Dawson County Detention Center Inmate Bail & Bonds
Dawson County bail and bond: the Dawsonville jail and what happens next
Adults arrested in Dawson County are held at the Dawson County Detention Center in Dawsonville. Search Dawson County Inmate Search to see if the person is in custody and what the bail is. For anything the search cannot answer, call the detention and warrants line at 706-344-3545. The magistrate court at 25 Justice Way hears first appearances and bond hearings, and the sections below explain how to pay bail.
Is my loved one inside the Dawson County Detention Center?
Type the name into Dawson County Inmate Search and read the custody and bail lines. A person booked in the past hour may not appear yet. If the page and your own information disagree, call the warrants and detention line at 706-344-3545.
The Dawson County Detention Center sits with the Sheriff's Office in Dawsonville. Sheriff leads the office.
Which judge sets bail in Dawson County?
Most people see a magistrate judge first. The Dawson County Magistrate Court hears first-appearance and bond hearings in criminal cases. A chief magistrate and associate judges hear cases. The court is at 25 Justice Way, Suite 3201, and its number is 706-344-3730.
The court's page links to a first-appearance page, so ask the clerk's staff for the next hearing date.
What should I gather before I try to bail someone out?
Collect a photo ID, the person's full name and birth date, and the exact bail figure from Dawson County Inmate Search or the detention desk at 706-344-3545. Ask whether the amount is final or whether a judge still has to see the person.
Watch for fake bonding offers. Bonding companies that work with the sheriff will never ask you to pay by phone, email, or any electronic means. Use only the numbers on this page.
Where do I pay the bond, and when?
Call the sheriff's main line at 706-344-3535 and ask the bonding clerk where a cash bail is taken, what hours apply, and which payment types count. Also ask whether a bonding company must be on the sheriff's approved list. Georgia law lets the sheriff approve sureties (O.C.G.A. 17-6-1(j)).
The Sheriff's Office is at 19 Tucker Avenue, Dawsonville, and its desk is staffed Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Are there extra fees on top of the bond?
A bonding company may charge up to 15 percent of the bond's face amount, and it may charge a flat minimum of $50 for each bonded charge even when that comes to more than 15 percent (O.C.G.A. 17-6-30). Beyond that, ask the bonding clerk at 706-344-3535 for the full total before you hand over cash, and ask for a receipt that shows each charge.
What will the bail be for my charge?
The county court pages do not post a bail chart, so this page gives no dollar figures. A judge picks the amount after weighing the charge, the person's record, ties to the area, and the risk of running.
Georgia law bars excessive bail and says a person charged with a misdemeanor may not be refused bail (O.C.G.A. 17-6-1). Check Dawson County Inmate Search for the current figure.
Do I have to pay the whole amount?
You can pay the full amount in cash to the sheriff, which the law treats as a cash deposit (O.C.G.A. 17-6-4). The other routes are an approved bonding company, which charges a fee capped by state law, or property the sheriff accepts. Ask any agent for the fee and the terms in writing.
Some charges rule out release on a promise alone, as the bail-restricted answer below explains.
Can I put up land or a house?
Georgia allows property that the sheriff approves in the county where the offense happened (O.C.G.A. 17-6-12). For the county's rules on equity, tax proof, and who must sign, call the sheriff at 706-344-3535 before you gather papers. Expect this to take days.
Why does the record say held without bond?
The line can mean no judge has set an amount yet, or that another agency, a parole or probation officer, or a different county has a hold. Murder, rape, armed robbery, and a few other charges can be bailed only by a superior court judge (O.C.G.A. 17-6-1(a)).
A person held on one of those can ask the superior court for a bail hearing, which must be set within ten days of the petition. The Superior Court clerk answers at 706-344-3510.
How quickly must someone be taken before a judge?
For an arrest on a warrant, Georgia law requires an appearance before a judge within 72 hours (O.C.G.A. 17-4-26). A person who is not told when and where the hearing is must be released. Weekend arrests can still land on Monday, so ask the detention desk at 706-344-3545 for the date.
What is a bail-restricted offense?
The list in O.C.G.A. 17-6-12 covers many charges, such as DUI, burglary, battery, and family-violence offenses. For those, no judge may grant release on a signature alone. The person must post cash, use a bondsman, or use property the sheriff approves.
Who is the free lawyer here?
Dawson County is served by the Northeastern Circuit public defender, with a satellite office at 1 Courthouse Square in Dawsonville. Call 706-216-3853. The main office in Gainesville is 770-718-5523. Ask the judge for appointed counsel at the first hearing if you cannot pay.
What if the arrest happened in another county?
A person picked up elsewhere on a Dawson warrant has to be returned here, and a person arrested here on another county's warrant can be held for that county. Ask the detention desk at 706-344-3545 which agency holds the warrant.
Where do teenagers go?
Juvenile cases are private, so Dawson County Inmate Search will not show a child. The state sends Dawson County youth to the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center, 450 Crescent Drive, Gainesville, GA 30501, 770-531-4597. Questions about the hearing go to the Superior and Juvenile Courts office at 706-344-3510.
Georgia's juvenile justice office can be reached at 404-508-6500.
What if my relative misses court?
Missing court can lead to an arrest order and a lost bond. Phone the clerk at 706-344-3510 for the date and talk to a lawyer the same day.
How do refunds work?
A cash bond comes back after the case ends or the court cancels it, less any fines or costs. Georgia lets the county keep cash nobody claims for two years (O.C.G.A. 17-6-4). Whether a bonding company's fee can come back depends on your contract, because the state fee law (O.C.G.A. 17-6-30) has no refund rule.
Which federal court covers this county?
If agents such as the FBI, DEA or ATF made the arrest, the case is federal. For Dawson County, that means the Northern District of Georgia, Gainesville Division, at Sidney O. Smith Federal Building & US Courthouse, 121 Spring Street SE, Room 201, Gainesville, GA 30501-3789 (678-450-2760). A federal magistrate judge, not a county judge, rules on bail. People held before trial are in the custody of the U.S. Marshals, who may place them in a county jail. People serving a federal sentence show up on the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
Dawson County bail contacts
- Jail
- Dawson County Detention Center, Dawsonville, GA; detention and warrants 706-344-3545
- Bail guide
- Detention center bail guide
- Custody lookup
- Dawson County Inmate Search
- Sheriff
- Sheriff, 19 Tucker Avenue, Dawsonville, GA 30534; 706-344-3535; Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Magistrate court
- 25 Justice Way, Suite 3201, Dawsonville, GA 30534; 706-344-3730; Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Superior and juvenile courts
- Clerk, 25 Justice Way, Suite 1302, Dawsonville, GA 30534; 706-344-3510
- Public defender
- 1 Courthouse Square, Dawsonville, GA 30534; 706-216-3853
- Juvenile
- Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center, 450 Crescent Drive, Gainesville, GA 30501; 770-531-4597
Amounts, fees, hours, and phone numbers change, and a judge can order something different in a given case. Ask the Dawsonville office to repeat any total back to you before you pay. This is a plain-language guide, not a lawyer's opinion.
How do Bail Bonds work at Dawson County Detention Center
The Dawson County Sheriff recommends that you might want to use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Dawson 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 Dawson 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 Dawson 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 Dawson County Detention Center, or the courthouse in Dawson County where the offense took place.
Call 706-344-3545 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Dawson County inmate locator.
Dawson County Detention Center
Address:
19 Tucker Avenue
Dawsonville, GA 30534
Phone:
706-344-3545
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Dawson County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Dawson County?
Who can set bail in Dawson County?
When is bail set in Dawson County Georgia?
Does Dawson County have bail?
Yes, Dawson County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Dawson 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 Dawson 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 Dawson 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 Dawson 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 Dawson 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 Dawson County Detention Center 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, Dawson 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 Dawson 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 Dawson County have bail?
Yes, Dawson County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Dawson 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 Dawson 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 Dawson County Georgia?
Yes, if there are extenuating circumstances and the judge set the initial bail, your attorney can request a bond reduction.
In Dawson 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 Dawson County Georgia?
Yes, Georgia does offer online bail payment. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Dawson County Detention Center for more information about the jails in Dawson County.
What options are there to pay bail in Dawson 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 Dawson County Detention Center for more information about posting bail in Dawson 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 Dawson 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 Dawson County Detention Center 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.