Barnes County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Barnes County bail and bond: the Valley City jail and the court that sets release
People arrested by the Barnes County Sheriff's Office are held at the Barnes County Correctional Center, 2371 7th Street SE, Valley City. Start with Barnes County Inmate Search to see whether your person is booked. The jail office answers at (701) 845-8532 for what the search leaves out. A judge sets the terms of release at the first court appearance, and you can ask the jail about paying bail once those terms exist.
Is my person at the Valley City jail right now?
Type the name into Barnes County Inmate Search. A fresh booking can take a little while to appear, so look again after an hour or two.
The jail office, (701) 845-8532, can answer anything the screen does not show.
Where does Barnes County keep the people it arrests?
The county runs its own jail, the Barnes County Correctional Center. It is a Grade One facility that opened in 2021 with 46 beds and holds men and women, both sentenced and awaiting court.
Sheriff Randy McClaflin's office is at 230 4th Street NW, Room 105, and takes calls at (701) 845-8530.
Where do I take the money when bail has been set?
Phone the jail office first at (701) 845-8532 and ask which counter takes the payment and when it is open. Do not drive over with cash until you hear the answer.
The money is tied to the court case. The clerk holds deposited bail until the case is over.
How high will bail be?
A judge picks the figure. North Dakota has no dollar table in its statewide rules, so two people charged with the same offense can get different amounts.
The judge weighs the charge, the evidence, family ties, work, money, time in the area, past record and any danger to others.
Can a judge let my person go without any payment?
Yes, and the judge must start there. Rule 46 requires release on a promise to appear or an unsecured bond unless that will not make the person come back to court.
Only when that fails does the judge move on to conditions or a money deposit.
What rules come with release?
Typical conditions include no contact with the alleged victim, a curfew, regular check-ins, staying in school or at work, no alcohol, no weapons and treatment. The judge can add any other reasonable term.
Breaking a condition brings an arrest warrant right away.
How soon does someone see a judge?
Police must bring an arrested person before a magistrate without unnecessary delay. Court policy aims for the appearance within 48 hours of arrest.
A person still locked up 48 hours after the hearing because the money cannot be raised can ask the judge to review the conditions.
Why would someone be held until the judge sees them?
The state's Rule 63 lets officers keep people on felony charges, certain assault and domestic violence charges, protection-order violations, and warrants with set conditions until a judge decides.
That is a short hold before the first hearing and not a final refusal of bail.
Can a deposit be less than the full bond?
For an appearance bond, the court may take a cash or security deposit, but it cannot exceed ten percent of the bond amount. It is returned when the release conditions are met.
Ask at the first hearing whether the judge will allow that option.
Can land or a home back the bond?
The court must approve every bond. Anyone pledging property has to describe it and file a declaration showing enough assets, and must name the clerk of court as the person to receive legal papers.
Call the clerk at (701) 845-8880, option 1 before you gather deeds, since the court decides whether the property is acceptable.
How do I choose a bail bond agent?
Only agents licensed by the North Dakota Insurance Department may write bonds, under chapter 26.1-26.6. Jailers, police and judges cannot act as agents or point you to one.
Check a license with the department at (701) 328-2440 before you sign or hand over collateral.
Is the money I put on a jail account bail?
No. Barnes County's jail uses Inmate Canteen for commissary money and Reliance Telephone for call time. Those funds buy snacks and calls only.
Bail is paid for release and goes to the court case.
Which courthouse handles the case?
Cases are heard at the Barnes County Courthouse, 230 4th Street NW, Valley City, ND 58072. The Clerk of District Court is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and answers at (701) 845-8880, option 1.
Ask the clerk for the next hearing date and courtroom.
What happens if a court date is missed?
The court declares the bail forfeited. The clerk notifies the surety, who has 90 days to pay or ask the judge to set the forfeiture aside.
Call the lawyer and the bond agent the same day a date is missed.
When does bail money come back?
Deposited money legally belongs to the defendant, even if someone else paid it. The judge can apply it to fines, costs or restitution, and the rest returns when the case ends.
A bond agent's fee is not returned.
Who is the lawyer if we cannot afford one?
The Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigent Defense appoints a contract attorney for people who qualify. Call its office at (701) 845-8632.
Tell the judge you need a court-appointed lawyer when the case is first called.
What if the person arrested is under 18?
Cases for people under 18 go to the juvenile court, which is part of the district court. Call the clerk at (701) 845-8880, option 1 for the hearing date.
The adult search may not show a child, so use the clerk and the Sheriff's Office at (701) 845-8530.
Which callers should I ignore?
Never pay by gift card, crypto or a transfer to a private person. A caller who demands money in minutes is not the jail.
Hang up and use only (701) 845-8532 or (701) 845-8530.
Barnes County bail contacts
- Jail
- Barnes County Correctional Center, 2371 7th Street SE, Valley City, ND 58072; (701) 845-8532
- Bond guide
- Barnes County bail and bond pages
- Custody lookup
- Barnes County Inmate Search
- Sheriff's Office
- 230 4th Street NW, Room 105, Valley City, ND 58072; (701) 845-8530
- Clerk of Court
- 230 4th Street NW, Valley City, ND 58072; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; (701) 845-8880, option 1
- Public defense
- Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigent Defense, (701) 845-8632
- Bond agents
- North Dakota Insurance Department, (701) 328-2440
Hours, payment methods and phone numbers change, and a judge can set different terms for any person. Call before you send money. This page explains the process in general terms and is not legal advice.
How do Bail Bonds work at Barnes County Jail
The Barnes County Sheriff recommends that you might want to use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Barnes 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 Barnes County, or in some cases the state of North Dakota, but the benefit of using a bail bond agent is that they take responsibility for making sure the inmate shows up for court in Barnes County, and if they don't, then they take the financial responsibility.
- The typical fee for a bond in North Dakota 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 Barnes County Jail, or the courthouse in Barnes County where the offense took place.
Call 701-845-8532 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Barnes County inmate locator.
Barnes County Jail
Address:
491 2nd Avenue NW
Valley City, ND 58072
Phone:
701-845-8532
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Barnes County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Barnes County?
Who can set bail in Barnes County?
When is bail set in Barnes County North Dakota?
Does Barnes County have bail?
Yes, Barnes County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Barnes County?
Bail is available in many forms including a signature bond, cash bail, property bond or surety bond.
Who can set bail in Barnes County?
Any judge may set bail.
When is bail set in Barnes County North Dakota?
Bail will be set during your first appearance, known as a bail hearing. This usually takes place within 24 hours of arrest, except for weekends and holidays.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Barnes 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 Barnes 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 Barnes County Jail 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 bond payment is always written to the court in your municipality, Barnes County or district directly and does not go through the defendant. Chances of obtaining a bond from a bond company or clerk of court are better if family is involved.
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 Barnes 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 Barnes County have bail?
Yes, Barnes County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Barnes County?
Bail is available in many forms including a signature bond, cash bail, property bond or surety bond.
Who can set bail in North Dakota?
Any judge may set bail.
When is bail set in North Dakota?
Bail will be set during your first appearance, known as a bail hearing. This usually takes place within 24 hours of arrest, except for weekends and holidays.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Barnes County North Dakota?
Yes, your attorney can also request a bond modification.
In Barnes County North Dakota, 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 North Dakota could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Barnes County North Dakota?
Yes, North Dakota does offer online bail payment. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail: Go to the Barnes County Jail for more information about the jails in Barnes County.
What options are there to pay bail in Barnes County North Dakota?
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 Barnes County Jail for more information about posting bail in Barnes County.
Will I get all my bond money back in North Dakota?
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 Barnes County?
The judge or officer who sets bail determines which kind of bail will be an option for you, but a cash bond and PR bonds usually do not require cash down, though you might have to pay court fees.
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.
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 to make sure that you will show to court and will be responsible to pay the bond if the arrested person does not show up. A surety can be family, friend or a bondsperson. Your attorney cannot act as a surety.
What are the least expensive and affordable bail bonds in North Dakota?
The Barnes County Jail 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.