Clayton County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Last updated by Mark Miclette

Search for an Inmate or Active Arrest Warrant in Clayton County

Iowa • Clayton County • Bail and bond guide

Clayton County bail and bond: how an Elkader arrest moves forward

In Iowa, a judge sets bail. When courts are closed, a statewide bond schedule sets the starting amount for many arrests. The Clayton County Jail holds adults arrested in this county, and the Clayton County Sheriff's Office runs it. To learn whether someone is in custody, use the Clayton County Inmate Search. You can also call the Sheriff's Office, which runs the jail, at (563) 245-2422.

Is the person still in custody in Clayton County?

Start with the Clayton County Inmate Search. Enter the full legal name and the date of birth if you have it. A new booking can take some hours to appear, so check again later.

If the search still shows nothing, call the Sheriff's Office at (563) 245-2422. Staff can tell you whether a booking was made.

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Is bail the same thing as bond?

Not quite. Bail is the amount set so a person can be released before trial. A bond is the promise to pay that amount, along with the paperwork that makes the promise official. Court papers in Iowa use both words, so check which one is written on the release order.

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What bond amount does the schedule set?

When courts are not in session, the Iowa Uniform Bond Schedule sets the starting amount. The Judicial Council wrote it. The amounts are:

Class B felony: $25,000. Class C felony: $10,000. Class D felony: $5,000. Aggravated misdemeanor: $2,000. Serious misdemeanor: $1,000. Simple misdemeanor: $300.

Traffic and other scheduled violations use the amounts in the State of Iowa Compendium of Scheduled Violations and Scheduled Fines.

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Can a judge set a different amount?

Yes. After a judicial officer sees the person, that officer sets bond. The officer uses the factors in Iowa Code section 811.2 and does not have to follow the schedule. The amount can be higher or lower than the schedule.

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Which arrests skip the bond schedule?

The schedule does not apply to forcible felonies. It also does not apply to certain methamphetamine manufacture, delivery, or distribution cases, stalking, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, or felon in possession of a firearm. For these, a judge must see the person before bond is set.

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Where are bond payments taken?

The Clayton County Sheriff's Office runs the jail. Ask the Sheriff's Office how bond is paid before you go. Call (563) 245-2422 and ask which payment types it accepts.

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Which court hears felony cases in Clayton County?

Felony cases are heard in the Clayton County District Court in Elkader. The county is part of Iowa's First Judicial District. The Clerk of Court is at 111 High Street NE, Suite 203, Elkader, IA 52043. To confirm dates and filings, call (563) 245-2204.

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Where do simple misdemeanors and traffic tickets go?

Simple misdemeanors and traffic cases are heard by the Clayton County court, which is part of the Iowa District Court. These cases are heard in the same courthouse in Elkader. The ticket lists the court date. Traffic and other scheduled violations use the amounts in the State of Iowa Compendium of Scheduled Violations and Scheduled Fines.

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How do I get a public defender?

A person who cannot pay for a lawyer should tell the judge at the first appearance. If the judge finds the person eligible, a lawyer is appointed from the State Public Defender. Felony cases from Clayton County are handled by the Dubuque office at 590 Iowa Street, Suite 1, Dubuque, IA 52001. The state lists its offices on the State Public Defender office locations page.

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What happens when a juvenile is arrested?

Juvenile cases do not go to the adult courtroom. They are heard in juvenile court, which is part of the district court. Juvenile Court Services for the First Judicial District is in Decorah, at 201 West Main Street, 3rd Floor, Courthouse. Call (319) 291-2506. A parent or guardian should go to every hearing.

Juvenile detention for this county is handled at one of the following facilities. Call the facility to confirm the county it serves.

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What changes if the case is federal?

A federal charge is brought by federal prosecutors. It is heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa, Eastern Division. Court for this division is held in Dubuque and Waterloo, not in Elkader. Federal judges set release under federal law. To find someone held in a federal prison, use the Bureau of Prisons inmate search.

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What if the person misses a court date?

A missed court date can lead to a warrant and a new hearing. At that hearing the judge can change the bond. Call the Clerk of Court in Elkader at (563) 245-2204 to check the next date before anything else happens.

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Clayton County bail and bond contacts

Sheriff
Clayton County Sheriff's Office, administrative office at 22680 230th Street, Saint Olaf, IA 52072; (563) 245-2422 (press 2 for administration, 1 for dispatch)
County jail
Clayton County Jail, run by the Sheriff's Office at the address above; call the Sheriff's Office at (563) 245-2422. Jail details are on the Clayton County jail page.
Bond amounts
Iowa Uniform Bond Schedule, used when courts are not in session. A judge sets bond after seeing the person.
Custody lookup
Clayton County Inmate Search
Clerk of Court
Clayton County District Court Clerk of Court, 111 High Street NE, Suite 203, Elkader, IA 52043; (563) 245-2204
Public defender
State Public Defender, Dubuque office, 590 Iowa Street, Suite 1, Dubuque, IA 52001; office locations
Juvenile cases
Juvenile Court Services, First Judicial District, 201 West Main Street, 3rd Floor, Decorah, IA 52101; (319) 291-2506
Juvenile detention
Juvenile detention for this county is handled at one of the following facilities. Call the facility to confirm the county it serves.
Federal cases
U.S. District Court, Northern District of Iowa, Eastern Division (court held in Dubuque and Waterloo); Bureau of Prisons federal inmate search

Treat this page as a general guide only. It is not legal advice. Bond amounts, court rules, and phone lines can change, so confirm with the Clerk of District Court or the Sheriff's Office before you act. Talk to a lawyer for advice about your case.

How do Bail Bonds work at Clayton County Jail

Bail at the Clayton County Jail

Bail sign for Clayton County Jail inmates

First Judicial District magistrates and judges decide bail for Saint Olaf inmates under Iowa Code chapter 811, and the jail staff at 563-245-2422 can tell a caller what amount stands on each Clayton County charge.

Without release on recognizance, a Clayton County defendant pays cash in full or relies on a surety. Iowa has no licensed bail-agent trade; a Clayton County surety must be an authorized insurance company or an Iowan pledging in-state property, as section 811.3 requires. From July 1, 2026 forward, any Clayton County defendant released on money bail must post the whole cash amount or use a qualified surety, because Senate File 2399 repealed the ten-percent deposit.

Clayton County Jail

Address:
22680 230th Street
St. Olaf, IA 52072
Phone:
563-245-2422

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Clayton County

Bail Questions for Saint Olaf Families

Can Sheriff Ostrander's office change a bail amount?

Does a tenth of the bond still free someone from Saint Olaf?

What kind of surety does an Elkader judge accept?

Which building takes Clayton County bond money, the jail or the Elkader courthouse?

Can Sheriff Ostrander's office change a bail amount?

No. Only the First District court sets or alters Clayton County bail; the 230th Street jail carries out its orders.

Does a tenth of the bond still free someone from Saint Olaf?

That shortcut disappeared statewide on July 1, 2026, so the full amount or a qualified surety is needed.

What kind of surety does an Elkader judge accept?

An Elkader judge looks for a carrier licensed to write Iowa surety business or a resident putting up Iowa property of sufficient value, the two categories in section 811.3.

Which building takes Clayton County bond money, the jail or the Elkader courthouse?

The clerk is at 111 High Street NE, Suite 203, Elkader (563-245-2204; fax 563-245-1175); confirm with the jail at 563-245-2422 where the money itself is taken.

Conditions Once Released From Saint Olaf

Leaving the 230th Street jail on bond starts a waiting period that lasts until the Clayton County case is resolved.

  • Binding terms. Section 811.2 keeps every condition from the Elkader first appearance alive through judgment unless a First District judge revises it.
  • Strings tied to an Elkader pretrial release. Odekirk's district bench can order a Clayton County defendant to stay away from an alleged victim, remain within the county or report to supervision staff, and ignoring those orders invites a new warrant and a ride back to Saint Olaf.
  • Nonappearance. Failing to show in Elkader allows forfeiture of the Clayton County bond and a bench warrant under section 811.7.
  • Calendar help. District Court Administrator Lena Heit's scheduling office (319-833-3332) sets First District dates, which Iowa Courts Online also displays.
  • Returning the defendant. Delivering the accused back to Ostrander's custody ahead of any forfeiture order frees the Clayton County guarantor, per section 811.8.

The defense lawyer can interpret each condition. Paperwork on an Elkader file is explained by the clerk's staff on High Street NE at 563-245-2204; for clerks in other counties, use the Judicial Branch court directory.

Instructions on how to post Bail or Bond in Clayton County

Arranging Bond for a Saint Olaf Inmate

Pressing option 1 at 563-245-2422 connects to dispatchers who also staff the jail; with the inmate's full name and birth date handy, settle these questions:

  • bond totals: Elkader may price each count separately, so add them up, then confirm no federal, state or out-of-county warrant is stacked behind the local case;
  • whether payment is accepted at 22680 230th Street or must go to the Elkader clerk, and at what hours;
  • payment logistics at 22680 230th Street: are cards or currency acceptable at the Saint Olaf window, and should a cashier's check be written to the sheriff or to the clerk of court?

Clayton County families who cannot cover the full Elkader bond

A qualifying 811.3 guarantor can cover it, and defense counsel may also petition through the Elkader clerk's office (563-245-2204) for a smaller amount or modified conditions.

Felony defense out of Dubuque

Clayton County is one of the counties whose felony cases of every class go to the State Public Defender in Dubuque, 590 Iowa Street, under Chief Office Supervisor Kristy Hefel (office page, (563) 582-0750). For a qualifying Clayton County misdemeanor defendant, the Elkader judge picks appointed counsel, and the Elkader clerk's staff can say which lawyer received the appointment.

Who can post Bail or Bond for a Defendant at Clayton County Jail?

Cash bail for a Saint Olaf inmate may be posted by anybody, including the defendant; the receipt matters until the Clayton County case closes.

Signing as surety in Clayton County means owing the full bond to the First District if the accused fails to return. A firm offering to bond a Saint Olaf inmate should name its insurer, and families can confirm that insurer's Iowa authorization with state regulators.

Minors arrested in Clayton County have their cases tracked by First District juvenile court officers, whose office sits at 350 W 6th St., Ste 215 in Dubuque (563-589-7831).

Search for an Inmate or Active Arrest Warrant in Clayton County

Human-verified information Manually curated

Every detail on this page is checked by hand, not scraped. This unofficial directory helps friends and family of incarcerated individuals find critical information — inmate lists, locations, bail resources, visitation hours, rules, and text, phone, email, and mail services — for jails, detention centers, and prisons across the United States.