It can mean waiting for a judge. For Martin arrests, section 903.011(6) means no release before first appearance for a person picked up on a felony during probation or pretrial release, a registered sexual offender, or someone accused of breaking a protective injunction.
Martin judges can keep someone jailed on a capital or life charge with strong evidence, or if no terms would keep the public safe (Article I, section 14 of the Florida Constitution). A probation hold also blocks release.
Can Martin County provide a lawyer at no cost?
In Martin, request one at the first hearing. The public defender line listed for Martin County is 772-288-5581. A Martin lawyer can ask the judge for a smaller amount or release on conditions.
Which facility takes juveniles from Martin County?
The St. Lucie Regional Juvenile Detention Center, 1301 Bell Avenue, Fort Pierce, FL 34982, 772-468-3940, is listed as serving St. Lucie, Indian River, Martin, and Okeechobee counties. Martin juvenile records are private and may not appear in the adult search.
What if my brother does not go to court?
Martin may then issue a warrant and keep the bond. The Martin clerk notifies within five days of forfeiture, and payment falls due 60 days later (section 903.26). Bringing the person back within 90 days can allow the court to return nearly all of it under section 903.28. Call the lawyer and agent right away.
Is cash bail refunded?
It is returned after the case ends, once the court takes out unpaid costs and fees. Martin bondsmen keep their fee. Save the Martin receipt and case number.
What should I do if a stranger calls me for Martin bond money?
Martin deputies and Martin clerks will not demand store cards or phone-app money. End the call and phone Martin's Booking Unit yourself at 772-220-7200.
How do ICE holds work at the Martin jail?
- With Form I-247A, ICE can ask the Martin jail to keep a person.
- The Martin hold can last up to 48 hours past release.
- In Martin, weekends and holidays count toward those 48 hours.
- A Martin bond can be paid while the Martin hold stays.
- F.S. 908.105 says the Martin bond judge must be told.
- The Martin state attorney gets notice as well.
- F.S. 908.11 requires the Martin sheriff to work with ICE under 287(g).
- ICE's official 287(g) list shows these models for Martin:
- Task Force Model
- Warrant Service Officer
- If ICE takes someone from Martin, search the ICE detainee locator.
Martin County bail contacts
- Jail
- Martin County Jail, 800 SE Monterey Road, Stuart, FL; Booking Unit 772-220-7200, option 0
- Bond guide
- bail and bond instructions for the jail
- Custody lookup
- Martin County Inmate Search
- Sheriff's office
- Martin County Sheriff's Office; non-emergency and after hours 772-220-7000
- Clerk of Court
- 100 East Ocean Boulevard, Stuart, FL 34994; 772-288-5576
- Public defender
- Listed number 772-288-5581
- Youth detention
- St. Lucie Regional Juvenile Detention Center, 1301 Bell Avenue, Fort Pierce, FL 34982; 772-468-3940
- Statewide schedule
- Supreme Court order AOSC25-69
Martin amounts, hours, payment rules, and phones may be revised; the judge can still order something different. Confirm with the Booking Unit before you send money. This page cannot replace advice from a lawyer.
Paying an Inmate's Bail or Bond in Martin County
The Martin County Sheriff recommends that you might want to use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Martin County.
However if you don't want to use a bail bond agent:
- You can always pay a cash bond yourself, or use your home in Martin County, or in some cases the state of Florida, but the benefit of using a bail bond agent is that they take responsibility for making sure the inmate shows up for court in Martin County, and if they don't, then they take the financial responsibility.
- The typical fee for a bond in Florida is between 10-20% of the bail amount; usually 15% or less. So if an offender has a bail of $10,000.00, their bond will be $1,500.00.
- Pay by cash, cashier's check, money order or credit card at the Martin County Jail, or the courthouse in Martin County where the offense took place.
Call 772-220-7200 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Martin County inmate locator.
Martin County Jail
Address:
800 SE Monterey Road
Stuart, FL 34994
Phone:
772-220-7200
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Martin County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Martin County?
Who can set bail in Martin County?
When is bail set in Martin County Florida?
Does Martin County have bail?
Yes, Martin 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 Martin 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 Martin County?
Florida offers bail in the form of cash bail or surety bond and bonds from a professional bondsperson.
Who can set bail in Martin 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 Martin 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 Martin 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 Martin 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 Martin 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, Martin 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 Martin 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 Martin County have bail?
Yes, Martin 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 Martin County?
Florida offers bail in the form of cash bail or surety bond and bonds from a professional bondsperson.
Who can set bail in Martin 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 Martin 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 Martin 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 Martin County Jail at 772-220-7200 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 Martin County Florida?
Some counties do accept online payment. Other only accept cash, money orders, or cashier’s checks. Contact the Martin County Jail at 772-220-7200 for more information regarding accepted forms of payment.
What options are there to pay bail in Martin 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 Martin County Jail for more information about posting bail in Martin 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 Martin 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 Martin 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.