Sedgwick County Detention Facility Inmate Bail & Bonds

Each booked charge sits on its own line with its own dollar figure. Add them to find the full sum owed. A line reading $0.00 does not mean free release. It shows up when:

• a judge ordered no bond;
• the person was committed to serve a sentence;
• several charges were booked under one case number, so the amount appears on one line only.

When the math looks odd, call 316-660-5245 and ask booking to read you the total and the bond type for each case.

• Cash only: a judge set it, or the charge requires it (child support is a common example). Bring real cash; personal and business checks are refused.
• Own recognizance (OR): the person signs a promise to show up and pays nothing. Under court guidelines, they usually must live in Sedgwick County or one of the counties bordering it. A booking sergeant may approve another Kansas resident.
• Professional surety: post the full amount in cash, or hire a licensed bonding company. The company's fee is a private deal and does not come back. Before a paid bonding company can write bonds in Wichita courts, the chief judge of the 18th Judicial District has to approve its application (K.S.A. 22-2809b).

K.S.A. 22-2802 lets a magistrate allow a 10 percent cash deposit only for bonds of $2,500 or less on lower-level charges, and only for people who meet a list of tests, such as Kansas residence and no past missed court dates.

Over $10,000.01 in cash, the person paying must show photo ID and fill out an IRS reporting form that the jail provides. The receipt goes in the payer's name, with the inmate listed as the one it covers. Deputies cannot hand cash back once it is posted; the court that receives it decides where it goes. For other ways to send funds to someone inside, see our money and deposits page.

• People held on state arrest-and-detain orders or state parole violations.
• Anyone on a juvenile hold or juvenile warrant.
• People already convicted and waiting for a ride to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
• Out-of-state warrants, until an 18th Judicial District judge sets an amount.

Domestic violence arrests come with a court-ordered cooling-off wait before bond, and each city sets its own length. Kansas law also adds a no-contact order of at least 72 hours to most bonds for person crimes unless the magistrate finds otherwise.

An impaired driver will not walk out on an own-recognizance bond until a sober adult comes to pick them up or the booking sergeant decides the person can manage alone. That watch can last up to four hours. People booked as John or Jane Doe cannot get an OR bond at all. Anyone living outside Kansas needs a judge's approval.

Kansas law (K.S.A. 22-2802) says the amount must be enough to make sure the person comes back and the public stays safe. Factors include:

• the charge and how strong the evidence looks;
• family, work and how long the person has lived nearby;
• past convictions and any earlier no-shows;
• whether they were on probation or parole at the time;
• whether they are lawfully in the United States;
• risk to a victim or witness.

Extra terms can include house arrest, travel limits, drug testing or check-ins with a court services officer, which can cost up to $15 a week. No administrative fee may be added on top.

The 18th Judicial District sets amounts case by case, and the roster shows each one after booking. As a rough guide to how amounts scale:

1. city ordinance and traffic arrests: often the lowest amounts, set by the city court;
2. first-time misdemeanors: low amounts or OR release;
3. DUI: OR is delayed until the person is sober;
4. domestic battery: wait out the cooling-off period first;
5. nonperson felonies: usually higher, often surety;
6. person felonies: higher still, with no-contact terms;
7. repeat sex offenses listed in 22-2802(p): at least $750,000 cash or surety plus house arrest;
8. parole, KDOC and juvenile holds: no bond.

For an exact figure on a case, call the jail at 316-660-5245 or the District Court criminal department at 316-660-5900.

Yes. Someone still locked up because they cannot meet the terms may apply for a review "without unnecessary delay" under K.S.A. 22-2802. A defense lawyer files the motion with the District Court, 525 N. Main, Wichita, KS 67203. Court-appointed help comes from the Sedgwick County Public Defender Office, 604 N. Main, Suite D, Wichita, KS 67203, 316-264-8700, or the Sedgwick County Conflicts Office, 266 N. Main, Suite 210, Wichita, KS 67202, 316-267-1847. Both are part of the Kansas State Board of Indigents' Defense.

Cash comes back after the case ends, minus any restitution, fines, costs and fees, provided the defendant made every required appearance. Miss a date and the court declares a forfeiture and issues a warrant (K.S.A. 22-2807). If the person returns after a default judgment, the law gives back part of the bond: 90 percent within 90 days, 75 percent within 91 to 180 days, and 50 percent within 181 to 270 days. Breaking a bond rule other than showing up can get the bond revoked and a new one set. Wichita Municipal Court has its own cash bond refund form for city cases.

• 18th Judicial District Court, criminal department: Sedgwick County Courthouse, 525 N. Main, 7th floor, Wichita, KS 67203. 316-660-5900, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• 18th Judicial District Juvenile Courthouse: 1900 E. Morris, Wichita, KS 67211.
• Wichita Municipal Court: City Hall, 455 N. Main, Wichita, KS 67202. 316-268-4611.
• Park City Municipal Court: 1941 E. 61st Street N., Park City, KS 67219. 316-744-6417.
• More municipal courts sit in Andale, Bel Aire, Bentley, Cheney, Clearwater, Colwich, Derby, Eastborough, Garden Plain, Goddard, Haysville, Kechi, Maize, Mount Hope, Mulvane, Sedgwick and Valley Center.

The jail books federal prisoners too, but no deputy can take bail for them. A U.S. magistrate judge at the federal courthouse, 401 N. Market, Room 204, Wichita, KS 67202 (316-315-4200), decides release or detention, often within a few days. Federal prosecutors can seek pretrial detention under 18 U.S.C. 3142. After sentencing, the person moves into Bureau of Prisons custody; track them with the BOP inmate locator. People sent to state prison show up in the KASPER offender search.

A local bond can be paid, but a detainer (Form I-247A) allows continued custody "up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released" (8 CFR 287.7(d)). Paying bond on the local case does not end the ICE hold, and federal immigration bond is a separate process. Look up a detainee with the ICE detainee locator.