Clinton County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Open Clinton County Inmate Search and search by last name. New bookings can lag by a few hours. If you see nothing by the next morning, call the Sheriff's Office at 937-382-1611 and give the full name and date of birth.

People are sometimes held first at a police station or in another county on a warrant, so a blank result does not always mean the person was not arrested.

The Clinton County Jail is on Davids Drive in Wilmington, OH 45177, at the same address as the Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office runs it. The sheriff is an elected official, and the jail staff are deputies and corrections officers who work for that office.

The Sheriff's Office line is 937-382-1611. Use it for questions the online record does not answer, such as a transfer or a medical concern.

The Clinton County Municipal Court handles misdemeanor and traffic cases. It is at 69 North South Street, Wilmington, OH 45177, and the phone is 937-382-8985.

Hours are Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The court keeps a bond schedule on its website. Ask the clerk to read you the amount for the specific charge.

No. A bond schedule only lets a person go before the first hearing. At that hearing the judge looks at the facts of the case, the person's record, ties to the area, and the danger to others, as R.C. 2937.011(E) and the Ohio Constitution direct.

Since 2022, article I, section 9 tells courts to weigh public safety, including how serious the offense is, when they fix the amount.

The first bail hearing must take place no later than the second court day after the arrest, under R.C. 2937.011(J). It can be joined with the first court appearance.

If he is still held and has no lawyer, a second hearing follows two court days later, and the court appoints counsel at state expense if he cannot pay. Call the municipal court at 937-382-8985 for the date.

Municipal and county courts in Ohio must have a rule allowing bail by credit card. For other forms of payment, the person at the window decides what the court takes, so ask when you call 937-382-8985.

Do not hand cash to anyone who is not a court clerk or a licensed agent. Ask for a written receipt that shows the case number.

If the judge sets a bond of $5,000, a 10 percent cash deposit would be $500. The court keeps the deposit and returns 90 percent of it when the defendant has met every condition, under R.C. 2937.011(C). The numbers are an example only.

A full cash deposit is returned in full at the end if conditions are met, less any money the court may apply to the defendant's own costs.

A surety bail bond agent charges a fee to sign a bond for you. Agents must hold a license from the Ohio Department of Insurance, and R.C. 3905.93 says they must charge the rate the state has approved and disclose any expense fee.

Under Ohio Administrative Code 3901-1-66, an agent cannot make you sign over the title to your property and cannot approach people at the jail or courthouse to find clients. Read the contract before you pay.

R.C. 2937.011(C) allows a bond backed by real estate. The owner files an affidavit that describes the property and what is owed on it, and the court must find the owner good for the full bond amount.

Attorneys may not act as the surety. Ask the municipal court clerk at 937-382-8985 or the common pleas clerk what paperwork the judge in your case needs.

Ohio allows a judge to deny bail only in narrow cases: a capital offense, or a felony where the proof is evident or the presumption great and the person poses a substantial risk of serious physical harm to anyone or the community.

R.C. 2937.222 requires a hearing and clear and convincing proof. Holds from probation, parole, or another county can also keep a person in. Ask the court which applies.

A minor is not handled in the adult booking process. Call the Sheriff's Office at 937-382-1611 and ask where the youth is being held and which juvenile court has the case. Juvenile records are private, so the adult search may show nothing.

Ask the court for the hearing time and the name of the detention center that is holding the young person.

At the first hearing, tell the judge you cannot pay for a lawyer. The court decides who qualifies and appoints counsel, and R.C. 2937.011(J) guarantees appointed counsel at the second bail hearing for someone who cannot afford one.

A lawyer can ask the judge to lower the bail, to change it to a signature bond, or to add conditions such as monitoring instead of cash.

A warrant can be issued, the bond can be forfeited, and under R.C. 2937.011(K) the person may face punishment for failing to appear. A bond agent will want him back in court quickly.

If you put up the cash, you can ask the court to let you surrender him before the date, as R.C. 2937.40 allows.

The jail and the court will never ask for gift cards or a payment app. Money added to an inmate account is for commissary and is not bail. When in doubt, hang up and call 937-382-1611.

• Jail: Clinton County Jail, 1645 Davids Drive, Wilmington, OH 45177; Sheriff's Office 937-382-1611
• Custody lookup: Clinton County Inmate Search
• Bond help: Clinton County bail and bond instructions
• Municipal Court: 69 North South Street, Wilmington, OH 45177; 937-382-8985; Monday to Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• Insurance: Ohio Department of Insurance licenses bail bond agents

Bail amounts, hours, payment rules, and phone numbers can change, and a judge can order a different amount. Make sure the jail or court agrees with these details before money changes hands. Nothing here is legal advice; it is a general overview.