Allen County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Use Allen County Inmate Search. Type the last and first name. A booking only minutes old may not show, so check again after an hour or two.

If the person does not appear, ask the police agency that made the arrest where they took the person, then call the Sheriff's Office at 419-227-3535.

The jail is part of the Allen County Justice Center, which opened in 1990. The street address is 333 N. Main Street, Lima, Ohio. The same building holds the Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Corrections Division staffs the cell blocks.

Do not go to the front desk expecting to see the person. Check first with the search link, then ask the Sheriff's Office about visiting rules.

Ohio law requires a first bail hearing no later than the second court day after the arrest (R.C. 2937.011). If the person is still held and has no lawyer, a second hearing must follow two court days later, and a lawyer paid by the state is appointed for someone who cannot afford one.

An arrest on Friday evening can mean the first hearing is on Tuesday. That is normal and not a sign that anyone lost the file.

For felonies a judge or magistrate must set the amount. For many misdemeanors a court bond schedule allows quick release before the first hearing, but that schedule exists only for early release and does not limit what the judge does later.

Ohio law tells the court to choose the least restrictive release that still protects the public and gets the person back to court, and to keep any money condition as low in cost as it can while still doing that job. Ask the lawyer to raise this at the hearing.

A court can accept a deposit of ten percent of the bond amount. If the bond is $5,000, the deposit is $500. When the case ends and every condition was met, the court returns 90 percent of that deposit. The state fee on top of the bond is a separate charge.

This is different from paying a bail agent. An agent keeps the fee you pay, no matter how the case turns out.

The Clerk of Courts is at 301 N. Main Street, Lima, and the office is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The clerk's line is 419-223-8513. Ask which court holds the case, because a municipal court case and a common pleas case can be paid at different counters.

For payment after hours or on a weekend, ask the Sheriff's Office at 419-227-3535 whether bail can be taken at the jail for that case. Have the booking name ready. Never send money to a person who contacts you first.

Every Ohio municipal and county court must adopt a rule that allows bail to be paid by credit card (R.C. 2937.011(I)). For a felony case in common pleas court, ask the clerk at 419-223-8513 which forms of payment the clerk takes before you drive in.

A licensed surety bail agent signs a bond with the court. You pay the agent a fee and sign a contract. The Ohio Department of Insurance licenses these agents, and an agent must charge the premium rate the state has approved and must tell you about any added expense fee.

Ohio rules bar an agent from asking you to sign over the title to your home as a condition of the bond. They also bar agents from soliciting people at the jail or the courthouse. If someone approaches you there, walk away.

Ohio law allows a bond secured by real estate. The owner signs a sworn statement describing the property and every mortgage or lien on it, and the court must be satisfied that the person can cover at least the full bond amount. A licensed attorney cannot be the one who backs a bond.

Ask the Clerk of Courts at 419-223-8513 which forms the judge expects and how long review takes. Every owner of the property will need to sign.

The Ohio Constitution allows a judge to refuse bail only for a capital offense with strong proof, or for a felony with strong proof where the person poses a substantial risk of serious physical harm to anyone or the community. The prosecutor asks for a hearing, and the judge must find the facts by clear and convincing evidence (R.C. 2937.222).

A hold from another county or from a parole or probation officer can also keep a person in. A lawyer can tell you which one applies.

People held on federal charges do not show up in the county search. The Federal Bureau of Prisons runs its own online inmate locator at bop.gov. A person sent to prison after a sentence is tracked by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, not by the county.

The judge can issue a warrant and begin the process of forfeiting the bail. A surety who brings the person back before the court date, or who asks for a warrant so the Sheriff holds the person, can be released from the bond. Call the lawyer or the bail agent the same day.

Money posted by a family member or friend cannot be taken for the defendant's fines or court costs unless that person approves it in writing. When the defendant posts his own money and is not indigent, the court may apply it to fines and costs after a conviction.

Tell the judge at the first hearing that you cannot afford a lawyer, and the court will appoint one. For help with where to start, ask the Clerk of Courts at 419-223-8513 which office handles appointed counsel for the case. The Ohio Public Defender in Columbus also supports local systems across all 88 counties.

Yes. The court may release a person on personal recognizance, which means a signed promise to return. Under R.C. 2937.011, a person who came to court on a summons instead of being arrested is presumed eligible for that kind of release unless the judge has good reason to say otherwise.

A judge can also add rules to any release: staying away from the victim, limits on travel or where the person lives, drug or alcohol treatment, electronic monitoring or house arrest. Breaking a rule can bring a new bail hearing and a higher amount.

Cash or a 10 percent deposit that you paid for someone else is returned after the case ends and the person made every court date, minus the 10 percent the court keeps on a deposit bond and any state fee. Keep the receipt and the case number. The Clerk of Courts at 419-223-8513 can tell you how a refund is requested.

Fees paid to a bail agent are not refunded.

No court clerk or jail officer asks for gift cards, cryptocurrency or a payment app. Use only the numbers on this page. A caller who says a person will be moved or charged unless you pay in minutes should be hung up on. Then check Allen County Inmate Search and call the Sheriff's Office at 419-227-3535.

Allen County has its own juvenile detention center for youth held before a hearing. A juvenile case is private and will not show up on the adult search. The Clerk of Courts at 419-223-8513 can point you to the juvenile court office for the hearing time.

• Jail: Allen County Jail, inside the Allen County Justice Center, 333 N. Main Street, Lima, OH
• Sheriff's Office: 419-227-3535
• Custody lookup: Allen County Inmate Search
• Clerk of Courts: 301 N. Main Street, Lima, OH; Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; 419-223-8513
• Bond help: Allen County bail and bond pages
• Youth: Allen County juvenile detention center; ask the Clerk of Courts for the juvenile court office

Dollar amounts, office hours and phone lines can change, and a judge may order something different from what is described here. Check with the Clerk of Courts or the Sheriff's Office before paying. This page explains the process in general terms and is not legal advice.