St. Louis County bail: the Clayton Justice Center, municipal courts, and release
Clayton is the seat of St. Louis County, Missouri's most populous county, which wraps around the independent City of St. Louis and holds Florissant, Ferguson, Hazelwood, Chesterfield, Kirkwood, Webster Groves, University City, Maryland Heights, Affton, Lemay, and Oakville. With around ninety cities and many police departments, the first job is figuring out who holds the person and which court has the case. Inmate search: St. Louis County Inmate Search.
Clayton, not the city
A St. Louis County case is run from Clayton by the 21st Circuit. The City of St. Louis, with Soulard and downtown, is a separate 22nd Circuit with its own jail on Tucker. If the arrest address is in Kirkwood or Florissant, it's a county matter; if it's in Dutchtown or the Central West End, it's the city's.
The Clayton Justice Center
County prisoners go to the St. Louis County Justice Center, 100 South Central Avenue, Clayton, MO 63105, phone 314-615-5080. The county sheriff, who mainly serves the courts, sits at 7900 Carondelet Ave Rm 551, Clayton, MO 63105, phone 314-615-4724.
The 21st Circuit clerk on Carondelet
County court files are handled at 7900 Carondelet Ave 5th Fl, Clayton, MO 63105, phone 314-615-8006. Ask there about Clayton courtroom assignments, filings, and posting bail during business hours.
Searching the Clayton roster
Try the St. Louis County Inmate Search. Someone picked up by Florissant or Chesterfield police may still be sitting in that city's holding cells, not Clayton, so call both the arresting department and South Central Avenue.
Five questions for Clayton
- Which department arrested: county police, a city force like Ferguson or Kirkwood, or the Highway Patrol on I-270 or I-64?
- Is the person in a municipal lockup or already at the Justice Center?
- State charge, municipal ordinance, or both?
- How much is the Clayton bond, and is it cash-only?
- Any holds from the City of St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson, Franklin, or Illinois?
Ninety cities, many courts
Florissant, Hazelwood, Maryland Heights, Webster Groves, Kirkwood, Chesterfield, and dozens of other county towns run municipal courts for ordinance cases. Unincorporated areas like Affton, Lemay, and Oakville use the county's own municipal court. Ordinance bail and dates are separate from the 21st Circuit, and one stop in Bridgeton might lead to a Bridgeton ticket alongside a Clayton felony.
Waiting for a county charge
County police can generally keep someone arrested without a warrant for a day as the St. Louis County prosecutor's warrant office reviews the case. A filed charge goes to a Clayton judge for release terms; an arrest on a 21st Circuit warrant may already carry bail.
The 21st Circuit
St. Louis County is the 21st Judicial Circuit by itself, with many judges in the Clayton courts building. First appearances and bond settings often happen by video from the Justice Center.
What Clayton judges weigh
Rule 33.01 directs a 21st Circuit judge to set the least restrictive terms that will reasonably bring a defendant back to Clayton and protect people in Ferguson, Oakville, or wherever the case arose. Cash isn't presumed, and the judge must consider whether a Hazelwood warehouse worker can pay before keeping them in on a money bond.
County release without cash
Recognizance is common. A Clayton judge may add a no-contact order, GPS, an alcohol sensor, drug testing, or county pretrial supervision. A steady job and a stable address in the county help.
Ways to satisfy county bail
- Recognizance, with or without supervision.
- Cash for the full amount.
- Ten percent cash, where the judge permits.
- A Clayton bondsman's surety.
- Missouri real estate.
- GPS or alcohol monitoring.
How fast Clayton reviews bail
A full-time court means bond settings usually come quickly, though weekend and holiday arrests may wait a day or two at South Central Avenue. Rule 33.05 lets a defense lawyer seek review of a bond a family in University City or Affton can't reach.
Bondsmen near the Clayton courts
Many agents work within a few blocks of the Justice Center. A bondsman pledges the whole county bail and keeps a fee, often about ten percent, that's never returned. Get collateral terms, co-signer exposure, and check-in rules in writing.
Each agent needs a Missouri DCI license; agents licensed only in Illinois can't write Clayton bonds.
A Webster Groves house as bail
Equity in a county home may back bail with a 21st Circuit judge's approval. The Carondelet clerk will want deed records, the mortgage balance, and value proof.
Paying at South Central Avenue
Call 314-615-5080 and ask which payment Clayton takes when you'll arrive, and whether daytime bonds go to the Carondelet clerk. Bring government photo ID.
Cards for St. Louis County bail
The Justice Center's card policy and fees weren't confirmed. Ask on the phone; bring a Clayton-bound money order in case.
Posting in Clayton
Most adults with photo ID can. The 21st Circuit generally refunds the person named on the Clayton receipt.
Release from the Justice Center
Once a county bond clears, Clayton staff check for city, municipal, and out-of-state holds, return property, and release the person on South Central. Releases happen at all hours, so arrange a ride; MetroLink stops in Clayton but service varies late at night.
Municipal warrants after county bail
A big trap in this county: someone can post Clayton bail and still be held on unpaid tickets from Ferguson, Bellefontaine Neighbors, or another town. Each city's warrant needs its own bond or court date. Ask the Justice Center to list every hold before you pay.
City of St. Louis holds
If the person also has a 22nd Circuit warrant from downtown, county bail doesn't clear it. Moving someone from Clayton to Tucker Boulevard may add a day.
Metro East warrants
Belleville, Collinsville, and Granite City sit across the Mississippi from the county. If Illinois wants the person, they may stay on South Central after Clayton bail, pending extradition. A Clayton lawyer can explain the choices.
Detainers in Clayton
A Clayton bond leaves untouched any parole detainer, federal warrant, or immigration request.
Clayton documents worth saving
The 21st Circuit release order lists each courtroom date and condition, and the receipt names who paid. Keep originals and take photos.
A county GPS violation, illustrated
Imagine a Florissant woman on GPS who enters an exclusion zone near the protected person's Hazelwood apartment. The county prosecutor moves to revoke, and a Clayton judge may have her picked up, hike the Clayton bond, or hold her pending trial. Report every device problem to pretrial services and your lawyer at once.
Clayton agents surrendering a client
Clayton bondsmen can typically put a county client back into South Central Avenue and void the county guarantee once a Florissant or Oakville client goes silent.
Lowering county bail
A defense lawyer can ask a 21st Circuit judge for less money or lighter terms, with proof of a county lease, a Chesterfield job, or children in local schools.
Finding 21st Circuit cases
On Case.net, choose the 21st Circuit (St. Louis County). Don't confuse it with the 22nd, which is the city. Many municipal cases won't appear there.
Getting county cash back
When a Clayton defendant has attended every hearing and the case closes, the 21st Circuit judge discharges bail and the Carondelet clerk refunds the deposit, normally to whoever posted, after fines and costs. Allow weeks; tell the clerk at 314-615-8006 if you move.
The county premium
A Clayton bondsman earns the fee at release. Pledged security returns under the contract after the 21st Circuit discharges the bond.
Dismissed county charges
A dismissal ends bail, and a county deposit comes back less lawful deductions. Keep the order, because the prosecutor can refile.
Missing a Clayton date
A skipped 21st Circuit hearing usually means a capias warrant and forfeiture, and the Clayton agent will look for the client and seek repayment from whoever co-signed. If a bus from North County runs late, call the lawyer before the hearing time.
County juveniles
County teenagers go to the 21st Circuit's juvenile court in Clayton rather than adult bail, and that court operates its own detention unit. Call its staff early.
A county public defender
The state public defender has St. Louis County offices. A defendant who can't hire counsel may apply with the state income form, and appointed counsel can argue for a reachable Clayton bond.
Federal arrests in the county
Federal charges from the county are heard downtown by an Eastern District magistrate; South Central Avenue has no role in that bond. See the Eastern District site.
Call Clayton before you go
Ring 314-615-5080. Confirm the person is at the Justice Center and not a city lockup, whether the case is county, city, or municipal, the bail and whether an agent can post, every hold including municipal tickets, and what Clayton takes as payment. The Carondelet clerk handles court scheduling at 314-615-8006.
Keep ID and the county booking number with you. This is general background on Clayton bail; a county defense lawyer can advise on the real charge.