Upson County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Upson County bail and bond: the jail on Aviation Drive and the court on Highway 19
People arrested by the Upson County Sheriff's Office are booked into the Upson County Jail, 235 Aviation Drive, Thomaston, GA 30286. Start with Upson County Inmate Search to see if your person is booked, what the charges are, and what the bond is. The jail line is 706-647-7411 for what the search leaves out. Bond is set by a magistrate judge at a first appearance, and the courts sit together at 1185 Highway 19 South.
Is my daughter in the Thomaston jail right now?
Search her name on Upson County Inmate Search. A fresh arrest can take a few hours to show up, so check again that evening. If the page still has nothing, call the jail at 706-647-7411. A listing for the jail says that line is staffed around the clock. Ask whether another agency has placed a hold on her.
Where exactly is the Upson County jail?
It is at 235 Aviation Drive, Thomaston, GA 30286. The Sheriff's Office uses the same address and the same phone, 706-647-7411, according to a national agency directory. Call that phone before you travel. A person can be moved after booking.
How soon will a judge see him after the arrest?
The county magistrate court says a first appearance happens before a magistrate judge within 48 to 72 hours of arrest, and that bond is set at that hearing. Georgia law, O.C.G.A. 17-4-26, sets the 72-hour outer limit for an arrest on a warrant. Call the magistrate court at 706-647-6891 to ask which day and hour your person is on the list.
Who decides the bond amount in Upson County?
Upson County Magistrate Court sits at 1185 Highway 19 South, Thomaston, GA 30286. A Chief Magistrate Judge and an associate judge hear cases. The office lists Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The same building holds the Clerk of Superior Court, so one trip can cover both.
Where do I pay, and what do they take?
Listings for the jail say a cash bond is paid at the jail's bonding window or through the Clerk of Superior Court, using cash, a cashier's check, or a money order. No hours or card option are posted online. Phone 706-647-7411 before you leave home, and ask for a receipt that shows the case number. The clerk can be reached at 706-538-2343 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
What will the bond be for a common charge?
No Upson County schedule of dollar amounts turned up in public records, so this page gives none. Each figure is chosen by the judge for that person and that case. The number shows on Upson County Inmate Search once it is entered. A lawyer can ask for a different amount at a later hearing.
What does a bail bondsman cost in Upson County?
Under O.C.G.A. 17-6-30(a), a bondsman may not take more than 15 percent of the face amount. The company may still keep at least $50 for each charged offense, even when 15 percent would be smaller. On a $2,000 bond, for example, the most a bondsman may take is $300. Compare two offers and ask for the total in writing. The jail desk at 706-647-7411 may know which agents regularly sign bonds here.
Why was my son told only a superior court judge can bond him?
Georgia reserves some charges for a superior court judge instead of a magistrate. Murder, rape, armed robbery, and a few other listed crimes are in that group (O.C.G.A. 17-6-1). He may wait in jail until that judge acts. An attorney may request a hearing on it. The clerk at 706-538-2343 can explain how the superior court calendar works.
Does a release on a signature work for every charge?
No. Since a 2024 change known as SB 63, a longer list of "bail restricted" offenses needs secured bail such as cash, a bondsman, or approved property, not just a promise (O.C.G.A. 17-6-12). If the bond line shows a high figure for a violent or gun charge, ask the magistrate court at 706-647-6891 what type of release the judge allowed.
Can I use land or a house to cover the bond?
Maybe. Georgia lets the sheriff of the county where the offense happened approve the property (O.C.G.A. 17-6-12). The Upson sheriff's rules on equity, tax value, and signers were not posted online. One jail listing says the court gives final approval and equity may be about double the bond. Phone 706-647-7411 and ask for the exact paperwork before you gather deeds.
Can one person keep paying cash bonds for different relatives?
Georgia limits it. O.C.G.A. 17-6-15 caps cash bonds posted by one person or group at three a year, with an exception added in 2026 for immediate family. If you have already helped more than once this year, ask the jail desk at 706-647-7411 before bringing cash.
Does money on a jail phone account count as bond?
No. Deposits for calls, video visits, or the commissary only give the person spending money. Real bond is paid through the jail or clerk, or to a licensed bondsman. If a caller wants gift cards, an app payment, or a wire to free someone, hang up and phone 706-647-7411 yourself.
What if the Thomaston police made the arrest?
City officers bring adults to the county jail on Aviation Drive in most cases. Whether the Thomaston Police Department keeps a short holding cell was not confirmed. Ask the department for the report number and then run the name through Upson County Inmate Search. A city arrest can still end up before the county magistrate, whose line is 706-647-6891.
Where is a juvenile taken after an arrest?
The Department of Juvenile Justice assigns Upson County to the Macon Regional Youth Detention Center, 4164 Riggins Mill Road, Macon, GA 31217. The state office answers at 404-508-6500. Georgia keeps youth cases away from the adult listing, so a parent must phone to learn the child's location and the hearing day.
Who is the free lawyer for someone who cannot pay?
The Griffin Circuit Public Defender has a main office at 601 W. Gordon Street, Thomaston, GA 30286, phone 706-647-7020, open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The office also serves Fayette, Pike, and Spalding Counties. Ask the judge for a lawyer at the first appearance if you cannot afford one.
What if he leaves jail and skips court?
The judge can issue a new warrant and order the bond forfeited. A bondsman can come after the person, and any pledged property can be put at risk. Call a lawyer or the clerk at 706-538-2343 the same day to learn whether the date can be reset.
What happens with a federal arrest?
Federal cases from Upson County belong to the Middle District of Georgia, Macon Division. The courthouse is William A. Bootle Federal Building & US Courthouse, 475 Mulberry Street, Macon, GA 31201, and the clerk answers at (478) 752-3497. A federal magistrate judge holds the first hearing and sets any release terms. The U.S. Marshals Service keeps custody before trial, so the person may sit in a local jail that rents beds to the Marshals. After sentencing, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
Upson County bond contacts
- Jail
- Upson County Jail and Sheriff's Office, 235 Aviation Drive, Thomaston, GA 30286; 706-647-7411
- Bond guide
- Upson County Jail bail and bond guide
- Custody lookup
- Upson County Inmate Search
- Clerk of Superior Court
- 1185 Highway 19, Thomaston, GA 30286; 706-538-2343; Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Magistrate Court
- 1185 Highway 19 South, Thomaston, GA 30286; 706-647-6891; Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Public defender
- Griffin Circuit, 601 W. Gordon Street, Thomaston, GA 30286; 706-647-7020
- Youth detention
- Macon Regional Youth Detention Center, 4164 Riggins Mill Road, Macon, GA 31217; state office 404-508-6500
Fees, hours, and rules shift over time, and each judge handles a case in the way the law allows. Phone the jail or the clerk before you pay anyone. This guide is for general education and is not legal advice.
How do Bail Bonds work at Upson County Jail
The Upson County Sheriff recommends that you might want to use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Upson 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 Upson 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 Upson 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 Upson County Jail, or the courthouse in Upson County where the offense took place.
Call 706-647-7411 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Upson County inmate locator.
Upson County Jail
Address:
235 Aviation Drive
Thomaston, GA 30286
Phone:
706-647-7411
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Upson County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Upson County?
Who can set bail in Upson County?
When is bail set in Upson County Georgia?
Does Upson County have bail?
Yes, Upson County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Upson 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 Upson 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 Upson 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 Upson 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 Upson 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 Upson 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, Upson 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 Upson 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 Upson County have bail?
Yes, Upson County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Upson 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 Upson 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 Upson County Georgia?
Yes, if there are extenuating circumstances and the judge set the initial bail, your attorney can request a bond reduction.
In Upson 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 Upson County Georgia?
Yes, Georgia does offer online bail payment. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Upson County Jail for more information about the jails in Upson County.
What options are there to pay bail in Upson 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 Upson County Jail for more information about posting bail in Upson 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 Upson 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 Upson 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.