Multi-County Correctional Center Inmate Bail & Bonds

Marion County does not run a separate county lockup. People held before trial are at the Multi-County Correctional Center, 1514 Victory Road, Marion, OH 43302. Marion and Hardin counties share it. Type the name into Marion County Inmate Search to confirm the booking. For anything the search leaves out, call 740-387-7434.

The building belongs to a shared corrections commission, not to one county.

The Marion-Hardin Corrections Commission governs it under R.C. 307.93, which lets neighboring counties build one center together. It opened in 1999.

Cash and corporate bonds on Marion Municipal Court cases can be paid at the Multi-County Correctional Center itself or online at multicountybondpayments.com. The online site asks for the inmate ID number, which you find on the booking record. The court's own number is 740-387-0843.

Some bonds are not set until the first appearance before the judge. In that case there is nothing to pay until the judge acts.

Common Pleas bonds are paid in person at the Marion County courthouse, 100 N. Main Street, Marion. The Clerk of Courts there answers at 740-223-4270. Ask whether the judge has already set a figure so you do not carry money you cannot use.

The court describes four. Surety (or corporate) is bought from a bond agent for a fee the court never receives and never refunds. Cash means the full bond amount. Secured appearance, or 10 percent, takes one-tenth of the bond and returns 90 percent when the conditions are met. Own recognizance is a signed promise with no money.

You choose among the money forms in Ohio, per R.C. 2937.011(C), unless the judge sets own recognizance.

Cash and 10 percent bonds are released from the Clerk's office at the municipal court after the case ends. Bring a picture ID. The court may apply deposited money to fines and costs owed by the defendant or the depositor, so ask the clerk before you assume the whole amount returns. Questions go to 740-387-0843.

The two work differently. With a ten percent deposit the money goes to the court and 90 percent comes back. With an agent the premium is the agent's fee and stays with the agent. The state sets that rate through the Department of Insurance, and an agent may not charge a rate the state has not approved (R.C. 3905.93).

A bond agent in Ohio must hold a state license. Agents may not solicit people at the courthouse or the jail.

Hardin County Municipal Court cash bonds are not taken at the Marion center. They are paid at the Kenton Police Department. If your relative was arrested in Hardin County but is in Marion, the paying place follows the court, not the building.

Ohio allows a bond secured by real estate. The person offering it signs a sworn statement describing the property, the debts against it and other bonds already signed. The court will not accept it unless the owner appears able to cover the full bond amount (R.C. 2937.011(L)). A lawyer cannot serve as the surety.

For the paperwork, speak with the Clerk of Courts at 740-223-4270 before you gather deeds.

No later than the second court day after the arrest, a judge must hold a bail hearing (R.C. 2937.011(J)). If the person has no lawyer and remains jailed, a second hearing follows two court days later, and a lawyer is appointed at state cost if the person cannot pay.

Call 740-387-0843 for the arraignment time.

Only for two kinds of cases. A capital charge qualifies when the proof is evident or the presumption great. A felony qualifies when the same standard is met and the person poses a substantial risk of serious physical harm (Ohio Const. art. I, sec. 9). A judge must hold a hearing first and rely on clear and convincing evidence (R.C. 2937.222).

A hold means the bond on this case does not free the person. The other court must also release them. Ask the center at 740-387-7434 whether another agency has asked to keep the person.

Marion County closed its own juvenile detention center in October 2019. When a teen faces gun charges or a violent felony, the county contracts with nearby counties for a detention bed. The Marion County Family Court can tell you where a child is. Juvenile records stay off the adult search.

If you cannot afford a lawyer, ask the judge for appointed counsel at the first hearing. Counsel can ask for a lower bond or release on conditions. R.C. 2937.011(J) guarantees a lawyer at the second bail hearing for someone who cannot pay.

No. Federal inmates are found with the Bureau of Prisons inmate locator. People in a state prison are on Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction records.

The judge can issue a warrant and forfeit the bail (R.C. 2937.011(K)). If someone else put up the money, the court cannot take it for the defendant's fines without that person's approval (R.C. 2937.40). Call the court clerk at 740-387-0843 before the next date.

No court or jail asks for gift cards, wire apps or payment to a private person. Pay only at the Multi-County center, the Marion courts, or the website tied to the jail. If a stranger calls about bond, hang up and phone 740-387-7434.

• Jail: Multi-County Correctional Center, 1514 Victory Rd., Marion, OH 43302; 740-387-7434
• Municipal court bonds: Multi-County Correctional Center or multicountybondpayments.com; Marion Municipal Court 740-387-0843
• Common Pleas bonds: Marion County courthouse, 100 N. Main St., Marion; Clerk of Courts 740-223-4270
• Bond guide: Marion County bail and bond instructions
• Custody lookup: Marion County Inmate Search
• Sheriff's Office: 100 Executive Dr., Marion, OH
• Federal: Bureau of Prisons inmate locator

Bond amounts, websites and payment places can change, and a judge may amend any bond after a hearing. Confirm before paying. This page is information only, not legal advice.