Carroll County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Carroll County Bail and Bond, Carroll, Iowa
Here is how bail and bonds work at the Carroll County Jail and what gets a person released.
The 24-hour jail line, 712-792-4393, gives the bond on each charge. About 20,000 people live in Carroll County, in towns like Carroll, Manning, Coon Rapids, Glidden, Breda and Templeton.
Anyone arrested here is booked into the county jail at 114 E. 6th Street, Carroll, IA 51401, a 52-bed building that was planned so it could rent space to other counties. The sheriff's office answers at 712-792-4393, and the jail itself takes calls at 712-792-4394.
1. Is my family member in the Carroll jail?
This jail keeps no public roster online; our inmate search page lists other ways to find someone. Try VINELink, or phone 712-792-4394 to learn whether the person is there and what bond is set. Forcible felonies, stalking, domestic abuse arrests and no-contact order violations all skip the printed schedule, as do sexual abuse in degrees one to three, Carroll County meth cases (manufacture, dealing or possession to deal), dangerous-weapon intimidation, and felons found with firearms. Terms are set in court by a Second District magistrate or judge, usually at the first appearance. That judge can raise or lower the amount after looking at the charge, the person's record, job, family and past court attendance.
↑ Back to the question list2. How is bond paid in Carroll?
Iowa allows cash, a surety bond written through an insurance company's licensed agent, or Iowa real estate worth the bond amount. Iowa does not license individual bail bondsmen. Call 712-792-4394 before going to the jail to ask which forms it takes at the window.
↑ Back to the question list3. Did the bail rules change in 2026?
Yes. Senate File 2399 took effect July 1, 2026. Release with no money, on a person's word alone, is now kept for nonviolent simple or serious misdemeanors that do not involve drugs, with a narrow medical exception. Bail set below the schedule now needs a written reason from the judge. By July 1, 2027, the Judicial Council must also hand the Supreme Court a schedule updated for inflation.
↑ Back to the question list4. Why are Polk County prisoners in Carroll's jail?
The Carroll jail was built with room to spare. Polk County sends some of its sentenced prisoners here under an agreement. Their cases and bonds stay with the Polk County court, not Carroll's. Since January 2026 Calhoun County's prisoners go to Pocahontas instead of Carroll.
↑ Back to the question list5. Where does the clerk work?
The Clerk of District Court is in Suite 5 of the courthouse, 114 East 6th Street, Carroll, IA 51401. The phone is 712-792-4327 and the email is countyclerk.carroll@iowacourts.gov. The courthouse is open weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
↑ Back to the question list6. Someone did not show up for court. Now what?
A judge will likely issue a warrant and can declare the bond forfeited. The bonding company then gets 30 days' notice under Iowa Code 811.6 to bring the person in or pay. A no-show is also a new charge under 811.2(8). Skipping a felony hearing is charged as a class D felony; skipping a misdemeanor hearing, as a serious misdemeanor. Call the clerk at 712-792-4327 for the new date.
↑ Back to the question list7. When does cash bond come back?
Cash bond goes back to whoever posted it once the case closes, as long as no hearing was skipped. The court may keep part of it to cover fines, costs or restitution. The premium paid to a surety agent is not returned. For money on a jail account, read our money guide.
↑ Back to the question list8. Does a federal charge or immigration detainer change things?
Carroll County sits in the Central Division of Iowa's northern federal district. Its clerk's office is at 320 6th Street, Sioux City, IA 51101, 712-233-3900. Posting a county bond will not end a federal hold. Iowa Code chapter 27A makes jails honor ICE detainers, so release can mean a transfer. Check the ICE locator.
↑ Back to the question list9. Can I bail out my teenager?
Delinquency cases skip the adult bond list. Youth needing secure care are placed at the Northwest Iowa YES Center, 1231 West Cedar Loop, Suite 110, Cherokee, IA 51012, 712-225-5777, with a detention hearing required inside 1 working day of arrival.
↑ Back to the question listHow do Bail Bonds work at Carroll County Jail
Bail for a Carroll County Jail Inmate
Release for a Carroll County defendant is decided under Iowa Code chapter 811 by a Second Judicial District magistrate or judge sitting in the Carroll County Courthouse, the same building complex as the jail. Bond amounts and charges for a specific inmate are available from the jail at 712-792-4393, and custody status shows on the Carroll County inmate locator.
Someone held on 6th Street who is not released on recognizance may pay the full cash figure or bring in a surety. Section 811.3 allows only two kinds of surety for a Carroll County bond: an insurance company cleared to do business in Iowa, or an Iowan pledging property located in the state. Iowa does not license bail bond agents, and Senate File 2399 ended the practice of accepting a deposit of one-tenth of a cash bond on July 1, 2026.
Carroll County Jail
Address:
114 E. 6th Street
Carroll, IA 51401
Phone:
712-792-4394
Carroll County Bail Questions
Does Sheriff Cretsinger decide how much bail a Carroll County inmate owes?
Can the 6th Street jail tell me the bond on each charge before I drive over?
After July 1, 2026, may a family in Carroll County still post ten percent?
Apart from relatives, who qualifies to back a Carroll County bond?
Which suite in the Carroll County Courthouse holds the clerk of district court?
Does Sheriff Cretsinger decide how much bail a Carroll County inmate owes?
No, that figure is fixed in court rather than at the jail, by the magistrate or associate judge hearing the case.
Can the 6th Street jail tell me the bond on each charge before I drive over?
Yes, the jailers at 712-792-4393 can give the bond figure for each charge.
After July 1, 2026, may a family in Carroll County still post ten percent?
No. SF 2399 means Carroll County cash bail is now paid in full, unless a qualified Iowa surety signs instead.
Apart from relatives, who qualifies to back a Carroll County bond?
An insurer with Iowa authority, or an Iowan putting up property in Iowa; no other surety qualifies under state law.
Which suite in the Carroll County Courthouse holds the clerk of district court?
The clerk works out of Suite 5 in the courthouse at 114 East 6th Street, answering calls at 712-792-4327 and faxes at 712-792-4328.
Obligations After Bail in Carroll County
A defendant who leaves the 6th Street jail on bail takes on duties to the Carroll County court that last until the prosecution is closed.
- Carroll County release orders carry forward. Under Iowa Code section 811.2, the release set at the start of a Carroll County case normally stays in force at later hearings until a judge modifies it.
- Conditions from the Carroll County bench. Second District judges in the Carroll County Courthouse can bar contact with named people, restrict travel or order supervision, and breaking a condition can return the defendant to the cells next door.
- Failing to appear in Carroll County. Section 811.7 governs what follows a no-show in the Carroll County Courthouse: forfeiture of the posted money and a warrant for the defendant.
- Carroll County hearing settings. Kellie Orres handles scheduling for Carroll County cases (515-574-3752), and once a setting is made it can be looked up through Iowa Courts Online.
- When the surety hands the defendant back. A Carroll County bond stops binding its surety when, before forfeiture, the surety returns the defendant to the sheriff, as Iowa Code section 811.8 provides.
Questions about the terms of one specific Carroll County release order belong with the defendant's own attorney. The clerk in Suite 5 answers procedural questions at 712-792-4327, and the Iowa Judicial Branch keeps a statewide clerk of court office list.
Instructions on how to post Bail or Bond in Carroll County
How to Post Bail at the Carroll County Jail
A phone call to the 6th Street jail at 712-792-4393 saves a wasted trip. Jailers can look up the record quickly once given the inmate's name and birthdate, so bring those and ask:
- the bond on every Carroll County charge, and whether a hold from another jurisdiction (another county, the state or federal authorities) would stop the release even once bail is posted;
- where on 6th Street the bond is actually paid (the jail counter or the clerk's Suite 5 office) and during which hours;
- how each office wants a Carroll County bond paid, down to the name that goes on the payee line.
If the Carroll County bond is out of reach
Iowa Code section 811.3 allows a qualified surety to stand behind the full amount. Separately, defense counsel can file a bail-review motion in Suite 5 (712-792-4327) for a Second District judge to consider.
Which Carroll County cases the Nevada defender office takes
The State Public Defender's adult designation chart sends Carroll County appointments to its Nevada office (office page) solely for Class A felonies. For any lesser Carroll County charge, an eligible defendant is assigned private counsel by the court, and the Suite 5 clerk can say which attorney.
Who can post Bail or Bond for a Defendant at Carroll County Jail?
Carroll County cash bail may come from anyone, whether a parent, spouse, employer, friend or the defendant, and the receipt from the 6th Street jail or the clerk should be kept safe until the Carroll County judge closes the case.
Anyone who signs as surety for a Carroll County defendant becomes liable for every dollar of the bond should that defendant miss court. If a business offers to post the bond, ask which insurer underwrites it and verify that the insurer holds Iowa authority.
Carroll County minors accused of offenses usually go through juvenile court, and the Juvenile Court Office in courthouse Suite 5 can be reached at 712-792-5666.