Charlton County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Charlton County bail and bond: the Folkston jail and what comes next
The jail that serves Charlton County is the Charlton County Jail in Folkston, on Third Street, at the Sheriff's Office, 1548 Third Street. Check Charlton County Inmate Search to see whether your person is in custody and what the bond is. The Sheriff's Office and jail answer at 912-496-7321. State reports do not list a jail of Charlton's own, so ask on that call whether your person is in Folkston or in another county's jail.
Is my person still in Folkston?
First use Charlton County Inmate Search. Then call the jail at 912-496-7321 and ask whether the person is housed in Folkston or in a jail in another county. Small Georgia counties sometimes pay a neighboring sheriff to hold people, so ask for the exact place and phone number. Sheriff office lists a Corrections division with a jail administrator. State directories show the sheriff's office at 1548 Third Street and the county jail at 100 South Third Street, so ask which address takes visitors and payments.
Is the big detention center on Highway 252 the same thing?
No. Several federal and private facilities in Folkston, including an immigration processing center on Georgia Highway 252, are not the county jail. They do not use county bail. If your person was held for immigration reasons, the county search will not list them, and a federal lawyer or the immigration agency is the right contact.
Where is the bond amount shown?
On Charlton County Inmate Search, beside each charge, when a judge has set one. An empty box may mean no judge has acted. The jail at 912-496-7321 can tell you where the case stands.
Where do I pay?
No official page lists a bonding window or hours for Charlton County, so call 912-496-7321 before you travel. The Sheriff's Office is at 1548 Third Street, Folkston, GA 31537. Court payments go through the clerk of superior court at 1520 Third Street, Suite A, 912-496-2354. Bring a photo ID and the booking number.
What forms of payment count?
Georgia law lets a person satisfy a bond with a cash deposit and requires a receipt (O.C.G.A. 17-6-4). Whether Charlton County takes cashier's checks, money orders, or cards is up to the office taking the payment. Ask first, and write the receipt number on your notes.
Does the three-cash-bond rule apply to me?
One person, charity, or group may post no more than three cash bonds a year (O.C.G.A. 17-6-15). Starting July 1, 2026, an individual posting for an immediate family member is exempt. A friend or employer is still covered.
Who is the judge, and how soon?
A magistrate judge usually handles first appearance. Georgia says a person arrested on a warrant must be seen by a judicial officer within 72 hours (O.C.G.A. 17-4-26), and the state bail guide says 48 hours after an arrest without a warrant. The clerk at 912-496-2354 can point you to the court that handles the hearing.
What if only a superior court judge can set bond?
For crimes such as murder, rape, armed robbery, and kidnapping, that is the rule (O.C.G.A. 17-6-1(a)). The request waits for the next time that judge is in Folkston. Ask the clerk when. A lawyer can often help the family prepare for it.
What explains a "no bond" entry?
It may be a bail restricted charge, which cannot be released without money (O.C.G.A. 17-6-12), a probation hold, or a warrant from another county. A federal or immigration hold is a different case. Call 912-496-7321 and ask who placed the hold.
Do I need a professional bondsman?
Only if you cannot post the full bond yourself. In Georgia the sheriff must authorize a bondsman, so ask the Sheriff's Office at 912-496-7321 for the names it accepts in Charlton County. Georgia law (O.C.G.A. 17-6-30(a)) lets a bondsman charge up to 15 percent of the bond amount and at least $50 for each bonded charge, so treat a higher quote as a warning.
Can land stand in for cash?
Land in Georgia can, if its free equity is double the bail (Unif. Mag. Ct. R. 23.3). The sheriff in the county of the offense must approve (O.C.G.A. 17-6-1). Expect to file papers with the clerk at 912-496-2354, and expect it to take days.
We need a free lawyer.
The Waycross Judicial Circuit public defender covers Charlton County. The office is at 300 Carswell Avenue, Waycross, GA 31501, 912-287-4360. Tell the judge at the first appearance that you need appointed counsel.
Where would a child be held?
Youth detained from Charlton County go to the Waycross Regional Youth Detention Center, 3275 Harris Road, Waycross, GA 31503, 912-287-6680. The Department of Juvenile Justice runs it. Juvenile cases are private and do not appear on the adult search.
What if he is picked up by state troopers or another agency?
The arresting agency must say where he is held. Get the agency name and report number, then try Charlton County Inmate Search. If he is missing, call 912-496-7321.
What if she skips court?
The judge can issue a warrant and the bond can be forfeited. Contact the clerk at 912-496-2354 for the date and call a lawyer immediately. Tell the bondsman too, if one is involved.
Can cash be refunded?
Cash can be claimed after the case is over if you can show it ended. Money that no one claims for two years may go to the county (O.C.G.A. 17-6-4). Keep the receipt with the case number.
How do scams target Charlton families?
Fake callers claim to be deputies and demand gift cards or crypto. Money added to a jail phone or store account is not bail. Call 912-496-7321 yourself.
What if the charge is federal?
A federal charge goes to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, not to a county court. Charlton County cases are heard in the Waycross Division, 601 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501 (not always fully staffed); the clerk's line is 912-283-2870. A federal magistrate judge decides on release, often within a day or two of arrest. Deputy U.S. Marshals move people to and from court, and the person may be housed in a county jail under contract. Once sentenced, look the person up with the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
Charlton County bond contacts
- Jail
- Charlton County Jail (Sheriff's Office, 1548 Third Street), Folkston, GA 31537; 912-496-7321
- Bond guide
- Charlton County jail bond instructions
- Custody lookup
- Charlton County Inmate Search
- Clerk of superior court
- 1520 Third Street, Suite A, Folkston, GA 31537; 912-496-2354; weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Public defender
- Waycross Circuit, 300 Carswell Avenue, Waycross, GA 31501; 912-287-4360
- Youth detention
- Waycross Regional Youth Detention Center, 3275 Harris Road, Waycross, GA 31503; 912-287-6680
Phone numbers, hours, and payment methods can change, and a judge may order different terms. Call the Sheriff's Office or the clerk before you send money. Only a lawyer can give legal advice about a case.
How do Bail Bonds work at Charlton County Jail
The Charlton County Sheriff recommends that you might want to use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Charlton 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 Charlton County, or in some cases the state of Georgia, but the benefit of using a bail bond agent is that they take responsibility for making sure the inmate shows up for court in Charlton County, and if they don't, then they take the financial responsibility.
- The typical fee for a bond in Georgia 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 $1500.00.
- Pay by cash, cashier's check, money order or credit card at the Charlton County Jail, or the courthouse in Charlton County where the offense took place.
Call 912-496-7321 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Charlton County inmate locator.
Charlton County Jail
Address:
1548 Third Street
Folkston, GA 31537
Phone:
912-496-7321
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Charlton County
Does Charlton County have bail?
What kind of bonds are accepted in Charlton County?
Who can set bail in Charlton County?
When is bail set in Charlton County Georgia?
Does Charlton County have bail?
Yes, Charlton County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Charlton County?
Georgia offers several types of pre-trial release including own recognizance, cash bond, property bond & surety. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest.
Who can set bail in Charlton County?
In many cases Georgia follows a pre-set bail schedule, so sheriffs & constables are able to accept bail immediately after processing. For those offense where immediate release in not permitted, or when a defendant does not qualify for immediate release, bail will be determined by a judge.
When is bail set in Charlton County Georgia?
Georgia uses a pre-set bail schedule, meaning the bail is set based on the offense and thus us know to police at the time of arrest. In cases where bail is not pre-set, or the defendant does not qualify for immediate release, a judge of the superior court will determine bail at a bail hearing. This hearing shall be scheduled with 48 – 72 hours depending on the classification of the crime the defendant is accused.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Charlton 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 Charlton 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.
A bond proceeding is the determination of how much bail is to be paid and usually happens before arraignment. A Bond hearing is a determination by a magistrate to determine an amount a person may pay to be released while the case is pending. Sometimes certain crimes will have preset bonds, that can become payable the moment an arrest is made.
The minimum bond in Georgia is $1,000. If a court seeks a bond lower than that then it must be an OR bond, meaning the accused shall be released on their own recognizance, with no money down. During bond proceedings, the defendant is not required to have an attorney but has the right to an attorney if the defendant want one.
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 Charlton 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, Charlton 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 Charlton 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.
You could sign an agreement on your own or with another person to pay for the car at a future date knowing that your neighbor would know where to find you if you stopped payment.
This would be similar to a cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond which are bonds to where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front.
If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you.
Cash bonds and PR bonds are types of unsecured bonds because you are not securing it with any money down. In bond terms, a surety is a person who will be responsible for making sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up.
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.
Since the bondsperson signed off, to be responsible that you show to court as your surety, 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 Charlton County have bail?
Yes, Charlton County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Charlton County?
Georgia offers several types of pre-trial release including own recognizance, cash bond, property bond & surety. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest.
Who can set bail in Charlton County?
In many cases Georgia follows a pre-set bail schedule, so sheriffs & constables are able to accept bail immediately after processing. For those offense where immediate release in not permitted, or when a defendant does not qualify for immediate release, bail will be determined by a judge.
When is bail set in Georgia?
Georgia uses a pre-set bail schedule, meaning the bail is set based on the offense and thus us know to police at the time of arrest. In cases where bail is not pre-set, or the defendant does not qualify for immediate release, a judge of the superior court will determine bail at a bail hearing. This hearing shall be scheduled with 48 – 72 hours depending on the classification of the crime the defendant is accused.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Charlton County Georgia?
Yes, if there are extenuating circumstances and the judge set the initial bail, your attorney can request a bond reduction.
In Charlton County Georgia, who can pay bail for me?
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 Georgia could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Charlton County Georgia?
Yes, Georgia does offer online bail payment. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Charlton County Jail for more information about the jails in Charlton County.
What options are there to pay bail in Charlton County Georgia?
Cash or security; credit card in some counties. The security may be either cash or property. Bail may be posted at the appropriate county jail or sheriff’s office in which the defendant is charged.
Please contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted. Go to the Charlton County Jail for more information about posting bail in Charlton County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Georgia?
Bail 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 Charlton County?
The judge or officer who sets bail determines which kind of bail will be an option for you, but a cash bond and PR bonds usually do not require cash down, though you might have to pay court fees.
A cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond are bonds where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front.
If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you.
Cash bonds and PR bonds are types of unsecured bonds because you are not securing it with any money down. In bond terms, a surety is a person who will be responsible to make sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up. A surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.
What are the least expensive and affordable bail bonds in Georgia?
The Charlton 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.