Beaverhead County Detention Center Inmate Bail & Bonds
Beaverhead County bail and bond: the Dillon detention center and the courts on South Pacific Street
Everyone arrested in Beaverhead County, from Dillon to Lima to Wisdom, is booked at the Beaverhead County Detention Center, 2 South Pacific Street in Dillon. The Sheriff's Office runs the jail. Check Beaverhead County Inmate Search or the sheriff's posted jail roster. The jail answers 406-683-3700 day and night.
Is my relative in the Dillon jail on South Pacific Street?
The 18-bed detention center is the only jail in the county, so anyone arrested here is held in Dillon. Check Beaverhead County Inmate Search or the Jail Roster on the sheriff's page. Call 406-683-3700, extension 3718 for detention.
What will bail be for a common charge on I-15 or in Dillon?
The Montana Supreme Court Recommended Bond Schedule (January 2026) lists these bonds, which include the court surcharge: disorderly conduct $185, resisting arrest $335, misdemeanor assault $585, misdemeanor theft under $1,500 (first offense) $835, and first-offense DUI $885. Felonies, partner or family member assault, and stalking are listed as NO BOND, which means the person must see a judge first. The schedule is only a guide, and the judge can set more or less (MCA 46-9-301).
Beaverhead County Justice Court uses this state schedule for tickets. The Dillon Tribune's court record shows typical forfeited bonds of $135 for fishing without a license and $70 for speeding.
Can a Highway Patrol trooper on I-15 take bail at the scene?
Yes, for charges on the schedule. A Montana officer may take bail for the judge, and for most traffic offenses may take a driver's license instead of bail (MCA 46-9-302). You get a signed receipt.
This matters on I-15, where the Dillon Tribune court record shows many drivers from Idaho, Oregon, and California.
Where do I pay bail in Dillon?
Pay at the detention center, 2 South Pacific Street, or at the court that has the case. Beaverhead County Justice Court is in the same building, Suite 16, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 406-683-3755. Dillon City Court is at 31 E. Center Street, 406-683-6690.
Montana law accepts cash, court-approved property, a land pledge, two personal sureties, or a licensed bail agent's bond (MCA 46-9-401). Bring a photo ID and the person's full name and date of birth.
Which court hears a Beaverhead County case?
Dillon Police cases go to Dillon City Court, Judge Bill Knox. Lima cases go to Lima City Court, also Judge Knox, 406-276-3521.
Sheriff, Highway Patrol, Fish Wildlife and Parks, and livestock citations go to Justice Court, Judge Randi Braddock. It holds open court Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. and Thursdays at 2:30 p.m.
Felonies go to the Fifth Judicial District Court, Judge Luke Berger, who sits in Dillon on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Clerk of District Court is at 406-683-3725. Federal charges go to the Butte Division of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana.
Who are the police agencies in Beaverhead County?
The Beaverhead County Sheriff's Office covers the whole county and runs 911 dispatch, 406-683-3700. The Dillon Police Department covers the city, 406-683-3701. Highway Patrol and state game wardens also make arrests here. All of them book into the same jail.
How soon will a judge in Dillon see the person?
Montana requires the first appearance "without unnecessary delay" (MCA 46-7-101). For a Justice Court case that is usually the next Wednesday or Thursday session, or sooner by video. Felony first appearances also go before a local judge, and District Court takes over after the County Attorney files charges.
Which Beaverhead charges need a judge before any bail?
Five charges always wait for a judge: partner or family member assault, strangling a partner or family member, stalking, violating an order of protection, and violating a no-contact order (MCA 46-9-302). Felonies are NO BOND on the state schedule and also wait.
Can we use a Beaverhead ranch or home for a property bond?
Yes. Montana land can be pledged if the owner's free equity is at least twice the bail (MCA 46-9-401). A $10,000 bail needs $20,000 in equity. The court approves it, and the lien is released through the Clerk and Recorder when the case ends (MCA 46-9-502).
How do bail agents work for a Dillon arrest?
An agent posts the whole bond, and you pay a fee you do not get back. Every agent must hold a surety bail bond license from the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance. Check the name on the state licensee lookup first.
What if a University of Montana Western student is arrested?
The same rules apply. Campus-area arrests in Dillon by city officers go to Dillon City Court. Bail can be posted at the jail on South Pacific Street. If the student is 18 or older, adult bail rules apply.
What happens if a Beaverhead teen is arrested?
Youths go through Youth Court, not adult bail. A youth held in custody must get a probable cause hearing within 24 hours, not counting weekends and holidays (MCA 41-5-332). Beaverhead juvenile probation is 406-683-3760. Only parents or guardians get details.
Is there a public defender for Beaverhead County?
Yes. The Office of State Public Defender represents people who cannot afford a lawyer when jail is possible. The closest office is in Butte, 44 W. Park, 406-496-6680. The judge asks about it at the first appearance.
What if someone misses court in Dillon?
The judge can issue a warrant and forfeit the bail. Notice must be mailed within 10 working days. The person or the agent has 90 days to come back with a good reason (MCA 46-9-503). Unclaimed misdemeanor cash goes to the county, and felony cash to the state (MCA 46-9-511).
When is Beaverhead bail money returned?
When the case ends and every court date was kept, the court returns cash bail (MCA 46-9-502). The judge may apply some to fines first. Agent fees are never returned.
How do I avoid a bail scam call about the Dillon jail?
No court or jail takes gift cards, crypto, or app payments to strangers. Pay only at the detention center, Justice Court, City Court, or a licensed agent. Call the jail at 406-683-3700 to confirm before you pay.
Beaverhead County bail contacts
- Jail
- Beaverhead County Detention Center, 2 South Pacific Street, Dillon, MT 59725; 406-683-3700 (24 hours), detention ext. 3718
- Custody lookup
- Beaverhead County Inmate Search
- Sheriff
- Beaverhead County Sheriff's Office; 406-683-3700
- Police
- Dillon Police Department, 406-683-3701
- Justice Court
- Judge Randi Braddock, 2 South Pacific St., Suite 16, Dillon; 406-683-3755
- City Courts
- Dillon City Court, Judge Bill Knox, 31 E. Center St., 406-683-6690; Lima City Court, 406-276-3521
- District Court
- Fifth Judicial District, Judge Luke Berger; Clerk 406-683-3725
- Prosecutor
- County Attorney Sky Jones, 406-683-3730
- Public defender
- Butte office, 44 W. Park; 406-496-6680
- Juvenile probation
- 406-683-3760
- Agent regulator
- Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance
Hours, fees, amounts, and phone numbers change, and judges set bail case by case. Call the jail or the court to check before you hand over money. Nothing here is legal advice.
Paying an Inmate's Bail or Bond in Beaverhead County
The Beaverhead County Sheriff recommends that you might want to use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Beaverhead County.
However if you don't want to use a bail bond agent:
- You can always pay a cash bond yourself, or use your home in Beaverhead County, or in some cases the state of Montana, but the benefit of using a bail bond agent is that they take responsibility for making sure the inmate shows up for court in Beaverhead County, and if they don't, then they take the financial responsibility.
- The typical fee for a bond in Montana is between 10-20% of the bail amount; usually 15% or less. So if an offender has a bail of $10,000.00, their bond will be $1,500.00.
- Pay by cash, cashier's check, money order or credit card at the Beaverhead County Detention Center, or the courthouse in Beaverhead County where the offense took place.
Call 406-683-3700 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Beaverhead County inmate locator.
Beaverhead County Detention Center
Address:
2 South Pacific Street
Dillon, MT 59725
Phone:
406-683-3700
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Beaverhead County
Does Beaverhead County have bail?
What kind of bonds are accepted in Beaverhead County?
Who can set bail in Beaverhead County?
When is bail set in Beaverhead County Montana?
Does Beaverhead County have bail?
Yes, Beaverhead County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Beaverhead County?
Beaverhead County permits five types of bonds:
• By a deposit with the court of an amount equal to the required bail of cash, stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, or other personal property approved by the court.
• By pledging real estate situated within the state with an unencumbered equity, not exempt, owned by the defendant or sureties at a value double the amount of the required bail.
• By posting a written undertaking executed by the defendant and by two sufficient sureties.
• By posting a commercial surety bond executed by the defendant and by a qualified agent for and on behalf of the surety company.
• By posting an offender's driver's license in lieu of bail if the summons describes a violation of any offense as provided in 61-5-214 and if the offender is the holder of an unexpired driver's license.”
Who can set bail in Beaverhead County?
For most non-violent crimes bail is preset according to a bail schedule. More serious and violent crimes require a defendant to appear in front of a judge who will determine bail amount.
When is bail set in Beaverhead County Montana?
For most non-violent crimes bail is preset according to a bail schedule and that information is available during the booking process. More serious crimes will require a hearing in front of a judge. This hearing, also known as a bail hearing, will generally be scheduled for the next court day. State law requires the bail hearing to take place within 48 hrs. not counting weekends or holidays.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Beaverhead County must pay or do to stay out of jail until the first court appearance.
The agreement to bail acts as a promise that the arrested will return to court for court dates and trial. Bail usually refers to a dollar amount, but bail can also mean something that has to be done, or a condition such as reporting to an officer of the court, a curfew, restraining orders or attending a treatment program.
Bail is usually a significant enough amount of money and/or condition that the person will be negatively impacted and has incentive to return to court and not flee. A flight risk usually means that the person would flee the area, and not necessary that they are going to take an airplane.
If a judge in Beaverhead County feels that the arrested will return to court for further proceedings, the arrested could be released under a conditional release without needing to pay bail money. This is called Released on Own Recognizance, or ROR.
Conditions for ROR might be to obey all court orders and laws, maintain contact with the lawyer, report changes in residence or have no contact with the victim. Family support will show the court that there are people who will make sure that the defendant makes it to court.
If the judge or bail schedule determines that the defendant would be a danger to the public if they were released, bail can be denied, and the person will be detained in the Beaverhead County Detention Center until the case is resolved or goes to trial.
Bail can be denied if the defendant did not comply with bail conditions from a previous arrest. Bail is usually denied in cases of violent offenses.
What is the difference between Bail and Bond?
Bail and bond are used interchangeably to mean the same thing but technically, they are different. The bail is the amount to be paid and a bond is a signed document promising payment of the bail amount with certain conditions. Think of a bond as a loan to pay for the bail.
The thought of being in jail can cause the arrested to panic and try to secure a bond immediately.
DO NOT panic and take the time to understand all the options.
More courts are now trying to work with defendants to make bail work and might provide non-monetary options or even reduce the bail.
Payments to a bond company are not refundable. It is a long process to get back property title or money that was given to the clerk of court or bondsperson to secure the bond. This could put your loved ones into a difficult financial situation.
Another reason not to unnecessarily rush into securing a bond is that if the court notes that you came up with the money to pay a bond company, they may assume you have resources to pay a defense attorney and decline public defense.
On the other hand, as anyone who has ever been involved in their criminal defense understands, fighting your case while ‘out on the streets’ gives you a much better chance of either winning, or getting a more favorable sentence.
What are the different types of bonds in Beaverhead County?
Based on a review of information from the arrest, the judge or bail officer will determine and notify the accused of which types of bonds are available to them.
To describe the types of bonds, let’s use an example of buying your neighbor’s car. Your neighbor decides the price of the car and how they would be paid.
Similarly, the court (meaning a police or bail officer, clerk of court, bail magistrate or judge) determines the bail amount and how it would be paid.
Here are different options that the seller of the car or the court might consider:
You could pay full asking price for the car in cash. This is similar to paying cash bail. The full amount of bail would be paid to the town or county clerk or at the jail. Cash, cashier’s checks and credit cards are usually accepted.
You could sign an agreement on your own or with another person to pay for the car at a future date knowing that your neighbor would know where to find you if you stopped payment. This would be similar to a cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond which are bonds to where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front.
If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you.
Cash bonds and PR bonds are types of unsecured bonds because you are not securing it with any money down. In bond terms, a surety is a person who will be responsible for making sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up.
Surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.
You can put a deposit down for your neighbor’s car and sign an agreement that the car will be paid off at a later date. Cash percentage in lieu of bonds is when the defendant pays a percentage of the bail amount, usually 10%, to the court which then holds the money until the case is over.
The amount is returned to the person who paid the 10% after the case is over. In most cases, the full amount is not returned if there are court fees or fines due. This is a type of surety bond if another person signs the bond paperwork.
You could sign an agreement that if the car were not paid off, that your neighbor would get your house or something of value.
A property bond is a bond that the courts might consider in which the bond is pledged in land or home real estate (mobile homes are not accepted).
Usually, the property must be in the same state as the courts, and it must be worth at least 1 ½ - 2 times the amount of the bond.
There are multiple court fees involved to execute a property bond with the courts and a tedious process to get the property deed back. This is another type of surety bond if another person or a bond company is used to secure the bond.
You could also go to a local bank and take out a car loan offering property or anything of value for collateral. You may get someone to co-sign on the loan and offer their property. The bank charges fees, interest and could keep your property if you did not pay the loan back, or even on time.
A professional bondsperson makes money, at least 10% of the bond amount by providing you with a “loan” called a bond. The percent that they charge is fixed by the state and cannot be negotiated. The defendant or surety does not get that 10% or more back even if the terms of the bail are met.
With a property bond, the property deed would need to be signed over to the bondsperson and everyone on the deed would need to be involved.
Since the bondsperson signed off, to be responsible that you show to court as your surety, they can send a bounty hunter to bring you to court if you flee. A bondsperson does not have to give you a bond if the defendant seems to be too much of a risk.
Ask the bondsperson to explain all the costs: percentage, fees or court fees. There is never a reason to rush through signing the paperwork with a bond company. Make sure that everything told to you is in writing and that you understand what you are signing. Ask questions, and if you feel rushed or don’t understand the contract with the bond company, you might want to call another one.
(There have been phone scams where a bond company calls and informs a person that their family member has been arrested and they ask for financial information. A bondsperson will not call asking for money without involvement of the arrested.)
Does Beaverhead County have bail?
Yes, Beaverhead County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Beaverhead County?
Beaverhead County permits five types of bonds:
• By a deposit with the court of an amount equal to the required bail of cash, stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, or other personal property approved by the court.
• By pledging real estate situated within the state with an unencumbered equity, not exempt, owned by the defendant or sureties at a value double the amount of the required bail.
• By posting a written undertaking executed by the defendant and by two sufficient sureties.
• By posting a commercial surety bond executed by the defendant and by a qualified agent for and on behalf of the surety company.
• By posting an offender's driver's license in lieu of bail if the summons describes a violation of any offense as provided in 61-5-214 and if the offender is the holder of an unexpired driver's license.”
Who can set bail in Beaverhead County?
For most non-violent crimes bail is preset according to a bail schedule. More serious and violent crimes require a defendant to appear in front of a judge who will determine bail amount.
When is bail set in Montana?
For most non-violent crimes bail is preset according to a bail schedule and that information is available during the booking process. More serious crimes will require a hearing in front of a judge. This hearing, also known as a bail hearing, will generally be scheduled for the next court day. State law requires the bail hearing to take place within 48 hrs. not counting weekends or holidays.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Beaverhead County Montana?
Yes, your attorney can request a bail or bond modification.
In Beaverhead County Montana, who can pay bail for me?
The person posting bail should be a relative or close friend, called a surety, because they are promising and taking responsibility that you will return to court to get their money back.
A surety is not responsible for court fees or paying off personal debts for the defendant. A professional bondsperson who is approved by the State of Montana could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Beaverhead County Montana?
Yes, Beaverhead County does offer online bail payment. Contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail. Go to the Beaverhead County Detention Center for more information about the jails in Beaverhead County.
What options are there to pay bail in Beaverhead County Montana?
Most all jail and courts accept cash, a cashier or bankers’ check. Some accept a credit card with fees. Please contact the jail for specific information on what methods of payment are accepted. Go to the Beaverhead County Detention Center for more information about posting bail in Beaverhead County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Montana?
Bail money is returned to the person who paid the bail; in whole or in part once the case is finished. There may be fees, restitution (money to pay for damage caused by the crime) or fines that come out of that amount. If you used a bondsperson, you would not get your 10% back. Property is returned by the court or bondsperson after the appropriate requests and formal paperwork are completed with the court.
Can I get bail or a bond with no money down in Beaverhead County?
Yes, 'no money down bail or bond' is available in Montana. Unless you are released on own recognizance the court will require payment in full, however, some bail bond agents do offer 'no money down' bail.
A cash bond or a personal recognizance (PR) bond are bonds where someone representing the defendant signs paperwork promising to pay the bail amount if the defendant does not show up to court. There is no money due up front.
If the defendant does not show up, the full amount of the bail will be due to the court and the people who signed the paperwork will be responsible for paying the court and the court will send the sheriff’s department to arrest you.
What are the least expensive and affordable bail bonds in Montana?
The Beaverhead County Detention Center or court in this jurisdiction can provide you with a list of approved and licensed bond companies, but they cannot recommend a specific company. You are not obligated to use the first company available and can call several companies to compare what kind of bonds that the bondsperson is willing to execute.
The percentage of bail that the bond company can charge is set, usually at 10%, by the state and cannot be negotiated.