DeKalb County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Use DeKalb County Inmate Search first. It shows who is in custody and what the charge is. If the person was picked up very recently, give it a little while and try again.

When the screen leaves a question open, the Sheriff's Office at 615-597-4935 can help. Bring the legal name and birth date.

A judge or magistrate sets it for each person individually. Tennessee Code 40-11-105 gives a person arrested on a bailable charge the right to be admitted to bail, and the Sheriff's Office cannot release anyone until bail has been set (40-11-106).

A lawyer, not the jailer, is the one to ask if you want a new amount.

The Circuit Court Clerk is the office for court money. It sits in Room 201 of the courthouse at 1 Public Square, 615-597-5711, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The deposit has to equal the bail in full. Section 40-11-118 lets the clerk take debit cards or mobile cash apps and pass the processing fee to the payer.

Phone before you go, and ask how a payment works after the office closes.

Tennessee expects about 10 percent of the bond from a resident, per 40-11-151. People who live out of state can be charged 10 to 15 percent. One $25 initiation fee and one $12 bail tax can be tacked on.

Ask for duplicate receipts. That fee does not come back when the case ends.

Two checks. First, a state license from the Board of Professional Bondsmen (40-11-321). Second, approval from the courts of the judicial district. DeKalb County is in the Thirteenth Judicial District.

Any collateral demanded beyond the premium needs a written receipt that describes each item and the steps to redeem it.

Yes, so long as the real estate lies in Tennessee. Expect a delay, because the court has to review the ownership papers before anyone is released.

The Circuit Court Clerk at 615-597-5711 can tell you the paperwork DeKalb County wants and which owners must sign.

Section 40-11-118(b) lists the factors: how long the person has lived here, work and money situation, family, character, mental condition, record and past court attendance, the charge itself, the sentence the person could receive, and any danger shown by the record. Whether the person is lawfully in Tennessee can matter too.

A responsible community member can speak up for the defendant, though no one may vouch for more than two people at a time.

Sometimes. Tennessee judges must look first at release on a promise to appear or an unsecured bond (40-11-115(b)). Money bail is for situations where lesser conditions will not reasonably assure attendance (40-11-117), and the court uses the least onerous conditions available (40-11-116).

Bring a pay stub, a lease or other proof of a stable life to the first appearance.

A warrant from another county, a probation hold, a domestic or stalking hold under 40-11-150, or a capital charge. The Sheriff's Office at 615-597-4935 can say which one is involved.

Capital offenses cannot be bailed under Article I, section 15 of the state constitution.

Twelve hours in the covered cases, unless the official finds no threat to the victim. When there is serious bodily injury, strangulation or a deadly weapon in an aggravated assault, the hold can reach 24 hours, with a no-contact order and GPS monitoring required before bond.

Often. Under 40-11-118(d) a judge can order an ignition interlock for certain alcohol cases, for example a crash with property damage or a child passenger, unless it would not serve justice. Repeat alcohol offenders face transdermal alcohol monitoring that they pay for.

Tennessee requires a magistrate to see the person "without unnecessary delay." There the charge, the right to counsel and the right to silence are explained. A felony preliminary hearing follows within 14 days for someone held in jail, 30 days for someone released.

To request a court-appointed lawyer, ask the judge. The Thirteenth Judicial District public defender can be reached at 931-526-9141.

The Circuit Court Clerk also serves General Sessions, Juvenile and Criminal Court from Room 201 at 1 Public Square, 615-597-5711. The General Sessions judge's line is 615-597-1400.

The county clerk's office is in the same courthouse, 615-597-5177, for other county paperwork.

Town officers work inside their limits. Ask the department for the report number and the facility, then check DeKalb County Inmate Search. A hold from outside the county can keep a person in custody even after bail is paid.

Juvenile Court is handled through the Circuit Court Clerk's office at 615-597-5711. Ask where the young person is being held and the date of the detention hearing.

A parent should expect to attend. Juvenile cases are kept out of the adult search.

No. Commissary and phone money stays with the account vendor. Bail is paid through the clerk, a bondsman, or secured with property. Never pay a stranger who contacts you online about release.

A missed hearing can mean forfeiture of the bond (40-11-139, 40-11-201) and an arrest order. A cash depositor can lose the deposit. A bondsman who wants the person back can surrender him under 40-11-132.

Call the clerk's office the same day.

Under 40-11-119, after the bond conditions are met and the defendant is discharged. Fines and costs are deducted first (40-11-121), so the refund can be less than you paid. A surety is not bound for fines, costs or restitution unless the bond says so with the surety's consent (40-11-118(c)).

• Jail: DeKalb County Jail, 100 Public Square, Smithville, TN 37166; 615-597-4935
• Custody lookup: DeKalb County Inmate Search
• Circuit Court Clerk: 1 Public Square, Room 201, Smithville, TN 37166; 615-597-5711; Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• General Sessions judge: 615-597-1400
• County Clerk: 615-597-5177
• Public defender: Thirteenth Judicial District, 931-526-9141
• Bond help: bail instructions for the DeKalb County jail

Hours, fees and numbers shift over time, and a DeKalb County judge may order terms of his or her own. Confirm with the office before you pay. This page is a general guide, not legal advice.