Iowa law makes no place for commercial bail bondsmen. Instead, Iowa Code chapter 811 recognizes full cash, bonds written by insurance companies authorized in Iowa, and sworn pledges of Iowa real estate by resident owners. Senate File 2399, in force from July 1, 2026, also struck the ten percent cash deposit that Iowa once allowed.
Suite 6 (712-563-4275) accepts Audubon County bail in cash, by money order or with a cashier's check in most cases.
Address:
318 Leroy St., Ste. 4
Audubon, IA 50025
Phone:
712-563-2631
The Audubon County Jail occupies part of the 1939 county courthouse, and anyone held there will want to know how release before trial works. Iowa's bail rules follow a fairly predictable sequence.
The bond schedule. A table of standard bonds kept by the Iowa Judicial Council, the uniform bond schedule, lets many arrestees pay and leave without waiting for a hearing, as Iowa Code section 804.21 allows. It isn't available on every charge: violent forcible felonies and a short list of others, some meth crimes included, have to go before a judge first.
Before a magistrate. Those still held appear without unnecessary delay before a magistrate in Iowa's Fourth Judicial District. Release terms are fixed at that hearing, and the defendant is told a review can be requested.
Weighing release. Section 811.2 lists the considerations: the offense, family and employment, money, character, time in the community, prior convictions and past court appearances. Recent legislation, Senate File 2399, bars recognizance release except for nonviolent, non-drug misdemeanors of the simple or serious grade, and any bail under the schedule has to come with a written reason.
Bail options under Iowa law. A money bond can be met with cash in the full amount, with a court-sized deposit the clerk holds, with a commercial surety, meaning an insurance company working in Iowa (section 811.3), or with Iowa real estate pledged under oath by resident owners, which places a lien on the land (section 811.4). The ten-percent-down cash choice disappeared from Iowa law on July 1, 2026, under that same Senate File 2399. Insurance companies charge for surety bonds, and only the forms named in the release order will be taken.
Posting in Audubon County. The Clerk of District Court (712-563-4275) normally receives bond money. For the hours, method and payment type for posting bail at the courthouse jail itself, phone 712-563-2631.
Getting released. With confirmation of bail in hand, staff process the release, and the defendant leaves with a written order listing each condition and what happens if one is broken.
Return of bail money. Money deposited as bail is returned by clerk's check to the depositor after every appearance is made, and a defendant's own deposit can first be applied to fines and costs. What a bonding company charges is never refunded by the court.
Skipping court. Bail can be lost over a missed hearing, and the no-show becomes a crime in its own right.
Who receives bail money for an Audubon County case?
What if the person is held in Audubon County on another county's case?
If the defendant has no money for an attorney in Audubon County?
How do I check a surety company for an Audubon County case?
The Fourth Judicial District lists the Clerk of District Court at Audubon City Hall, 318 Leroy Street #6, Audubon, IA 50025. The clerk works weekdays only, so an after-hours Audubon bond that follows the schedule is usually handed to the courthouse jailers downstairs.
The jail also houses inmates from other counties when needed. Bail on those charges is set and paid in the county where the case was filed, which the Iowa Courts Online case search shows.
Request appointed counsel at the first hearing. Public defender help in Audubon County is limited, and the clerk's office (712-563-4275) can name the attorney now taking those appointments.
Before signing, read the insurance company's name to the clerk at 712-563-4275 and ask whether it is accepted.
Posting bail starts a stretch of obligations that lasts until the case ends. Knowing the rules helps protect a deposit, or a relative's property, along the way.
Questions about a particular order are best taken to the defense attorney or the clerk at 712-563-4275.
Two offices on Leroy Street handle bail in Audubon County: the jail, in Suite 4 of the 1939 courthouse at number 318, and the Clerk of District Court, which the Fourth District lists at Audubon City Hall, 318 Leroy Street #6. Questions worth raising:
Bringing the whole amount. Full cash bail avoids any contract with a company, and paying a tenth of the amount stopped being an option on July 1, 2026, the day SF 2399 began to apply. Ask which forms of payment will be accepted before buying anything; money orders are available at post offices, Western Union and MoneyGram.
Going through an insurer. If surety is allowed, look for a bonding insurer approved to operate in this state; Iowa issues no license to individual bail bondsmen. Its fee, collateral demands and co-signer rules are whatever its contract says, so take the contract home and study it first.
Offering real estate. Iowa residents may put up Iowa property they own, even property in another county, by swearing to its value. Owners typically bring the deed, the assessed value and any mortgage balance, and may be asked to answer questions about the property under oath.
Asking for lower bail. Through a lawyer, a defendant can request a review of the conditions set at the first appearance (Iowa Code section 811.2). The iowacourts.gov Audubon County listing under the Fourth District gives the clerk's fax number and case-scheduling line.
For an Audubon County case, cash bail may be deposited by the defendant or by anyone acting for them, such as a parent, partner, neighbor or employer. Keep the receipt somewhere safe: when the deposit is returned, it goes to whoever is shown as having made it. Before heading over, the payer can learn from the clerk (712-563-4275) which ID to carry.
Guaranteeing a bond is a bigger step than paying cash. The surety list in Iowa Code 811.3 is short: an insurance carrier cleared by section 515.48 to write such bonds, or residents pledging real estate they hold in this state, worth the full bond and backed by a sworn statement. There is no Iowa license for a bail bondsman as such, and a seller of bonds ought to identify the insurer it writes for.
A minor arrested in Audubon County is normally handled by juvenile court rather than adult bail. Juvenile matters for Audubon County are run from Council Bluffs, where the Juvenile Court Office sits at 227 South 6th Street (712-328-5623). If you aren't sure the teenager is even in the courthouse lockup, the sheriff's office can check at 712-563-2631.