Cherokee County Detention Center Inmate Bail & Bonds
Cherokee County Bail and Release
From Tahlequah to the rural hills, adults who are arrested go to the Cherokee County Detention Center, 1513 N. Douglas, Tahlequah, OK 74464. A jail trust board runs it as a separate county department, so the Sheriff does not manage it day to day. Below, learn who sets bail, what each kind of bond means, sample city amounts, where to pay and what can delay a release.
First, check the official jail lookup using the person's full legal name. Next, our Inmates in Custody page walks you through arrests and life in custody: who is locked up now, new bookings, open warrants, charges, booking photos, court-appointed lawyers and getting belongings back.
Call 918-456-2583 now. That number is listed for the jail and is also the Sheriff's Office main line. Ask if the person is booked, the bond on each charge and the next court date, then read our court page to follow the case.
1. After a Cherokee County arrest, who chooses the bond amount?
A judge does. State charges go to the District Court, whose Court Clerk works at 213 W. Delaware St., Room 302, Tahlequah, OK 74464, 918-456-0691. The clerk's office is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Oklahoma's Pretrial Release Act deals with setting bail, bail schedules and electronic monitoring (22 O.S. § 1105.2). So for some charges an amount may be ready soon after booking, while others must wait for a judge. Repeat DUI cases are the exception. Since November 1, 2025, anyone booked for a repeat DUI arrest can leave only on bail granted by a judge, and the order must explain in writing why that amount was picked (HB 1222).
No Oklahoma statute fixes how many hours may pass before a first hearing. Ask the clerk when the person will go before a judge.
↑ Back to the question list2. Release options under Oklahoma law
Most people charged with a crime in this state have a right to bail (Okla. Const. art. II § 8). Release usually takes one of these forms:
- Own recognizance. Nothing is paid. Instead, there is a signed pledge to show up for every hearing (22 O.S. § 1108.1).
- Cash bond. The person, or someone helping, hands over the full bail amount, and the person walks out (59 O.S. § 1323).
- Surety bond. A licensed bondsman takes a fee, which is not refunded, and guarantees the whole amount to the court.
- Property bond. The family puts up a house or a piece of land as the guarantee. Any filing fee is the job of the party who files it (59 O.S. § 1331).
- Pretrial release. Oklahoma law lets courts run programs that free some people under rules and check-ins (22 O.S. § 1105.3).
Any of them can come with rules attached, like no contact with the alleged victim or an ankle monitor. Ask the Court Clerk which choices fit the charges.
↑ Back to the question list3. How much does bail cost on common local charges?
For state cases, each judge weighs the charge and the person's record when choosing a figure. Call the Court Clerk at 918-456-0691, give the person's name and ask the bond for each count.
City charges written in Tahlequah follow the city's pre-set fine and bail bond schedule. Most figures below include a $30 state penalty assessment and $30 in court costs:
- Seat belt: $20
- Speeding 1 to 15 mph over: $160. 16 to 25 over: $185. 26 or more over: $235
- Careless driving: $235. Reckless driving: $285
- Driving under suspension: $335
- Public intoxication: $285
- Marijuana possession: $400. Paraphernalia: $240
- Assault and battery, or carrying a concealed weapon: $535
- Other non-traffic charges missing from the list: $285
Under city code Section 6-123, bond on an unlisted city offense runs from $10 up to $500. An administrative fee of up to $150 can be added. For a city case, call the Tahlequah Municipal Court at 918-456-9472.
↑ Back to the question list4. What are the steps to bond someone out at the jail?
The detention center sits at 1513 N. Douglas, Tahlequah, OK 74464. State law lets a family member make a cash bond for the person by handing the whole sum to an official with power to accept bail money (59 O.S. § 1323). Follow these steps:
- Call 918-456-2583. Spell out the person's legal name. Mention the birth date too.
- Ask for the total bond, every charge it covers and any hold from another agency.
- Ask where bond is taken at that hour, the jail or the Court Clerk, and which payments work there.
- Carry a photo ID and the full amount in a form staff accept. Hold on to your receipt.
- Write down the court date printed on the release papers.
- Wait in the lobby. Staff confirm who the person is and return their property before they leave.
The same phone reaches the Sheriff's Office, 912 S. College Ave., Tahlequah, OK 74464, which can help when you are unsure where to go.
↑ Back to the question list5. Can bond be paid at the court clerk or city court?
District Court Clerk. 213 W. Delaware St., Room 302, Tahlequah, OK 74464, 918-456-0691. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Call first and ask if a cash bond on the state case can be paid at the counter.
- Have your ID and, if you know it, the case number.
- Make any check out to the Court Clerk, and keep your receipt.
Tahlequah Municipal Court. 111 S. Cherokee Ave., Tahlequah, OK 74464, 918-456-9472. This court only hears city ordinance cases. It is open Monday to Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Its court page says payments are taken in person, by phone or through the city's online bill pay.
Hulbert. Town fines can be paid online through the town website. For a bond on a town charge, call Town Hall, 111 W. Main, Hulbert, OK 74441, 918-772-2165.
↑ Back to the question list6. Cash, card or money order: what does the clerk take?
The Court Clerk's court cost page lists these ways to pay:
- Cash
- Money order or cashier's check (write Court Clerk as the payee)
- American Express, MasterCard or Visa
- Online through On Demand Court Records
That list is for court costs and fines. Before you pay a bond, call 918-456-0691 and ask which of these the clerk takes for bail. Ask the jail the same question, since its rules may differ.
A bondsman's fee is a separate deal. You pay it to the bondsman, never the court, and the law says it must be written on the bond.
↑ Back to the question list7. How do bail bondsmen work in Cherokee County?
Bondsmen work under licenses issued by the Oklahoma Insurance Department. Each one also has to sign up with a county's Court Clerk before acting as surety on bonds there (59 O.S. § 1320). Here is what the law requires:
- The fee, called the premium, must be shown on the bond before it is filed. You get a receipt with its own number (59 O.S. § 1316).
- The fee is earned the moment the person walks free, so the family does not get it back. If the person is never released, the bondsman must return the fee and any collateral (59 O.S. § 1327).
- Jailers and police officers cannot work as bondsmen (59 O.S. § 1315).
- Soliciting clients where prisoners are kept, arraigned or held is grounds for discipline (59 O.S. § 1310).
Check a license with the bondsman license lookup. You can file a complaint or call the department's bail bond division at 400 NE 50th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73105, 405-521-6610.
↑ Back to the question list8. Paid the bond, but no release yet. Why?
Paying one bond does not always open the door. Common reasons for a longer wait:
- A hold from another place. A warrant from some other county or town may be waiting. A 2025 law, HB 1991, lets the family pay the bond owed in that other jurisdiction, which removes the hold.
- Probation or prison. A probation officer or the Department of Corrections may place its own hold.
- Immigration. An ICE detainer can keep someone in custody for a short time after release.
- A tribal case. Cherokee Nation court may have its own case or warrant.
- Conditions. A monitor or check-in plan may need to be in place first.
- Paperwork. Staff must check ID and the release order before anyone leaves.
Call 918-456-2583 and ask if any hold is on file.
↑ Back to the question list9. When may a judge deny bail outright?
Only in a short list of cases. The Oklahoma Constitution allows denial for capital crimes when proof is strong, violent offenses, offenses carrying a possible life term, a felony charge after two earlier felony convictions from separate events, and drug crimes that carry ten years or more (Okla. Const. art. II § 8). Except in capital cases, the judge must find the proof is evident and that no conditions could keep the community safe.
Lawmakers have widened this. As of November 1, 2025, felony DUI (a third arrest or more) joined the list (SB 981). And if a person on bond in a violent case picks up a second violent charge, the law starts from the view that release should be refused (HB 3782).
The state's case is handled by the District Attorney for District 27. Its local office is at 213 W. Delaware, Tahlequah, OK 74464, 918-456-6173.
↑ Back to the question list10. Who can ask the court for a bail cut?
The person, or their lawyer, asks the judge in the District Court to change the amount. The Oklahoma Constitution bans excessive bail (Okla. Const. art. II § 9). Good points to raise:
- Steady work, school or care for children
- Close family ties and a home address
- Past court dates kept on time
- What the family can truly afford
Marsy's Law lets the alleged victim speak up when release is on the table, so expect the judge to hear from them too (Okla. Const. art. II § 34). A court-appointed lawyer can make this request. Call the Court Clerk at 918-456-0691 to learn the next hearing date.
↑ Back to the question list11. How does a Cherokee County defendant apply for appointed counsel?
The Oklahoma Indigent Defense System pays private contract lawyers to defend people here who cannot afford one. The local contract office is at 239 W Keetoowah, Tahlequah, OK 74464, 918-458-5454.
- Get the application for a court-appointed lawyer from the Court Clerk. From a cell, the person can request one from a detention officer.
- List income, debts and what you own. The judge decides who qualifies, and bail is not the only thing weighed.
- Expect a $40 application fee that goes to the Court Fund. Payment of that fee may be pushed back to the final day of the case.
A 2025 ruling from Oklahoma's highest criminal court (Spybuck v. State) made clear that counsel must be offered whenever a charge could end in jail. For general questions, the OIDS main office is at 111 N. Peters Ave, Suite 500, Norman, OK 73069, 405-801-2601.
↑ Back to the question list12. Which courts handle Cherokee County cases?
- District Court. State misdemeanors and felonies. The county is part of judicial district 15 with Adair, Muskogee, Sequoyah and Wagoner. Court Clerk: 213 W. Delaware St., Room 302, Tahlequah, OK 74464, 918-456-0691.
- Tahlequah Municipal Court. City ordinance cases. 111 S. Cherokee Ave., Tahlequah, OK 74464, 918-456-9472.
- Hulbert. Town charges. Town Hall, 111 W. Main, Hulbert, OK 74441, 918-772-2165.
- Cherokee Nation District Court. Criminal cases from the reservation. P.O. Box 1097, Tahlequah, OK 74465, 918-207-3900.
- Federal court. U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, 101 North 5th Street, Room 208, Muskogee, OK 74401, 918-684-7920.
This whole county lies inside the Cherokee Nation Reservation. Because of McGirt v. Oklahoma (2020) and the rulings that followed it, when a tribal citizen is accused here the case is usually heard in tribal or federal court. Castro-Huerta (2022) then let the state, as well as federal prosecutors, bring charges against a non-Indian when an Indian was harmed. The law is still shifting, so ask a lawyer which court fits.
↑ Back to the question list13. How is cash bail paid back, or lost?
The court gives a cash deposit back after the case wraps up or the person is surrendered, provided every hearing was attended (59 O.S. § 1328). The Court Clerk can say how the refund is issued and who receives it.
A missed date changes everything. The court forfeits the bond, and within 10 days it has to send out a warrant for arrest. From the day the forfeiture order reaches the bondsman, a 90-day clock runs. Returning the defendant inside that time wipes out the forfeiture. When that window closes without a return, cash or securities equal to the full bond go to the clerk (59 O.S. § 1332).
City courts move faster. When a defendant skips a city court date, the municipal judge declares the bond lost that very day, and the city may take its court costs from it (11 O.S. § 27-118).
For a state case, call 918-456-0691.
↑ Back to the question list14. How are property and jail account money returned?
Oklahoma jail rules set the steps for release. Staff must first make sure of the person's identity and check the release order. Next, stored items come back out, staff check each one against the booking inventory, and the person signs to show nothing is missing (OAC 310:670-5-1).
A few tips help the day go smoothly:
- Bring a ride and a phone charger, since a release can come late.
- Ask how any leftover jail account money is paid out.
- If someone else must pick up property, ask what written OK the person needs to give.
Call the detention center at 1513 N. Douglas, Tahlequah, OK 74464, on 918-456-2583 to ask about pickup times.
↑ Back to the question list15. Who sets release on a federal charge here?
Federal crimes from this area go to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, 101 North 5th Street, Room 208, Muskogee, OK 74401, 918-684-7920. A federal magistrate judge holds a detention hearing under 18 U.S.C. 3142. The judge picks release with conditions or custody until trial.
Until trial, a person held on federal charges is in U.S. Marshals Service custody, 101 North 5th Street, Suite 136, Muskogee, OK 74401, 539-239-5500. The Marshals may use a contract jail. The Muskogee County jail has had an agreement to hold federal prisoners. Its Sheriff's Office is at 220 State St., Muskogee, OK 74402, 918-687-0202. People being moved may pass through the Federal Transfer Center, 7410 S. MacArthur Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK 73169, 405-682-4075.
The Federal Public Defender, 112 North 7th Street, Muskogee, OK 74401, 918-687-2430, defends people who qualify. Once a federal sentence begins, use the BOP inmate locator to learn where they are.
↑ Back to the question list16. Will paying bail lift an ICE immigration hold?
No. A detainer is a separate hold. Here is how it works:
- The detainer arrives as Form I-247A, which ICE sends to the jail.
- Under 8 CFR 287.7(d), the jail may hold the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released.
- Agents from ICE drive to the detention center and collect the person.
- One ICE detention site in this state is Cimarron Correctional Facility, 3200 S. Kings Hwy., Cushing, OK 74023, 918-225-3336.
- Look them up on the ICE Online Detainee Locator by typing the A-number. No A-number? Enter the full name and birth country.
ICE runs this state out of its Dallas Field Office, with a local office at 1220 Sovereign Row, Oklahoma City, OK 73108, 405-219-3199. A 2024 state law, HB 4156, made unlawful presence here its own crime (21 O.S. § 1795). For now a federal judge's order stops the state from using it, and the state's appeal has not been decided.
↑ Back to the question list17. Where do people go once sentenced to prison?
A prison term is served with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Expect a wait in the local jail before the transfer. DOC says that move most often comes 6 to 9 months later.
The first prison stop is an assessment and reception center. There the crime, the sentence length and other facts are scored. That score picks a security level, and a prison at that level becomes the person's home.
- Search with the DOC Offender Lookup.
- Look up each facility by name on our Oklahoma state prisons page.
- Call DOC at 4345 N. Lincoln Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73105, 405-425-2500, and ask for the person's case manager.
18. What happens when a teen from Cherokee County is arrested?
Youth are not booked like adults. The county works under the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs, 2501 N. Lincoln Blvd, Suite 500, Oklahoma City, OK 73105, 405-530-2800. When a young person needs to be locked up, a juvenile detention center holds them. Six hours is the most time an adult jail can spend processing a minor, and during that time no adult inmate may have steady sight or sound contact with the minor (OAC 310:670-5-5). Call OJA to learn which center has the child.
A judge must see a detained youth quickly, usually by the next court day. The Youthful Offender Act reaches teens from 15 through 17 who face certain grave charges. Certification is a separate step that sends the case to adult court.
A child who is a tribal citizen may have a delinquency case in Cherokee Nation District Court, P.O. Box 1097, Tahlequah, OK 74465, 918-207-3900.
↑ Back to the question listPaying an Inmate's Bail or Bond in Cherokee County
The Cherokee County Sheriff recommends that you might want to use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Cherokee 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 Cherokee County, or in some cases the state of Oklahoma, but the benefit of using a bail bond agent is that they take responsibility for making sure the inmate shows up for court in Cherokee County, and if they don't, then they take the financial responsibility.
- The typical fee for a bond in Oklahoma 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 Cherokee County Detention Center, or the courthouse in Cherokee County where the offense took place.
Call 918-456-2583 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Cherokee County inmate locator.
Cherokee County Detention Center
Address:
1513 N. Douglas
Tahlequah, OK 74464
Phone:
918-456-2583
Frequently Asked Questions about Bail and Bonds in Cherokee County
Does Cherokee County have bail?
What kind of bonds are accepted in Cherokee County?
Who can set bail in Cherokee County?
When is bail set in Cherokee County Oklahoma?
Does Cherokee County have bail?
Yes, Cherokee County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Cherokee County?
Bail bonds are available in several different forms in Cherokee County including personal recognizance, cash bond, property bond and surety bond.
Who can set bail in Cherokee County?
For most non-violent, less serious offenses, Oklahoma uses a bail schedule, also known as jail bail. For more serious offenses, bail is set by a judge.
When is bail set in Cherokee County Oklahoma?
If the offense charges are listed on the bail schedule the defendant and officers will be provided this information during processing at the jail and bail will be set.
More serious offense requires a hearing in front of a judge. This hearing is usually scheduled within 48 hours of arrest, not including weekends and holidays.
What is Bail?
Bail is what the arrested in Cherokee 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 Cherokee 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 Cherokee County 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, Cherokee 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 Cherokee 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 Cherokee County have bail?
Yes, Cherokee County recognizes most types of bonds.
What kind of bonds are accepted in Cherokee County?
Bail bonds are available in several different forms in Cherokee County including personal recognizance, cash bond, property bond and surety bond.
Who can set bail in Cherokee County?
For most non-violent, less serious offenses, Oklahoma uses a bail schedule, also known as jail bail. For more serious offense bail is set by a judge.
When is bail set in Oklahoma?
If the offense charges are listed on the bail schedule the defendant and officers will be provided this information during processing at the jail and bail will be set.
More serious offense requires a hearing in front of a judge. This hearing is usually scheduled within 48 hours of arrest, not including weekends and holidays.
Can I get the bail or bond reduced in Cherokee County Oklahoma?
Yes, your lawyer can file a motion to reduce or modify bail.
In Cherokee County Oklahoma, 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 Oklahoma could be the surety and execute a bond to the court on your behalf.
Can bail be paid online in Cherokee County Oklahoma?
Yes, Oklahoma counties do offer online bail payment in most cases. Please contact the jail for specific information on how to pay bail: Go to the Cherokee County Detention Center for more information about the jails in Cherokee County.
What options are there to pay bail in Cherokee County Oklahoma?
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 Cherokee County Detention Center for more information about posting bail in Cherokee County.
Will I get all my bond money back in Oklahoma?
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 Cherokee 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 Oklahoma?
The Cherokee County 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.