Washington County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Use Washington County Inmate Search and enter the legal name. The record, once posted, lists each charge and bond. New Washington bookings can lag online. If nothing shows later in the day, call 850-638-6110 and give the name and birth date.

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The jail is listed at 1100 Brickyard Road, Chipley, FL 32428. Its main line, 850-638-6110, is listed as answering questions about inmates around the clock.

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It comes from a bond schedule. Section 903.011 calls for one statewide schedule from the Supreme Court. The Fourteenth Circuit's chief judge may set higher local amounts freely, but lower ones only with approval. Staff may use the schedule to release someone before a hearing, but a judge is never bound by it. In Washington, bail is set, lowered, or changed only by a judge.

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Washington is in the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit, with Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, and Jackson, and its chief judge sets the local schedule by order. Numbers from other circuits do not apply here. For your family member, read the amount on Washington County Inmate Search, then ask the jail at 850-638-6110 whether it is the schedule figure or a number a judge chose.

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It may mean the booking is still in progress. In Washington, it may also mean a judge must see the person first. Washington follows section 903.011(6), barring pre-hearing release for some, like people on pretrial release or probation, or arrested three-plus times in six months. Section 903.046 adds registered sex offenders and predators.

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No longer than 24 hours after arrest, says Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.130. Video is allowed. At that hearing the judge chooses release terms or orders the person held, and decides if a free lawyer is needed.

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For minor offenses, a Washington officer may skip booking and write a notice to appear under Rule 3.125. That paper is a promise to come to court, not a bond. If your loved one has one, no payment is due, but a missed date can bring a warrant.

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Call the jail at 850-638-6110 and ask where bond is taken, what days and hours it is open, and which payments it accepts. The clerk's criminal department, 850-638-6289, answers court questions, and the clerk's main office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Central time, Monday to Friday. In Washington, bring photo ID, the name, and the exact amount. Keep your receipt. Section 903.011 requires the same dollar amount whether the bond is cash or surety.

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Get the premium, the collateral, and what's owed after a no-show in writing. The Florida Department of Financial Services sets the Washington premium at 10 percent, so a $500 bond costs $50. The Washington agent keeps the fee after release, but you get it back if the person is never let out. Plan to get your collateral back within 21 days after the judge discharges the bond. Expect no discount and no hidden extras. Ask to see the agent's Florida license too. The bond instructions list more questions to ask.

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It can be part of the plan. Washington sureties that aren't companies must be Florida residents or own Florida property (section 903.05); the land needn't be local. The local steps and the equity needed are for the clerk to explain, so call 850-638-6285 first.

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Section 903.047 requires a released person to refrain from any criminal activity, and a no-contact order starts immediately and lasts through the release. A judge can add terms like employment, a curfew, or treatment. If the person breaks a term, a court can revoke release and order detention under section 903.0471.

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The Department of Juvenile Justice screens Washington County youth at 651 West 14th Street, Suite M, Panama City, 850-767-3262. A youth who must be held is listed to go to the Bay Regional Juvenile Detention Center at 450 East 11th Street, Panama City, 850-872-4706. Call the screening office to learn the youth's location. Washington keeps juvenile records out of the adult search.

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Say you need one at the first appearance. Rule 3.130 tells a Washington judge to settle first whether the person can pay for a lawyer, then appoint one right away if they qualify and want one. For the Fourteenth Circuit public defender's office, ask the clerk's criminal department at 850-638-6289.

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Section 903.26 lets a Washington court forfeit the bond after notice to the surety. In Washington, the person can be rearrested, and section 903.046 limits recognizance bonds after a past failure to appear. Contact a lawyer first, then the agent. Never pay a stranger who claims to fix the problem.

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• An ICE detainer (Form I-247A) asks the Washington jail to hold someone longer.
• In Washington, that means up to 48 more hours.
• Saturdays, Sundays and holidays all count in Washington.
• Posting bond in Washington does not end an ICE hold.
• The Washington judge who sets bond learns of it (F.S. 908.105).
• The Washington state attorney gets notice as well.
• F.S. 908.11 requires the Washington sheriff to work with ICE under 287(g).
• For Washington, ICE's 287(g) list shows:
  • Task Force Model
  • Warrant Service Officer
• After ICE takes a Washington inmate, use the online detainee locator.

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