Forsyth County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Forsyth County bail and bond: cash only at the Cumming jail window
Adults arrested in Forsyth County are held at the Forsyth County Jail, 202 Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Cumming. Use Forsyth County Inmate Search to see whether the person is in custody, what the charges are, and what the bond is. To post a bond, go to the bonding window in the main jail lobby; the sheriff accepts cash only, a property bond on Forsyth County real estate, or an approved bonding company. Call the jail at 770-781-2226 for any question the search cannot answer.
Has my loved one been booked into the Cumming jail?
Run the name through Forsyth County Inmate Search. Booking records show the charges and any bond that has been set. Someone arrested within the past hour may not appear yet, so check again later. For a question the search cannot settle, the jail's main line is 770-781-2226.
Where is the bonding window, and what do I carry?
It sits in the main lobby of the Forsyth County Jail on Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Cumming. The sheriff says you must come in person to finish a bond. Bring your own photo ID and the person's full name. The sheriff's page gives no hours for the window, so call 770-781-2226 before you leave home.
Can I pay with a check, card, or money order?
Not according to the sheriff. The bonding page says cash only, and it names money orders, business checks, and personal checks as refused. Credit cards are not mentioned for bonds. If you cannot bring the full amount in cash, the other two ways in are a bonding company or real property in Forsyth County.
How do I find out what the bond is?
Look at the record on Forsyth County Inmate Search once the booking is finished. The magistrate or another judge sets the figure, and the sheriff cannot change it. No Forsyth court or sheriff page reviewed for this guide posts a price list for common charges, so treat any amount quoted by a stranger as a guess. The jail desk at 770-781-2226 can tell you whether a judge has acted yet.
When does a judge first look at the case?
State law (O.C.G.A. 17-4-26) says an officer who arrests on a warrant must bring the person before a judicial officer within 72 hours. Forsyth County Magistrate Court handles warrants, preliminary hearings, and bail for many charges, and its office is at 1090 Tribble Gap Road, 770-781-2211. Ask them for the hearing date.
How do bonding companies work at this jail?
The sheriff keeps a list of approved companies on its website and on a large screen in the jail lobby. A company representative meets you in the lobby. Staff are barred from recommending one, so do not expect a referral at the window. The sheriff's page repeats the state limit: a company may charge up to 15 percent of the total bond. Under O.C.G.A. 17-6-30 it may also ask for a $50 minimum on each bonded charge, even where that tops 15 percent. Compare fees and ask for a written contract.
Can I use a house or land to get someone out?
Yes, if it is real property in Forsyth County. Bring the deed and the latest paid property tax bill. Everyone named on the deed must come with a state-issued ID. Taxes must be paid up. The equity left after loans must be at least double the bond. A deed search is run, and a lien goes on the property until the case ends. The sheriff warns that it can take several days.
I live outside Forsyth County. Can my property count?
Start with your local sheriff's office. The Forsyth sheriff says that office will work with Forsyth County and hand you a sealed envelope. Do not open it; the jail will refuse an envelope that has been opened. Mobile homes and similar items are counted at their appraised tax value. Call 770-781-2226 to confirm the steps.
Why would Forsyth list a person as no bond?
A judge may not have ruled yet, or the charge may be one that only a superior court judge can bail. Under O.C.G.A. 17-6-1, that list includes murder, rape, and armed robbery. A probation hold or another county's warrant can also block release. Ask the jail desk at 770-781-2226 what holds are on the file.
What does Georgia's newer bail law change?
O.C.G.A. 17-6-12 lists many bail restricted offenses. A person charged with one cannot be freed on a signature alone. The release has to use secured means: cash, a licensed bondsman, or property the sheriff approves in the county where the crime took place. Ask the lawyer or the jail whether your charge is on that list.
Who can ask for a lower bond or a free lawyer?
Only a judge can lower a bond, and a lawyer normally files the request. Forsyth County's Indigent Defense Office is on the fourth floor of the courthouse at 101 W. Courthouse Square, Suite 4099, Cumming. Call 678-513-5959. Eligibility depends on income compared with the federal poverty guidelines.
What if Cumming police or deputies from another agency arrested him?
The Forsyth County Jail is the county's main place of custody, so city arrests usually reach it. Whether any police station keeps people briefly first is a question for the arresting agency. Ask for the officer's name and the report number, then search again on Forsyth County Inmate Search.
Where would a 16-year-old be held?
Georgia's Department of Juvenile Justice assigns Forsyth County to the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center, 450 Crescent Drive, Gainesville, GA 30501, phone 770-531-4597. A child's file is private, so the adult search may show nothing. Call the center first.
What if he does not show up for court?
The judge can issue a warrant and the bond can be lost. If a bonding company posted it, the company may send someone to bring him in. Speak to a lawyer and the court on the same day.
Is any of my money returned?
The fee statute (O.C.G.A. 17-6-30) has no refund rule, so ask the company what its contract says. Cash handed to the jail or court may come back when the case closes, but only after any fines and costs. Keep every receipt, and ask in writing before you pay what refund rules apply.
How can I tell a bail scam from the real thing?
Real bonds are paid in the jail lobby, with a listed company, or with property papers. A text, call, or social media message asking for gift cards, an app payment, or a wire is a scam. Deposits made on the JailATM kiosk or website go to the inmate's account for calls and the store, not to bail. Confirm anything by calling 770-781-2226.
Which federal court covers this county?
If agents such as the FBI, DEA or ATF made the arrest, the case is federal. For Forsyth 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.
Key contacts for Forsyth County bond questions
- Jail
- Forsyth County Jail, 202 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Cumming, GA 30040; 770-781-2226
- Bond help
- Jail bail and bond guide
- Custody lookup
- Forsyth County Inmate Search
- Magistrate Court
- 1090 Tribble Gap Road, Cumming, GA 30040; 770-781-2211
- Public defense
- Indigent Defense Office, Forsyth County Courthouse, 101 W. Courthouse Square, Suite 4099, Cumming, GA 30040; 678-513-5959
- Juvenile
- Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center, 450 Crescent Drive, Gainesville, GA 30501; 770-531-4597
Forsyth County rules on payment, property, and hours may change without notice, and a judge may order a different amount. Phone the jail before you hand over money. This is a general guide, not a substitute for a lawyer.
How do Bail Bonds work at Forsyth County Jail
The Forsyth County Sheriff recommends that you might want to use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Forsyth 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 Forsyth 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 Forsyth 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 Forsyth County Jail, or the courthouse in Forsyth County where the offense took place.
Call 770-781-2226 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Forsyth County inmate locator.
Forsyth County Jail
Address:
202 Veterans Memorial Blvd.
Cumming, GA 30040
Phone:
770-781-2226
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Forsyth County
Does Forsyth County have bail?
What kind of bonds are accepted in Forsyth County?
Who can set bail in Forsyth County?
When is bail set in Forsyth County Georgia?
Does Forsyth County have bail?
Yes, Forsyth County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Forsyth 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 Forsyth 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 Forsyth 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 Forsyth 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 Forsyth 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 Forsyth 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, Forsyth 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 Forsyth 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 Forsyth County have bail?
Yes, Forsyth County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Forsyth 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 Forsyth 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 Forsyth County Georgia?
Yes, if there are extenuating circumstances and the judge set the initial bail, your attorney can request a bond reduction.
In Forsyth 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 Forsyth County Georgia?
Yes, Georgia does offer online bail payment. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Forsyth County Jail for more information about the jails in Forsyth County.
What options are there to pay bail in Forsyth 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 Forsyth County Jail for more information about posting bail in Forsyth 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 Forsyth 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 Forsyth 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.