Brazoria County Detention Center Inmate Bail & Bonds

A magistrate decides. Officers get no more than 48 hours to bring the person before one (CCP 15.17(a)). In that same stretch, the magistrate must also rule on bail, looking at this one person and not just the charge (CCP 17.028).

In this county, the justices of the peace serve as magistrates. There are eight of them, two per precinct across four precincts. A 2021 look at local hearings by the Texas Indigent Defense Commission found that nearly everyone (99.5%) went before a magistrate inside two days. Roughly one in three had the hearing on the day of arrest. Most others had it the morning after.

During that short hearing, the person learns the charge and their rights, including silence and a lawyer. They can ask for an appointed lawyer, and the magistrate must help with that paperwork. On anything Class B or more serious, a public safety report listing past arrests and convictions must be read before bail is set (CCP 17.022).

The jail's inmate information line, 979-864-2240, can tell you if the hearing has happened.

Texas law (CCP 17.01) recognizes a bail bond and a personal bond. In practice, families in Brazoria County run into three setups:

• Cash deposit. You pay the whole amount. If the person shows up for court each time, it comes back minus allowed fees after the case is done (CCP 17.02).
• Bondsman. A licensed surety company guarantees the total in exchange for a fee you pay. You never see that fee again.
• Personal bond. No cash changes hands. The accused signs and promises to show up (CCP 17.03). The county may charge a personal bond fee of $20 or 3% of the bail amount, the larger one, though it can be waived (CCP 17.42).

The law tells magistrates to go no further than needed to keep others safe and make sure the person returns (CCP 17.028). Common add-ons: stay away from the alleged victim, random drug or alcohol tests, a GPS ankle unit. Certain DWI-type cases, including a second DWI and intoxication assault, need an ignition interlock in the car (CCP 17.441).

For certain offenses a personal bond is off the table, including many violent ones and gun possession by a felon (CCP 17.03). Our Texas bail rules page lists them.

No statewide chart says what a charge costs. Local schedules exist in some places, but the 2021 Damon Allen Act still demands a person-by-person decision (CCP 17.028). Two people booked for the same thing can get very different numbers.

Under CCP 17.15(a), the magistrate thinks about:

• a figure high enough to make the person come back, yet not used to oppress;
• the type of crime and the facts around it;
• what the accused can truly afford;
• whether the alleged victim, police or the community would be at risk;
• the record shown in the public safety report;
• immigration or citizenship status.

There are also caps when probable cause isn't decided on time after an arrest made without a warrant. A misdemeanor arrest means release by the 24th hour on bail of $5,000 or less. A felony means release by the 48th hour on $10,000 or less. A person too poor for either goes out on a personal bond (CCP 17.033).

The bond desk at 979-864-2336 can give you the actual figure once it is set.

The jail can accept bail in most cases. A jailer can't pick the amount in a violent case, though (CCP 17.22). Here is a simple plan:

1. Dial 979-864-2336 and ask to be put through to whoever handles bonds.
2. Spell the person's legal name, share their birth date, and jot down every charge and the bond beside it.
3. Check that the magistrate already set the bail. Nothing can be posted until then.
4. Ask which forms of payment are taken today and what hours the window keeps.
5. Ask whether any hold from probation, parole, another county or ICE is on file.
6. Drive to 3602 County Road 45, Angleton, TX 77515 with a photo ID and the payment. Hold on to the receipt.

Paperwork after a bond often takes a few hours. Family violence cases can carry a 4-hour wait after bond is posted (CCP 17.291(b)).

Sometimes. Call ahead each time.

• Pearland City Jail, run by the Pearland Police Jail Division, 2555 Cullen Parkway, Pearland, TX 77581, 281-997-5830. Ask if your person is still held there and whether a bond can be posted at that window, or only after transfer to the county jail.
• Alvin police jail, inside the Alvin Police Department, 1500 S. Gordon, Alvin, TX 77511, 281-585-7130 (jail staff). Ask the same two things.
• Clute police jail, at the Clute Police Department, 104 E. Main St., Clute, TX 77531, 979-265-6194. Ask where the person is headed next.
• District Clerk, Criminal Department, 237 E. Locust Street, Suite 206, Angleton, TX 77515, 979-864-1189. Weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., lobby until 4:45 p.m. On a felony, ask if a cash bond can be made here.

City jails keep people only briefly. After the move to County Road 45, bond is handled at the county jail.

What the window accepts can change. Call the bond desk at 979-864-2336 before you head out, and ask:

• Do they accept cash, and can they break large bills?
• Is a cashier's check or money order allowed, and who is the payee?
• Are cards accepted, and is there a processing fee?
• Is there a phone or web way to pay? Get the exact address from staff.

Two warnings. Never mail cash. And treat any caller who demands bail by gift card or wire transfer as a scam, even if they say they work for the Sheriff. Also know that money on a jail account is a separate thing from a bond. It buys snacks and phone time, as our inmate deposits page explains.

State law makes every county of 110,000 or more set up a board to license bondsmen (OC 1704.051). Here, the Brazoria County Bail Bond Board grants, denies and renews licenses, writes the local rules and hears complaints. Its office is at 111 East Locust St., Suite 301, Angleton, TX 77515, 979-864-1574 for central and western areas. North county callers can use 281-756-1574, and the Brazosport side 979-388-1574. Ask staff for the newest list of licensed sureties, or start from the board's page.

• Texas does not cap bondsman fees, so get the quote on paper first.
• Get a receipt for every payment. Bondsmen are barred from soliciting customers in the jail.
• Put up collateral, like a truck title? Ask for it back in writing when the case ends. The law gives the company 30 days to hand it over (OC 1704.301).
• A bondsman who wants to give up the bond has to notify the defense lawyer first (CCP 17.19).

One bond covers one case. Other holds can still apply:

• Another county's warrant. Under CCP 15.18, a magistrate here can take bail on an out-of-county warrant and forward the bond to the issuing county. Or that county may come to collect the person.
• A parole blue warrant. State parole can keep the person jailed until a violation hearing.
• ICE. Texas jails must honor immigration detainers (CCP 2A.060).
• Family violence. Article 17.291(b) adds a 4-hour hold after bond when violence may continue. A signed order from the magistrate can add as many as 48 hours more.
• Mental health. Jail staff who suspect a mental illness must tell the magistrate within 12 hours. An evaluation may follow (CCP 16.22).
• More than one case. A Pearland city charge and a district court felony, for example, are bonded separately.

Ask jail staff at 979-864-2336 to check for holds before you spend a dollar.

Most people have a constitutional right to bail in Texas. Sections 11 through 11c of article I list the older, narrow exceptions: capital cases with strong proof, certain repeat felonies, and breaking bond terms or a protective order.

Texans voted in November 2025 to add §11d through Proposition 3. It covers a short list of grave charges. Murder and capital murder are on it. So are two sex crimes: indecency with a child, and aggravated sexual assault. The list also names aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping and trafficking, plus aggravated assault that hurt someone badly or involved a weapon. The request for a no-bail hearing can come only from the prosecutor. To win on flight risk, the state needs a preponderance of evidence. To win on danger, it needs clear and convincing proof. If it wins either, bail is denied. Should the judge set bail anyway, written findings explaining that choice are required.

Senate Bill 9 (2025) adds two more prosecutor options. For felonies, a district judge can be asked to review the bail (CCP 17.029). For certain violent charges, prosecutors may appeal a bail they call too low, and the defendant stays jailed until the higher court decides (CCP 44.01). The county District Attorney's Office makes these requests. The county switchboard at 979-849-5711 can connect you.

To lower bail, the defense lawyer files a written request and the court sets a hearing. Helpful steps:

1. Gather proof of work and housing, such as recent pay stubs or a lease, plus letters from family nearby.
2. Be honest about what can be paid. A person who can't afford bail on a Class B or higher charge may file a sworn statement and is owed a prompt review (CCP 17.028).
3. Suggest safeguards, like a GPS unit or alcohol checks, that answer the judge's concern.

Texas also puts the state on a clock (CCP 17.151). When prosecutors are not ready for trial by the deadline, release must follow on a personal bond or on reduced bail. Deadlines by charge:

• felony: 90 days in jail;
• misdemeanor that can bring more than 180 days: 30 days;
• smaller jailable misdemeanor: 15 days;
• fine-only charge: 5 days.

Some exceptions apply. The District Clerk's criminal office takes felony filings at 979-864-1189.

Yes. Appointed lawyers here come through a rotation, not a public defender office. The county's Office of Indigent Defense screens each request. Then the next lawyer on the felony, misdemeanor or juvenile list gets the case, according to the state review. The Indigent Defense Department answers at 979-864-1683.

• In custody: say "I want a lawyer" to the magistrate and complete the affidavit of indigence, which is a sworn list of income and bills. Staff email it to Indigent Defense.
• Out on bond: phone the office and book an interview well before the first court date.
• The court weighs income, debts and dependents. The fact that bail was posted can't by itself rule someone out (CCP 26.04).
• Once named, an appointed lawyer has one working day to make a real try at contacting the client (CCP 26.04(j)(1)).

A 2022 review noted that people found partly able to pay could owe $250 on a felony and $100 on a misdemeanor. Read the local plan on the state plan site.

Felony files are kept by the District Clerk's Criminal Department, at the Brazoria County Courthouse, 237 E. Locust Street, Suite 206, Angleton, TX 77515, 979-864-1189. That office lists five district courts:

• 149th District Court: 979-864-1261
• 239th District Court: 979-864-1256
• 300th District Court: 979-864-1227
• 412th District Court: 979-864-1915
• 461st District Court: 979-864-1205

Misdemeanors that carry possible jail time (Class A and B) go before the county's misdemeanor courts, and the County Clerk keeps those records. Fine-only Class C tickets land in one of the eight justice courts or a city municipal court. The county operator at 979-849-5711 can steer you to the right one.

Article 17.02 sends cash bail back to the name on the receipt once its conditions are satisfied. Should the case end with deferred adjudication or a conviction, the clerk can keep 5%, up to $50. The court may also take unpaid fines and court costs out of the deposit (CCP 17.53). Guard that receipt.

A no-show puts the bond at risk. The court enters a judgment nisi, the first step toward keeping the money (CCP 22.02). The bondsman is released if the accused returns to custody inside 180 days on a misdemeanor case, or 270 days when the charge is a felony (CCP 22.13). Bail jumping, meaning skipping court on purpose, is its own crime (PC 38.10).

On felony refunds, call the District Clerk at 979-864-1189. Whatever you paid a bondsman as a fee stays with that company.

Property bagged at booking and money left on the jail account are released at the jail, 3602 County Road 45, Angleton, TX 77515, 979-864-2336. Raise these points with staff:

• How is a leftover balance returned when someone walks out?
• Can a family member pick up clothes or keys for someone still inside, and what signed permission is needed?
• Which hours does property pickup run?

Bring ID. More on balances is on our jail account money page.

Federal charges from here go to the Southern District of Texas, Galveston Division. Its clerk works at the United States Post Office and Courthouse, 601 Rosenberg, Room 411, Galveston, TX 77550, 409-766-3530.

• A federal magistrate judge holds the first hearing and rules on release or detention. A short delay, usually no more than a few days, can be granted when a side asks (18 U.S.C. 3142).
• Federal court does not use bondsmen. The judge sets conditions.
• The U.S. Marshals Service keeps pretrial federal prisoners. Its Galveston office is at 601 Rosenberg Street, Suite 502, Galveston, TX 77550, 409-766-3771. Ask which jail is holding the person.
• Once sentenced, people show up in the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator.

No. ICE holds follow their own rules, apart from any state bond:

1. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodges a Form I-247A request at the jail on County Road 45.
2. The jail can keep the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Texas jails must comply with detainers under the 2017 law known as Senate Bill 4 (CCP 2A.060; GC 752.053). In 2025, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 8, which pushes every Texas county with a jail to apply for a 287(g) agreement before the December 1, 2026 cutoff. The Sheriff's Office at 979-864-2200 can speak to its own status.
4. ICE then takes custody. Its Houston Field Office covers southeast Texas: 126 Northpoint Drive, Houston, TX 77060, 281-774-4816.
5. Look the person up on the ICE Online Detainee Locator, using their name, birth country and either a birth date or an A-number.

A state jail felony sentence runs anywhere from 180 days to two years (PC 12.35), served in a state jail rather than prison. Longer terms for third-degree felonies and above are spent in a state prison unit. People often stay at County Road 45 for a while after sentencing until the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) picks them up for intake, where they are sorted into a fitting unit.

• Search TDCJ's online offender lookup. It searches by TDCJ or SID number, or by last name with a first initial.
• Our Texas prisons directory describes the units.

Texas juvenile court hears cases against kids who were somewhere from 10 to 16 years old when the alleged offense took place (FC 51.02). A 17-year-old goes through adult court. Police must tell a parent promptly (FC 52.02).

A child who isn't released may stay at the Brazoria County Juvenile Detention Center. State inspectors list its capacity at 78. Within two working days a judge reviews whether the child stays locked up, and a lawyer is named first (FC 54.01). Adult bail rules don't apply the same way.

Reach the Juvenile Justice Department, 20875 County Road 171, Angleton, TX 77515, at 979-864-1210. From the northern part of the county, try 281-756-1210.