Boone County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Boone County Bail and Bond, Boone, Iowa
Boone County bail decides who leaves the jail on Mamie Eisenhower Avenue before trial and who stays. To find the bond and how release will work, ring 515-433-0524.
Boone County sits on the Des Moines River just west of Ames, with Ledges State Park south of the city of Boone. About 26,799 people live in Boone, Madrid, Ogden, Woodward, Boxholm, Pilot Mound, Luther, Fraser, Beaver, Sheldahl, Berkley and part of Slater. Anyone arrested here is taken to the jail in the Law Enforcement Center, 1019 West Mamie Eisenhower Avenue, Boone, IA 50036. For charges and bond, call 515-433-0524 and press 1.
1. Is my family member in the Boone jail?
Call 515-433-0524, option 1, or stop at the front of the Law Enforcement Center and ask. Online, use VINELink, which shows custody status but no photos. See our inmate search page for more ways to look.
↑ Back to the question list2. What payment does the Boone jail take for bail?
Only three: currency, cashier's checks and money orders. Write checks and money orders to the clerk of court in the county where the charge was filed. For a Boone County case that is the Boone County Clerk of District Court. Personal checks and cards are not listed as accepted.
↑ Back to the question list3. What will the scheduled bond be?
Before the magistrate sees the case, most charges use the amounts on Iowa's uniform bond schedule: $300 simple, $1,000 serious and $2,000 aggravated misdemeanor; $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000 for class D, C and B felonies. Forcible felonies and some other charges have no scheduled amount and wait for the judge.
↑ Back to the question list4. When will the magistrate see them?
Boone's jail page promises a magistrate appearance inside 24 hours for anyone booked on a new charge. The exact time depends on the judge's own schedule. At that hearing the magistrate may keep the scheduled amount, change it, or set conditions instead.
↑ Back to the question list5. Is there any way out besides posting bond?
Yes, the jail lists four. Posting the bond set by the magistrate is one. Someone who cannot pay can apply for pretrial release through the Second Judicial District Department of Correctional Services; if approved, the person is let go on a promise to come back to court. The other two are release after final sentencing and release by court order.
↑ Back to the question list6. What changed with Iowa's new bail law?
Senate File 2399 started July 1, 2026. Signature-only release is now off the table for anything above a serious misdemeanor, and for any drug or violent charge. When a Second District judge orders less than the schedule, the reasons must go in writing. By mid-2027 the Judicial Council must also check whether the dollar figures still fit after inflation.
↑ Back to the question list7. Where is the Boone County clerk?
In the courthouse at 201 State Street, Boone, IA 50036. The office keeps weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and answers at 515-433-0561; email countyclerk.boone@iowacourts.gov.
↑ Back to the question list8. A Boone court date was skipped. What now?
Expect a warrant, and a forfeiture motion against the posted bond. Iowa Code 811.6 gives the bonding company notice and 30 days to respond. The Boone County Attorney, 515-433-0542, can also bring a separate failure-to-appear charge.
↑ Back to the question list9. How is a cash bond paid back?
The clerk returns it after the last hearing if the defendant never missed court. Fines, court costs or restitution can be taken out first. Our money guide covers putting funds on a jail account instead.
↑ Back to the question list10. Does a federal case or ICE detainer change things?
A federal charge is heard in Des Moines by the Southern District of Iowa, 111 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309, 515-284-6248. County bond does not cover them. Iowa Code chapter 27A also makes county jails keep people named in ICE detainers, so a state release can turn into an immigration transfer. Search the ICE locator if that happens.
↑ Back to the question list11. What happens with a juvenile arrest?
The case is handled by juvenile court, and parents are not handed a bond figure. Detained youth from Boone, Madrid and Ogden are taken to the Central Iowa Juvenile Detention Center, 2317 Rick Collins Way, Eldora, IA 50627, 641-858-3852; state law calls for a hearing no later than 1 working day after admission.
↑ Back to the question listHow do Bail Bonds work at Boone County Jail
Bail at the Boone County Jail
Per the sheriff, Boone County bail is accepted in three forms only: currency, cashier's checks and money orders. A check or money order must name as payee the clerk of court for the county where the charge originated, which is not always Boone County.
State bail law also lets an insurer, or a resident offering Iowa land, stand as surety. The state licenses no bail bondsmen. Since July 1, 2026, Senate File 2399 no longer allows a ten percent deposit in place of full cash bail. For the bond on a particular charge, call 515-433-0524, option 1.
Boone County Jail
Address:
1019 West Mamie Eisenhower Ave.
Boone, IA 50036
Phone:
515-433-0524
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Boone County
Boone County Jail Bail Questions
Where do I learn a Boone County arrestee's bond?
Does the sheriff take cash for Boone County bail?
Whose name goes on the payee line of a Boone bail check?
Can someone be released in Boone County without posting bail?
Can I hire a bondsman for a Boone County case?
Can a Boone County defendant still post just a tenth of the bail?
Where do I learn a Boone County arrestee's bond?
Phone 515-433-0524 and pick option 1, or ask in person at 1019 West Mamie Eisenhower Avenue, Boone, IA 50036. Ask for the total, because each charge may carry its own bond.
Does the sheriff take cash for Boone County bail?
Yes. Cash is accepted, as are cashier's checks and money orders, and the sheriff lists nothing else.
Whose name goes on the payee line of a Boone bail check?
The clerk of court for whichever county filed the charge. For a Boone County case that is the Boone County Clerk of Court; for an out-of-county warrant it is that county's clerk.
Can someone be released in Boone County without posting bail?
Possibly, if the person qualifies for supervised pretrial release, which Second Judicial District correctional staff evaluate; an approved defendant leaves on a promise to appear.
Can I hire a bondsman for a Boone County case?
Not in the usual sense. Iowa limits bail sureties to insurance companies and to residents willing to pledge property in the state (Iowa Code 811.3).
Can a Boone County defendant still post just a tenth of the bail?
No. That option ended statewide on July 1, 2026, under SF 2399.
After Release on Bail from the Boone County Jail
Bail is a promise to come back to court, and the terms follow the defendant until the case ends.
- One bond, many hearings. Iowa Code section 811.2 keeps the release in effect for later hearings unless a judge changes it.
- Judges may attach terms. The court may impose or tighten terms such as no-contact orders or supervision; keep every order you receive.
- Skipping court is costly. Under section 811.7 the court can order an arrest and forfeit the bail.
- Track every date. Check Iowa Courts Online before each hearing; scheduling staff at 515-574-3752 can confirm a date.
- Early surrender. Section 811.8 allows the defendant to be surrendered before forfeiture, releasing the surety.
Unclear wording in a release order is worth raising with defense counsel or with Boone County's clerk (515-433-0561). Other clerks are listed in the Iowa court directory.
Instructions on how to post Bail or Bond in Boone County
Steps to Post Bail in Boone
Bond questions for the Boone County Jail start with one call: 515-433-0524, option 1. Before paying:
- Option 1 gives the bond figure for every count and any detainer from another agency, which has to be cleared separately.
- The payee on a check or money order is the clerk of court of the county each charge came from.
- Payment is typically accepted at the Law Enforcement Center around the clock or at the clerk's office during courthouse hours.
Paying
Bring the payment as cash, a cashier's check or a money order. A personal check is not on the sheriff's list.
Short of the Full Amount
No bondsman license exists in Iowa. Without full cash, the alternatives are a bond underwritten by an Iowa-authorized insurance company or a pledge of Iowa real estate by an Iowa resident; the Boone County Clerk of Court (515-433-0561) typically asks for a sworn property affidavit with the deed and assessed value, or the insurer's signed bond. Another path is asking the district's Department of Correctional Services for pretrial release.
Changing the bond
Only the court can lower or raise bail, usually at a hearing a defense lawyer requests. Appointed counsel for Boone County adults comes from the state public defender's office in Nevada, 515-218-1366.
Who can post Bail or Bond for a Defendant at Boone County Jail?
Cash bail for a Boone County inmate can come from a friend, a relative or any other adult. Hold onto the bail receipt: when the case closes, any refund goes to the person named there.
With a surety bond, the company guarantees the whole amount should the defendant fail to appear. Before signing with a company that offers a bond, ask which Iowa-authorized insurer is backing it.
Arrested minors are handled by the juvenile court, not the adult bail system; Boone County's Juvenile Court Office can be reached at 515-433-0567.