Cedar County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Cedar County Bail and Bond, Tipton, Iowa
Bail lets a person leave the Cedar County Jail in Tipton while the case moves along. Confirm the bond by phoning 563-886-2052, then see below for payment and release steps.
Roughly 18,000 people live in Cedar County, in Tipton, West Branch, Durant, Clarence, Mechanicsville, Lowden, Stanwood, Bennett and Wilton. After an arrest, people are booked into the jail at the Cedar County Law Enforcement Center, 711 E. South Street, Tipton, IA 52772, on the south end of town behind CDS. The sheriff's office number is 563-886-2121.
1. Is my relative locked up in Tipton?
Open the sheriff's inmate roster. It lists each person's booking date, the reason held, such as a warrant, a new charge or a sentence, and the bond when one is set. You can also use VINELink or call the jail at 563-886-2052. More options are on our inmate search page.
↑ Back to the question list2. Where does the bond amount come from?
A charge booked when court is closed starts with Iowa's uniform bond schedule: $300 simple misdemeanor, $1,000 serious, $2,000 aggravated, $5,000 class D felony, $10,000 class C, $25,000 class B. A judge can change it later. The roster often shows other totals because charges add up or a warrant carries its own bond.
↑ Back to the question list3. Are some people held until they see a judge?
Yes. No schedule bond is allowed for forcible felonies, domestic abuse arrests, violations of no-contact or protective orders, or stalking. First-, second- and third-degree sexual abuse charges are excluded too, as are making, selling or possessing meth to sell, dangerous-weapon intimidation, and any gun found on someone with a felony conviction. A Seventh Judicial District magistrate sets release at the first appearance. Someone booked on a mittimus is serving a sentence and has no bond to post.
↑ Back to the question list4. What forms of bond are accepted?
Iowa law allows full cash, a surety bond bought through a licensed insurance agent, or Iowa property worth the bond. Call the jail at 563-886-2052 to check what it can take, and when, before heading to Tipton.
↑ Back to the question list5. How did Iowa bail law change in 2026?
Senate File 2399 became law on July 1, 2026. Now only nonviolent simple or serious misdemeanors without a drug element qualify for release on a promise to return, with a medical exception. Tipton judges who go below the schedule must explain their reasons in writing. The Judicial Council's inflation update of the schedule is due to the Supreme Court by July 1, 2027.
↑ Back to the question list6. Where is the Clerk of District Court?
In the Cedar County Courthouse, 400 Cedar Street, P.O. Box 111, Tipton, IA 52772. Call 563-886-2101 or email countyclerk.cedar@iowacourts.gov. The clerk's window is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., a half hour later than other courthouse offices.
↑ Back to the question list7. What if the court date is missed?
A warrant usually follows, and the judge may forfeit the bond. Iowa Code 811.6 gives a surety 30 days after notice to bring the individual back or pay. Failure to appear is charged on its own too: as a class D felony if the case was a felony, and as a serious misdemeanor if it was a misdemeanor, under section 811.2(8).
↑ Back to the question list8. Will cash bond be returned?
When the case ends and the person attended every hearing, the clerk mails the cash bond back to whoever posted it. A judge may order some of it used for fines, court costs or restitution first. A surety agent's premium is never returned. For jail account deposits, read our money guide.
↑ Back to the question list9. Does a federal case or ICE detainer matter?
Yes. A federal charge from this county is filed in Cedar Rapids, in Iowa's northern federal court; its clerk is at 111 7th Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401, 319-286-2300. Paying a county bond does not settle a federal charge. Iowa Code chapter 27A has jails honor ICE detainers, so someone can be handed to immigration at release; check the ICE locator.
↑ Back to the question list10. Is a minor's release handled the same way?
No. Tipton-area youths who are detained go to the Scott County Juvenile Detention Center, 500 West 4th Street, Davenport, IA 52801, 563-326-8686. There is no schedule bond; a judge decides at a detention hearing, which state law sets within 1 working day.
↑ Back to the question listHow do Bail Bonds work at Cedar County Jail
Bail for a Cedar County Inmate
Pretrial release for someone booked in Tipton is set by the Seventh District bench at the Cedar County Courthouse, applying Iowa Code chapter 811. The sheriff's roster prints a bond beside many names; people held on a mittimus, a court commitment order, have none listed.
With SF 2399 in force since July 1, 2026, a Tipton cash bond means paying every dollar of the amount, unless a surety signs for it.
Cedar County Jail
Address:
711 E. South St.
Tipton, IA 52772-1977
Phone:
563-886-2052
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Cedar County
Bail Questions from Tipton Families
Does the roster in Tipton show how much bail is?
After July 1, 2026, does a partial cash deposit still work in Tipton?
Can a Cedar County judge change a bond?
Where are bond papers filed in Cedar County?
Does the roster in Tipton show how much bail is?
Usually. The Cedar County roster lists a bond for most people booked on warrants or criminal charges, though not for anyone held on a mittimus.
After July 1, 2026, does a partial cash deposit still work in Tipton?
No. SF 2399 ended that option across Iowa on July 1, 2026, and Cedar County cash bonds must now be paid at full value or backed by a surety.
Can a Cedar County judge change a bond?
Yes. Under chapter 811 a Seventh District judge can raise, lower or change the conditions of release when a party asks or circumstances shift.
Where are bond papers filed in Cedar County?
Cedar County's district court clerk, on Cedar Street in Tipton, keeps them; the office number is 563-886-2101.
Release Terms in Cedar County Cases
A Cedar County defendant freed on bond still faces the charge in the Seventh District court in Tipton, and the bond guarantees each later appearance there.
- Conditions a Tipton judge can impose. No-contact orders, travel limits and pretrial supervision are among the terms a Seventh District judge may attach under section 811.2, and violating one can mean rebooking in Tipton.
- Missing a Cedar County hearing. Under section 811.7 the court may forfeit the bond and order a new arrest when a defendant does not appear.
- Refund after a Cedar County case. When the case ends and every condition has been met, the bond is exonerated under section 811.8, and the Cedar County clerk handles the repayment.
- Seventh District calendar. Hearing settings for a released Cedar County defendant come from Amie Taylor's scheduling desk (563-326-8701) and are mirrored on Iowa Courts Online.
Instructions on how to post Bail or Bond in Cedar County
Posting Bond for Someone Held in Tipton
Bond details for a Cedar County inmate begin with the sheriff's roster, which shows the amount when one has been set. A call to Wethington's office at 563-886-2121 can settle these points for a Cedar County bond:
- if the figure on the Tipton roster is current and covers each charge, and if a detainer from elsewhere would keep the person jailed after posting;
- where in the Law Enforcement Center or the courthouse a bond is accepted, and during which hours;
- the Cedar County rules on cash, cashier's checks and money orders for bonds, and the payee name to write.
Lawyers for Cedar County defendants
Cedar County Class A and Class B felony clients are assigned to public defenders working from 300 Brady Street in Davenport (office page, (563) 265-3470). For other charges the court appoints different counsel, and the Cedar County clerk at 563-886-2101 can tell a family who was named.
Who can post Bail or Bond for a Defendant at Cedar County Jail?
Who May Post a Cedar County Bond
A spouse, parent, friend, employer or the defendant may pay a Cedar County cash bond, and the receipt should be kept until the Tipton case is closed and the bond is exonerated.
Iowa Code section 811.3 limits sureties to Iowa-authorized insurers and to Iowans pledging in-state property worth the bond, so a firm offering to cover a Tipton bond should identify its insurer.
Cases involving Cedar County youths go through a juvenile court office inside the Tipton courthouse (563-886-2070).