Ward County Juvenile Detention Center Inmate Bail & Bonds
Ward County bail and bond: from the Minot detention center to the clerk
Adults arrested in Ward County are held at the Ward County Detention Center, 204 Front Street, Minot. To see whether a person is inside and whether bail has been set, use Ward County Inmate Search. For questions the search cannot answer, call the detention center at 701-857-6530. Posting bail pays the court that set it, so confirm the exact spot for the payment by phone first.
1. How do I find out if someone is inside the Ward County Detention Center?
Run the name through Ward County Inmate Search. It shows custody and the bail amount once a judge or the jail has set one. Fresh arrests can take a short while to post. For anything the search cannot show, the detention center answers at 701-857-6530.
2. What is the address of the jail in Minot?
The Ward County Detention Center is at 204 Front Street, Minot, ND 58702. Mail goes to P.O. Box 907, Minot, ND 58702. The Sheriff's Office uses the same post office box and answers at 701-857-6500.
3. Where do I hand over bail money in Ward County?
Call the detention center at 701-857-6530 before you leave home and ask where the money should go for that person's case. Bail is paid to the court that set it, and the jail desk can tell you whether the payment is taken at the jail or through the clerk of district court at 701-857-6600. Take the booking name, a photo ID, and the case number if you have one.
4. Can I pay the bond online or by card?
Ask the detention center at 701-857-6530 which card or online options are open for the person you are helping. Do not use a website that promises release for a fee. Money added to an inmate account for phone calls or store items is not bail and does not free anyone.
5. What amount will the judge set?
North Dakota has no statewide dollar bail chart. Supreme Court Administrative Rule 63 is a framework for release decisions before the first court appearance, and it holds no dollar figures. Rule of Criminal Procedure 46 tells the judge to choose a promise to appear or an unsecured bond unless that will not reasonably assure a return to court. The number you see on the record comes from the judge's own order.
6. Can the jail keep my relative even after I offer money?
Yes, in some cases. Rule 63 allows the jail to hold a person until a judge sees them if the arrest is for a Class AA, A, B, or C felony, for a warrant that already carries bond conditions, for missing court, or for certain misdemeanors such as domestic violence. Staff at 701-857-6530 can say which category applies.
7. How fast does a judge see someone arrested in Minot?
The arresting officer must bring the person before a magistrate without unnecessary delay under Rule 5. Rule 63 asks for every effort to hold that first appearance within 48 hours of arrest, and a hearing can be run by video. Late-week arrests may wait for the next court session.
8. Which courthouse hears the case?
The Ward County Courthouse is at 315 3rd Street SE, Minot, ND 58701, and the clerk of district court answers at 701-857-6600. Ask for the case number, the judge, and the date of the next hearing. Write the number on every receipt.
9. What if Minot police made the arrest?
The Minot Police Department has a holding area that the state inspects. A person arrested in town may sit there before being taken to the detention center. Ask the arresting officer for the report number, then check the search link above to see when the booking reaches the jail.
10. Can a prisoner from Ward County be housed somewhere else?
Yes. The McLean County Detention Center, 709 6th Avenue, Washburn, ND 58577, holds prisoners from Ward County as well as its own. When the search shows nothing but you know of an arrest, ask the detention center whether the person was moved.
11. Do bail agents work in Ward County?
Licensed bail agents write bonds across North Dakota under chapter 26.1-26.6 of the Century Code. The Insurance Department, 701-328-2440, licenses them. Get the fee and all collateral terms in writing, and check with the detention center that the court accepts that agent's bond.
12. Can property count as bail?
A court must approve a surety bond. Under Rule 46, a surety describes the property it offers and files a declaration of adequate assets, and it names the clerk of court as the person to receive legal papers. Ask the clerk at 701-857-6600 what the judge in the case requires.
13. How does a Minot family get a public defender?
The state's indigent defense commission has an office at 18 Second Street NE, Suite 1, in Minot, 701-857-7750; its main office is 701-845-8632. Tell the judge at the first appearance that you need appointed counsel, and have a lawyer raise a request to lower bail.
14. What if the person is under 18?
The county runs the Ward County Juvenile Detention Center in Minot, 701-857-6518. Adult searches do not show youth. Call that number for where the young person is, and the clerk at 701-857-6600 for the hearing time.
15. What if the arrest happened on the Fort Berthold Reservation?
Ask the arresting officer which agency made the arrest, which court takes the case, and for the report number. Tribal detention for Fort Berthold is the Gerald Tex Fox Justice Center in New Town, 701-627-5300, open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
16. What if someone in Ward County misses a hearing?
Missing a hearing breaks a bond condition, and the court then declares the money forfeited. Notice goes to the surety through the clerk, and the surety has 90 days to pay or ask the judge to undo the order. Move fast: a lawyer can ask for a new date.
17. Who receives the refund?
Bail posted in Ward County is treated as the defendant's money, even if a relative paid it. A judge can apply it to fines, costs, or restitution when the case ends. Any balance goes to the defendant. A fee paid to a bail agent stays with the agent.
18. How can I tell a real bail call from a scam?
The jail and the court do not ask for gift cards, crypto, or payment to a private phone app. Hang up and dial 701-857-6530 or the clerk at 701-857-6600 yourself.
Ward County bail contacts
- Jail
- Ward County Detention Center, 204 Front Street, Minot, ND 58702; 701-857-6530
- Bond help
- Jail bail and bond instructions
- Custody lookup
- Ward County Inmate Search
- Sheriff's Office
- P.O. Box 907, Minot, ND 58702; 701-857-6500
- District court
- Ward County Courthouse, 315 3rd Street SE, Minot, ND 58701; clerk 701-857-6600
- Public defender
- 18 Second Street NE, Suite 1, Minot; 701-857-7750; Commission main office 701-845-8632
- Juvenile
- Ward County Juvenile Detention Center, Minot; 701-857-6518
- Tribal detention
- Gerald Tex Fox Justice Center, 603 1st Street South, New Town; 701-627-5300
- Bail agent complaints
- North Dakota Insurance Department, 701-328-2440
Payment spots, hours, and phone numbers in Ward County can change, and a judge may order a different amount. Phone the detention center before you hand over money. This page gives general information, not legal advice.
How do Bail Bonds work at Ward County Juvenile Detention Center
The Ward County Sheriff recommends that you might want to use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Ward 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 Ward 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 Ward 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 Ward County Juvenile Detention Center, or the courthouse in Ward County where the offense took place.
Call (701) 857 -6518 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Ward County inmate locator.
Ward County Juvenile Detention Center
Address:
315 3rd St. SE
PO Box 907
Minot, ND 58702
Phone:
(701) 857 -6518
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Ward County
What kind of bonds are accepted in Ward County?
Who can set bail in Ward County?
When is bail set in Ward County North Dakota?
Does Ward County have bail?
Yes, Ward County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Ward County?
Bail is available in many forms including a signature bond, cash bail, property bond or surety bond.
Who can set bail in Ward County?
Any judge may set bail.
When is bail set in Ward 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 Ward 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 Ward 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 Ward County Juvenile 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 bond payment is always written to the court in your municipality, Ward 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 Ward 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 Ward County have bail?
Yes, Ward County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Ward 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 Ward County North Dakota?
Yes, your attorney can also request a bond modification.
In Ward 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 Ward 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 Ward County Juvenile Detention Center for more information about the jails in Ward County.
What options are there to pay bail in Ward 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 Ward County Juvenile Detention Center for more information about posting bail in Ward 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 Ward 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 Ward County Juvenile 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.