Galveston County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

A magistrate sets it. Here, Magistrate Court is held inside the jail every day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. A magistrate, a court clerk, a lawyer for the state and a public defender all take part. The county aims to bring each person before a magistrate within 24 hours of arrest. The state's outer limit is 48 hours, set by CCP arts. 14.06 and 15.17.

At that hearing the magistrate will:

• explain what the person is accused of, plus their rights, including silence and a lawyer;
• offer an appointed lawyer at no cost, and help fill in the form for one;
• decide whether there was good reason for the arrest;
• set the bond and any rules that come with it (CCP art. 17.028).

Before deciding on any Class B or higher charge, the magistrate studies a public safety report. It covers past cases, with no score attached and no dollar suggestion (CCP arts. 17.021, 17.022). Phone the Magistrate Court office at the Justice Center, 600 59th Street, Galveston, TX 77551, 409-766-2556. Staff answer from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, holidays too.

Bail comes in two families under Texas law (CCP art. 17.01): bonds backed by money and bonds backed by a promise. Locally, that means three choices:

• Personal bond. Nobody pays money to get out. A signed pledge to appear and obey the terms is enough (CCP art. 17.03). The county's Personal Bond Office may keep tabs on the person while the case is open.
• Surety bond. For a fee, a county-licensed bondsman backs the full amount in writing.
• Cash bond. A family member or friend puts down every dollar of the bond. The money is held, then returned if every court date and term is kept (CCP art. 17.02).

A personal bond is barred for listed violent offenses. It is also barred for Class A-and-up terroristic threat charges, for violating some protective orders, and when a convicted felon is caught with a firearm. A person already on bond, parole or probation in a violent case who is arrested again is barred too. Only the trial court, not the jail magistrate, can grant one on a burglary, an organized crime count or certain drug felony charges (CCP art. 17.03).

Terms can be added. On a second DWI, or a DWI with a child riding along, the bond requires a breath-test lock on the car, called an ignition interlock (CCP art. 17.441). For a wider look at the state rules, visit our Texas bail laws page.

No Texas table fixes a bail price. A magistrate sizes every bond case by case, and a local chart can never replace that choice (CCP art. 17.028). So there is no sure dollar amount for a DWI, a theft or an assault.

The magistrate must weigh these things (CCP art. 17.15):

• a sum that makes a return to court likely;
• bail that is not used to punish or oppress;
• the charge and what happened;
• what the person can afford to pay;
• the safety of the victim, the police and the public;
• past arrests, missed court dates and citizenship status.

State law does fix two dollar caps. Say police made an arrest with no warrant, and no one ruled on good reason in time. Then a misdemeanor bond tops out at $5,000 and a felony bond at $10,000, and a person who still can't pay is let out on a personal bond (CCP art. 17.033). Statewide bail forms are explained on the Texas courts' bail page. For the amount in your person's case, call the jail at 409-766-2315.

The Sheriff's Office gives families two choices. You can pay the whole bond yourself, or you can hire a bail bondsman. Follow these steps:

1. Wait until a magistrate has set the bond. No bond can be posted before that.
2. Call 409-766-2315. Get the amount for every charge and find out what forms of money the bond desk will take.
3. If you use a bondsman, pick one yourself. Staff at the jail can't steer you to any company.
4. Head to 5700 Avenue H, Galveston, TX 77551 with your photo ID and the money. Get a receipt and keep it safe.
5. Expect a wait. The person joins the release line only after every payment and form is done. Officers check the paperwork and the person's identity once more before the door opens.

A notice with the first court date is mailed after the bond is received. Parking near the jail is tight, and cars left outside the marked spaces can be ticketed or towed.

Yes, for a personal bond. The county's Personal Bond Office, also called Pretrial Court Services, works inside the jail building at 5700 Ball Street, Galveston, TX 77551. Its phone, 409-766-2404, is answered around the clock, holidays included. Here is how it works:

1. Staff ask the person to fill out a Financial Affidavit, a sworn form about money and bills.
2. They also run a short pretrial check and send both to the magistrate.
3. The magistrate may then grant a personal bond, add rules watched by the office, or set a cash or surety bond instead.
4. Call the office to ask if your person has been screened and what rules apply.

A person held on another county's warrant can see a magistrate here, who may take bail and mail the bond on to the county where the warrant started (CCP art. 15.18). These bonds can take a while to reach the other court. For a city ticket only, call the city police department that wrote it to ask which court has it.

Payment rules can change, so call the jail at 409-766-2315 before you leave home. Ask these questions:

• Which forms of payment does the bond desk accept today?
• Who should a cashier's check or money order be made out to?
• Does the amount you were told cover every charge and every case?

Refunds go to whoever is named on the bond receipt, so choose that name with care (CCP art. 17.02). A bondsman's fee is a different thing. That money pays for the bondsman's promise, and you won't get it back. Any bondsman has to hand you a written receipt for cash or things of value you give them (Tex. Occ. Code 1704.305). Never mail cash to the jail.

A county Bail Bond Board oversees bondsmen here, as state law requires once a county passes 110,000 residents. The board licenses every bondsman who writes bonds here, and no one may act as one without that license (Tex. Occ. Code 1704.051, 1704.151). Its list of licensed bondsmen must hang in every criminal courtroom and in the booking area (Tex. Occ. Code 1704.105, 1704.107).

• State law sets no limit on a bondsman's fee. Get the price and the payment plan in writing.
• Bondsmen may not look for customers inside the jail, and officials may not recommend one (Tex. Occ. Code 1704.304).
• Once all the cases close, ask in writing for your collateral, such as a truck title. It is due back within 30 days (Tex. Occ. Code 1704.301).
• The defense attorney on the case can sign as surety, no bail license needed (Tex. Occ. Code 1704.163).
• A bondsman can drop a bond. First the defense lawyer must be told, and the prosecutor too on a felony. Next comes a sworn affidavit in that case's court file (CCP art. 17.19).

To see the licensed list, ask the jail at 409-766-2315 where it is posted.

Every bond is tied to a single charge. Before you spend a dime, phone the jail at 409-766-2315 and ask staff to read each hold aloud. Watch for these:

• A warrant from another county. That county may need its own bond, and the paperwork can be slow (CCP art. 15.18).
• Probation. A new arrest can bring a motion to revoke probation. The adult probation office is at 409-766-2425.
• A parole blue warrant. A person picked up for breaking parole stays in jail until the parole hearing (Tex. Gov't Code 508.254(c)).
• A family violence charge. If the magistrate thinks the family violence could continue, release waits at least four hours past bond. A written order under CCP art. 17.291(b) can stretch the wait up to 48 hours.
• Immigration or federal detainers. These stay in force after a state bond.

The Criminal District Attorney's Office, 409-766-2355, is the side that would push for no bail or a higher one. Still, nearly everyone in Texas has a right to bail. The main exceptions are:

• A capital murder charge when the proof is strong (Tex. Const. art. I, sec. 11).
• A new felony arrest during release on felony bail, or some repeat felonies (Tex. Const. art. I, sec. 11a).
• Breaking a bond rule meant to keep a victim or the public safe (Tex. Const. art. I, sec. 11b).
• Breaking certain family violence protective orders (Tex. Const. art. I, sec. 11c).

Texas voters said yes to Proposition 3 on November 4, 2025, and it reaches the most serious violent charges. Among them: capital murder, murder, human trafficking, indecency with a child and aggravated robbery, plus kidnapping and sexual assault in their aggravated form. Some aggravated assaults count too. The amendment's words are that bail "shall be denied" once the prosecutor proves one of two things at a hearing (Tex. Const. art. I, sec. 11d):

• the person is more likely than not to skip court; or
• clear and convincing proof shows the person is a danger.

No one but the prosecutor can ask for this. If bail is allowed anyway, the judge must write out findings explaining why. A 2025 law also lets prosecutors have a district judge recheck any felony bail, and in some violent cases the state may appeal the amount (CCP arts. 17.029, 44.01).

The county gives a quick second look. A person who can't post a money bond has a bond review hearing within 12 hours of the first hearing. Help it along with these steps:

1. Tell jail staff and the Personal Bond Office, 409-766-2404, the person can't pay.
2. Make sure the Financial Affidavit is filled out and honest.
3. Gather proof of roots in the area, like a work schedule, a utility bill in the person's name and relatives who can vouch for them.
4. After that, the defense lawyer can file a written motion with the court that has the case.

If prosecutors drag their feet, state law forces relief: a personal bond or a reduced amount for a jailed person. The deadlines run like this (CCP art. 17.151):

• A felony: the state has 90 days.
• A Class A misdemeanor: 30 days.
• A Class B misdemeanor: 15 days.
• A Class C, fine-only case: 5 days.

The law has exceptions. For a felony, the district courts are at 409-770-5230.

A public defender sits in on Magistrate Court at the jail. When the magistrate asks about a lawyer, the person should say yes and finish the form. The request goes to the judges within 24 hours. Because the county has more than 250,000 people, the judges then have until the close of the first working day to appoint counsel (CCP arts. 1.051, 15.17).

• The county also has a Misdemeanor Mental Health Public Defender Office at 722 Moody Avenue, Galveston, TX 77550. It helps people with serious mental illness who face misdemeanor charges.
• In a misdemeanor case, a person can ask the court for 30 more days to hire a lawyer, or sign a pauper's oath to ask for a free one.
• The appointment rules sit in the county's indigent defense plan, which the state commission posts on its plan search page. The Texas Indigent Defense Commission is at 209 West 14th Street, Room 202, Austin, TX 78701, 512-936-6994.

Most criminal cases are run from the Justice Center, 600 59th Street, Galveston, TX 77551. Here is who does what:

• District Clerk (felony files), 600 59th Street, Room 4001, Galveston, TX 77551, 409-766-2424. Open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• District Clerk's mainland office, 174 Calder Road, League City, TX 77573, 281-316-8729. Open weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Three County Courts at Law (Class A and B misdemeanors). Call the coordinators for No. 1 at 409-766-2233, No. 2 at 409-766-2405 or No. 3 at 409-621-7920 to learn the courtroom and docket.
• Justice of the Peace courts. Class C tickets go here, one court per precinct, each with a county web page: the first, second, third and fourth precinct.
• Federal court, United States Post Office and Courthouse, 601 Rosenberg, Room 411, Galveston, TX 77550, 409-766-3530.

The cash goes to whoever's name is printed on the receipt, after the bond's terms are met and minus any fee (CCP art. 17.02). On a misdemeanor here, you ask for it by filing a Motion and Order to withdraw the funds. The clerk sends it to the judge to sign. On a felony, call the District Clerk at 409-766-2424 to ask how.

• The clerk may keep 5 percent, up to $50, and only when the case closes with a conviction or with deferred adjudication (Tex. Loc. Gov't Code 117.055).
• Fines and court costs the person owes can be paid out of the cash (CCP art. 17.53).
• Missing court gives the judge power to declare the bond forfeited in an order called a judgment nisi (CCP arts. 22.01, 22.02).
• The bondsman's debt can be wiped out if the person is locked up again in time: 180 days on a misdemeanor bond, 270 on a felony bond (CCP art. 22.13).
• Skipping court is its own crime too, called bail jumping (Tex. Penal Code 38.10).

Anything carried in at booking, like a wallet, phone or jacket, is stored by the jail until release. Ask about them before release, because the line moves only after all forms are done. Call 409-766-2315 and ask:

• how leftover account funds are refunded;
• when and where you can pick up clothes, keys or a phone;
• whether the person must sign something before you can pick their items up.

Bring a photo ID. Deposits and refunds are explained in our money guide, and what the account can buy is in our commissary page.

Federal court for this county is the Galveston Division of the Southern District of Texas. Its building is the United States Post Office and Courthouse, 601 Rosenberg, Room 411, Galveston, TX 77550, 409-766-3530.

1. At the first appearance, a federal magistrate judge decides between release with conditions and jail until trial. That is called a detention hearing (18 U.S.C. 3142).
2. Until trial, the U.S. Marshals Service holds the person. Its local office is at 601 Rosenberg Street, Suite 502, Galveston, TX 77550, 409-766-3771. Ask that office which lockup is keeping the person.
3. The Federal Public Defender's Houston office, 440 Louisiana Street, Room 1350, Houston, TX 77002-1669, 713-718-4600, represents defendants who can't afford counsel.
4. Once a federal prison term is set, track the person with the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

Yes. An ICE detainer stays in force whatever happens with state bail. How it plays out on Avenue H:

1. ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) asks for the hold on paper, using Form I-247A.
2. On that form, ICE wants the person kept up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released, so officers can come get them (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Under state law, Texas jails must honor the request and tell the person the reason for the hold. Someone who can show U.S. citizenship or legal presence is exempt (CCP art. 2A.060). Under Gov't Code 752.053, no local policy may limit immigration enforcement.
4. Texas also passed S.B. 8 in 2025. Every county that runs a jail faces a December 1, 2026 deadline to ask ICE for a 287(g) agreement. For where this Sheriff's Office stands, call 409-766-2300.
5. ICE's Houston Field Office covers Southeast Texas: 126 Northpoint Drive, Houston, TX 77060, 281-774-4816.
6. Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator. An A-number works best. If you lack it, add their full name and native country.

Once sentenced, the person stays on Avenue H until the state picks them up. State jail felonies mean time in a state jail facility (Tex. Penal Code 12.35). Higher felonies mean prison under TDCJ, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. New arrivals go through intake, where they are checked and sorted, and then go to the unit picked for them.

• Use the TDCJ inmate search. Search by TDCJ number, SID number, or last name and first initial. Results lag by at least a day, and updates happen on business days only.
• For visiting and mail at the state units, read our Texas state prisons page.

Yes. In Texas, children 10 through 16 go to the juvenile system. Texas treats a 17-year-old as a grown-up in criminal cases, so they can be booked into the adult jail (Tex. Fam. Code 51.02). Youths are not given money bail. Within two working days, a detention hearing settles whether the child stays locked up. A lawyer is appointed first (Tex. Fam. Code 54.01).

The county's detention center is the Jerry J. Esmond Juvenile Justice Center in Dickinson, 409-770-5935. It has 29 single rooms. Officers have to notify a parent promptly (Tex. Fam. Code 52.02). Call the center to learn whether the child is there and the hearing time.