Custer County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Custer County bail and bond: the Challis jail, the courthouse, and your next call
Adults arrested in Custer County are booked at the Custer County Jail, 130 S. 9th Street, Challis. The sheriff runs it, and the desk answers at 208-879-2232. Start by looking the person up with Custer County Inmate Search. Then call if the search shows nothing. The sheriff sets no bond. A judge or the state bail schedule decides what bail is due, and the court clerk, not the jail, holds the court file.
Is my son still in the Challis jail?
Run his name through Custer County Inmate Search. A booking from the last few hours may not show yet. Small jails sometimes move people to another county when space is tight, so ask the desk at 208-879-2232 whether he is still in Challis. Give the full legal name and birth date.
Who runs the jail, and when is the sheriff's office open?
The Custer County Sheriff's Office runs the jail. The office is at 130 S. 9th Street and keeps office hours Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The number is 208-879-2232. Questions about the jail itself are best asked there, not at the courthouse.
How do I pay bail once an amount is set?
Idaho's misdemeanor rules list four ways to post it: cash, a cashier's check or money order made out to the clerk, a bond from a licensed surety company, or a property bond the court approves. A personal check works only where a judge has approved that.
Ask the desk at 208-879-2232 which counter takes your payment, and what hours it keeps. Get a receipt that shows the court date and place.
How much will bail be?
The amount depends on the charge and the judge. The statewide misdemeanor schedule, effective January 4, 2023, sets a first DUI at $500 for an Idaho resident and $2,000 for a nonresident. Domestic battery and violating a no-contact order are held without bond until the person sees a judge.
Other rows on that 2023 list: a second DUI is $1,000 for a resident and $3,000 for a nonresident, and resisting or obstructing an officer is $300. Disturbing the peace is a book-and-release charge. These amounts are advisory, so a judge can raise, lower, or drop them. For felonies, the judge sets the number. Ask the jail desk for the figure on the booking sheet.
The page says no bond. Does that mean he cannot get out?
Sometimes it only means a judge has not seen him yet. In Idaho, bail is a right before conviction unless the charge carries the death penalty and the proof is strong (Idaho Code 19-2903). A judge may also hold someone on a probation charge. Ask the court at 208-879-2359 what is holding him. A person who is arrested must see a judge within 24 hours, not counting weekends and holidays (Idaho Criminal Rule 5(b)), so a weekend arrest can mean a wait until Monday.
Should I use a bail bondsman or pay the court directly?
If you have the full amount, paying cash to the court keeps the money in your hands. A licensed bail agent charges a fee and covers the rest. Idaho law says sheriffs and clerks generally accept bonds only from licensed bail agents (Idaho Code 41-1039).
Check any agent's license and read the contract. The Department of Insurance consumer line is 1-800-721-3272. Collateral should come back within 14 days after the case ends.
Can I use Custer County land or a house for Custer County bail?
Maybe. Idaho Code 19-2909 says the property must be in Idaho. After liens, your remaining equity must cover the bail plus likely collection costs. The Custer County court can accept or refuse it, and you pay the recording fees. A bond, once recorded in Challis, is a lien on the property.
Start with the clerk at 208-879-2360 before you gather deeds. Ask how many days the court needs.
Will I get my cash back?
Usually, yes, but not always in full. When a judgment is entered, the clerk applies a cash deposit to fines, fees, costs, and restitution in that case and any other criminal case, then refunds what is left to the Custer County poster it (Idaho Code 19-2908). Keep your receipt and ask the clerk about the refund.
How do I ask for lower bail?
A lawyer can ask the judge to change the amount; Idaho Code 19-2912 covers raising or reducing bail. Bring proof of a job, family nearby, and a place to live. Gather it before the hearing. The court office at 208-879-2359 can tell you when the judge sits.
What if I cannot afford a lawyer?
Ask for one at the first hearing. A judge appoints a public defender if you qualify. Custer County has no public defender office listed by the State Public Defender; its cases go to contract attorneys. Apply at the Custer courthouse, or call the State Public Defender at 208-605-4575.
Where do I take care of court papers and fines?
The Clerk of the District Court is in the courthouse at 801 E. Main Avenue, 208-879-2360. Custer County Courts also lists a mailing address of PO Box 1128 and a phone of 208-879-2359. Phone the courts office before you drive, since its mailing address is a post office box.
He is on probation. Does that change anything?
It can. A judge may allow bail on a probation violation charge, but is not required to. Custer County Probation is upstairs in the courthouse at 208-879-3312, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ask the officer whether a hold has been placed.
What if the person arrested is under 18?
Youth cases go to the magistrate court's juvenile side, not the adult jail desk. Call Custer County juvenile probation at 208-879-3312 to learn where the Custer County youth is held and when the hearing is. Juvenile records are private, so the adult Custer County search will not list a child.
What happens if he misses court?
The judge can issue a warrant and keep the bail. Idaho Code 19-2915 deals with forfeiture. Call a lawyer and the court office at 208-879-2359 the same day, because quick action may let the court reset the date.
How do I spot a bail scam?
No one at the jail or court takes gift cards or money apps to release a person. Look up numbers yourself and call 208-879-2232 or the clerk at 208-879-2360. Money put on a phone or commissary account is not bail.
Can I post bail in Challis on a federal charge?
A federal court takes the Custer County case. A federal warrant served in Custer County is not part of the Custer bond schedule, so the Challis jail desk takes no money for it. Custer County federal cases go to the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho, Eastern Division, 801 E. Sherman St., Pocatello; and from Challis the clerk's line is 208-478-4123.
- A U.S. magistrate judge calls the Custer County case first once the Custer County arrest is processed, normally very soon.
- No money chart applies to Custer federal cases. Under 18 U.S.C. 3142, the judge can release the Custer defendant on conditions or order detention.
- If prosecutors ask to hold your family member, a detention hearing for the Custer County defendant follows quickly, unless a Custer party asks to delay it.
- Before trial the U.S. Marshals Service keeps custody, so a Custer prisoner may be housed in a county jail that rents beds; ring 208-879-2232 and ask if the Challis jail has your loved one.
- If federal prison time follows the Custer County case, the Federal Bureau of Prisons assigns a prison, shown on the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
Will a Challis bond free someone with an ICE hold?
Posting bail in Challis is allowed, yet Challis release may be slowed at Custer County Jail. For a Custer booking, expect these steps:
- At the Custer County booking desk, Idaho Code 18-9008 requires the jail to decide whether the Custer prisoner is foreign-born and, if the Custer County check says so, alert the Department of Homeland Security within 48 hours.
- ICE may send a Form I-247A detainer asking Custer County to keep the person.
- Idaho jails, including Custer County's, must honor a reasonable detainer under Idaho Code 18-9005(4) after the Custer case no longer holds them, and the Challis jail must say why your loved one is held.
- After a Custer release order, the Custer hold can last up to 48 hours, and Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays count.
- Agents working out of the ICE Twin Falls office, 212 Deere Street, Twin Falls, ID 83301, 208-737-3820, collect the person from the Custer County jail; ICE frequently moves Custer detainees to the Elmore County Detention Center in Mountain Home before a move from Challis toward other states.
- Look up the ICE Online Detainee Locator System by Custer A-number, or by the Challis detainee's name and native country.
Get legal advice before posting in Challis, because Custer bail does not cover the immigration case.
Which searches find a Custer County inmate in any prison?
- Challis jail: try Custer County Inmate Search , or phone 208-879-2232.
- Free alerts: VINELink lists Custer custody status and sends release notices.
- State prison: search the Idaho Department of Correction Resident/Client Search, and read our Idaho state prisons guide.
- Federal prison: the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.
- Immigration: the ICE Online Detainee Locator System.
- Custer County cases: Idaho iCourt case search, or call the Challis court at 208-879-2359.
Custer County contacts
- County jail
- Custer County Jail, 130 S. 9th Street, Challis, ID 83226; 208-879-2232
- Bail guide
- Jail bail and bond guide
- Custody lookup
- Custer County Inmate Search
- Sheriff
- Custer County Sheriff's Office, PO Box 344, Challis, ID 83226; 208-879-2232; weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Clerk
- Custer County Clerk, 801 E. Main Avenue, Challis; 208-879-2360
- Courts
- Custer County Courts, PO Box 1128, Challis; 208-879-2359
- Probation
- Courthouse, upstairs; 208-879-3312; adult misdemeanor and juvenile
- Public defense
- State Public Defender, 208-605-4575
- Bail agents
- Idaho Department of Insurance consumer line, 1-800-721-3272
Custer County offices can change hours and phone lines without notice. Before you send any money, confirm the details for this case with the jail or the clerk. Nothing here is legal advice.
Custer County Jail
Address:
130 S. 9th St.
Challis, ID 83226
Phone:
208-879-2232
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Custer County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Custer County?
Who can set bail in Custer County?
When is bail set in Custer County Idaho?
Does Custer County have bail?
Yes, Custer County recognizes most types of bonds.
Unless the defendant is deemed a flight risk, accused of a capital crime, or had previously failed to appear, bail is considered a right.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Custer County?
Idaho will consider a bail bond, property bail bond or cash deposit which also includes check or money order. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest.
Who can set bail in Custer County?
Idaho uses a Bail Bond Schedule which lists the predetermined bail for most nonviolent crimes. For those crimes not listed on the schedule, or when the defendant does not qualify for immediate release, bail must be set by a judge.
When is bail set in Custer County Idaho?
For most nonviolent crimes bail is set automatically in accordance with a Bail Bond Schedule. For those crimes not listed on the schedule, or when the defendant does not qualify for immediate release, a hearing called first appearance will be scheduled on the first available court date. Bail will be determined at this hearing.
A bond proceeding is the determination of how much bail is to be paid and usually happens at the same time as an initial appearance or arraignment. During bond proceedings, the defendant can have an attorney present but does not have the right to an attorney. A judge or court officer in the {county extended} or magistrate court sets bail.
Judges in Idaho rely on a statewide bail schedule, which sets out a recommended range of bail amounts for different offenses. Judges can still exercise discretion in setting bail above or below the recommended range.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Custer 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 Custer 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.
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 Custer 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, Custer 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
What are the different types of bonds in Custer 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 Custer County have bail?
Yes, Custer County recognizes most types of bonds.
Unless the defendant is deemed a flight risk, accused of a capital crime, or had previously failed to appear, bail is considered a right.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Custer County?
Idaho will consider a bail bond, property bail bond or cash deposit which also includes check or money order. The court will consider what type of bonds will be accepted depending on the circumstances of the arrest.
Who can set bail in Custer County?
Idaho uses a Bail Bond Schedule which lists the predetermined bail for most nonviolent crimes. For those crimes not listed on the schedule, or when the defendant does not qualify for immediate release, bail must be set by a judge.
When is bail set in Idaho?
For most nonviolent crimes bail is set automatically in accordance with a Bail Bond Schedule. For those crimes not listed on the schedule, or when the defendant does not qualify for immediate release, a hearing called first appearance will be scheduled on the first available court date. Bail will be determined at this hearing.
A bond proceeding is the determination of how much bail is to be paid and usually happens at the same time as an initial appearance or arraignment. During bond proceedings, the defendant can have an attorney present but does not have the right to an attorney. A judge or court officer in the {county extended} or magistrate court sets bail.
Judges in Idaho rely on a statewide bail schedule, which sets out a recommended range of bail amounts for different offenses. Judges can still exercise discretion in setting bail above or below the recommended range.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Custer County Idaho?
Yes, a judge may reduce or increase bail upon a showing of good cause. Your attorney or public defender can request a hearing for this purpose.
In Custer County Idaho, who can pay bail for me?
The defendant can post cash bail or 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 Idaho could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Custer County Idaho?
Yes, Idaho does offer online payment of bail. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Custer County Jail for more information about the jails in Custer County.
What options are there to pay bail in Custer County Idaho?
A cash deposit can be made as well as checks or money order. Each area varies with regards to accepting credit cards. Contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted. Go to the Custer County Jail for more information about posting bail in Custer County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Idaho?
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 Custer County?
Cash bond requires a minimum amount of money be paid prior to the defendant’s release. Even if you use a bail bond agent the state requires a down payment of 15%.
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 Idaho?
The Custer 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 by the state and cannot be negotiated.
Detailed information regarding bail and bond procedures in Idaho.