Kerr County Juvenile Facility Inmate Bail & Bonds

A magistrate who works in the jail itself. The county's Magistrate Court is housed in the Clearwater Paseo building and keeps weekday hours, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., closed on holidays. Texas allows at most 48 hours between an arrest and that appearance, and the magistrate may appear on video (Code of Criminal Procedure art. 15.17).

This hearing is short but busy. The charge is read. The person learns they may keep quiet, hire a lawyer, stop being questioned at any point and demand an examining trial. Bond figures, bond types and bond conditions are discussed, along with lawyer options, including counsel at county expense. Family members may watch from the jail's visitation lobby, where a TV screen shows the hearing.

Bail itself is due within that same 48 hours. Texas wants it set for the individual, with conditions no heavier than needed (art. 17.028). Before naming a figure in a Class B or higher case, the magistrate looks over a safety report listing past arrests and convictions. Since the 2021 Damon Allen Act, the report offers neither a risk score nor a dollar figure (art. 17.022).

The statute recognizes two broad kinds of bail, a bail bond and a personal bond (Code of Criminal Procedure art. 17.01). In practice, Kerrville families run into three.

• Cash. Someone deposits the whole figure with the court. That money is repaid at the end of the case, minus fees the law permits.
• Surety. A bail bond company holding a license from this county's board stands behind the full amount. What you pay the company is its fee, and it keeps it.
• Personal. The accused signs and promises to appear. No money moves that day, yet conditions are almost always attached.

Conditions can be a curfew, a GPS ankle unit or a ban on contact. A device that blocks a car from starting after drinking must be part of the bond for a second DWI and some other alcohol cases (art. 17.441).

A signature alone won't do for every charge. Violent offenses on the state list are excluded. So are a felon caught armed and some breaches of protective orders, a list that S.B. 9 made longer in 2025. The trial court alone can approve a personal bond in burglary cases, organized crime cases and certain drug felony cases (art. 17.03).

Until the magistrate rules, no one can say. Texas has no single statewide price list, and every bond is fitted to one defendant. For the figure in your case, call the jail's clerks at 830-896-1257, the step the magistrate court itself recommends.

Article 17.15 hands the magistrate a set of factors:

• Return to court: big enough to make showing up likely.
• No oppression: bail can never be a weapon.
• The offense: its nature and any violence.
• Means: the defendant's actual finances.
• Safety: for the victim, police and neighbors.
• History: prior record plus the safety report.
• Citizenship: whether the person is a citizen.

Then there are deadlines for warrantless arrests in which probable cause is decided too slowly. Misdemeanor: out by the 24th hour, bond no more than $5,000. Felony: out by the 48th hour, bond no more than $10,000. Someone short of the money walks out on a personal bond. The state can stretch that wait by asking a judge for up to 72 more hours (art. 17.033).

Bonds begin with the clerks at 400 Clearwater Paseo, Kerrville, TX 78028. Sheriff's administration is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Work through this list:

1. Call 830-896-1257. Ask for a jail clerk.
2. Give the full name and birthday, and find out whether magistration is done.
3. Write each charge down beside its dollar amount and the kind of bond set.
4. Ask where bonds are taken, when that window is open, and whether a money order or cashier's check is required instead of cash.
5. Planning to hire a bondsman? Choose a company the county bail bond board has licensed. The County Treasurer chairs that board, 830-792-2276.
6. Bring photo ID and hang on to receipts. Refunds of a cash bond follow the name on the receipt.

Look for the visitation lobby door on the building's right side, next to the Precinct 2 justice court office. Release paperwork can take hours, and on family violence charges the jail must wait four more hours after bond is posted (art. 17.291).

When the person is still in the jail, deal with the jail clerks. Courts come into play for a bond on a warrant or for fines owed later. The July 2026 flood moved several offices, so phone before you drive.

• District Clerk (felony files): Suite 236, 700 Main Street, Kerrville, TX 78028, 830-792-2281, weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Payments by phone go to 830-792-2205; ask if a cash bond can go through there.
• County Court at Law (misdemeanors): its page shows Suite 123, 700 Main Street, Kerrville, TX 78028, 830-792-2207, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The County Clerk holds the files.
• Kerrville Municipal Court (city citations): 365 Clearwater Paseo, Suite 100, Kerrville, TX 78028, 830-257-2388. Citations can be paid on the city court's online payment site, by phone, by mail or in person, where cash is fine.

A fine-only Class C case is small. In a justice or city court, the person usually goes home on a personal bond (art. 45A.107).

Methods can change, so quiz the jail clerk before setting out. Ask how a cashier's check or money order should be filled in. Do not mail cash.

• The front-lobby kiosk at the Sheriff's Office loads inmate accounts, not bonds. Its add-on fees are $3.25 for cash and 10% for cards.
• Kerrville's city court accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express, as well as mailed checks and money orders.
• A bondsman's fee belongs to the company. Get paper proof each time you hand over money or property; state law requires the bondsman to give it (Occupations Code 1704.305).

Carry a government photo ID and the booking details, and note the clerk behind each answer.

A local board. The county's bail bond board was created December 4, 2002, under the clause that allows smaller counties to opt in (Occupations Code 1704.052). It grants and supervises licenses for bail bond companies. A company without its license may not bond anyone out of this jail.

• The County Treasurer serves as chair. Ask 830-792-2276 which companies hold licenses now.
• Board rules and a complaint form are linked from the bail bond board page.
• It meets four times a year; January 27, 2027 is the next date.

Under state law, premiums are uncapped and bondsmen may not drum up business in a jail. Want your collateral back? Ask in writing once the case is closed, and a 30-day clock starts for the bondsman. Under Occupations Code 1704.163, 1704.301 and 1704.304, a defense attorney who is on record in the case may also post bond. Before surrendering a client, a surety must alert the defense lawyer and file an affidavit (art. 17.19).

Each bond answers for a single case. Ask the jail at 830-896-1257 to name every hold before paying. Frequent ones:

• Warrant from another county. Local magistrates can accept bond for another county's warrant, then forward it there (art. 15.18), but check first.
• Blue warrant. Issued by the state parole board (Gov't Code 508.254), it can hold someone until the parole hearing.
• Probation. A probation warrant is a separate case before its own judge.
• ICE. Article 2A.060 tells Texas jails to honor a detainer, except where the person proves they are here lawfully.
• Family violence. Since 2025, a four-hour hold after bond is a must when more violence is likely. A magistrate's written order can lengthen it, up to 48 hours in total (art. 17.291).
• Federal charges. Covered in the federal answer.

The state constitution's starting point is a yes. Almost every accused person can get bail. Capital cases with evident proof were the first exception (Tex. Const. art. I, §11). Later amendments (Tex. Const. art. I, §§11a-11c) added no-bail hearings for three groups. These are some people with felony records or pending felony charges, people who break safety conditions, and protective order violators.

Proposition 3 from the November 4, 2025 election created section 11d of the constitution's Bill of Rights. It covers the gravest violent and sex crimes. The list names murder, capital murder and trafficking. It adds indecency with a child, plus kidnapping, robbery and sexual assault charged as aggravated offenses. Aggravated assault is on it when someone is badly hurt or a gun, club, knife or explosive was used. The prosecution must prove at a hearing that the person is likely to flee, using the lower standard of proof, or that the person endangers others, which requires clear and convincing proof. Then the judge has to deny bail. This process belongs to prosecutors alone. Any judge who still allows bail owes written findings.

S.B. 9, another 2025 change, gave prosecutors two more tools: a second look at felony bail by a district judge, and the right to appeal what they view as an unusually low bail in listed violent cases (arts. 17.029, 44.01). Felony prosecutors here are the 216th District Attorney, Suite 400, 402 Clearwater Paseo, Kerrville, TX 78028, 830-896-4744, open weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the 198th District Attorney in that same annex. The County Attorney, 830-792-2220, prosecutes misdemeanors; its listed office is Suite BA103, 700 Main Street, Kerrville, TX 78028, though flood work moved basement offices out, so call first.

Often. Bail meant to crush someone is illegal in Texas, and the court must count the person's ability to pay (art. 17.15). A typical path:

1. During magistration, the person describes their income and debts and requests appointed counsel.
2. Defense counsel files a motion with the trial court to reduce bond.
3. Relatives round up paychecks, rental papers, and evidence of family ties here and of what they could afford.
4. The defense suggests safeguards, such as a monitor or an interlock, to ease the court's concerns.

The calendar helps too. While prosecutors are not ready for trial, a jailed defendant is owed release, on personal bond or at a lower bail, once time runs out. The release clock is 5 days for a fine-only offense. It stretches to 15 days for a Class B misdemeanor, 30 days for a Class A and 90 days for any felony, with exceptions (art. 17.151).

Questions on a misdemeanor case: County Court at Law, 830-792-2207. On a felony: the district courts' office, 830-792-2290.

The Hill Country Regional Public Defender's Office handles appointed cases here and in Bandera, Gillespie, Kendall and Medina counties. It works from the Allie Burton Annex, 550 Earl Garrett Street, Kerrville, TX 78028, 830-315-2788. Texas gives such an office priority when lawyers are appointed (Code of Criminal Procedure art. 26.04).

• Ask at magistration. The magistrate helps with the request form.
• That form reaches the appointing authority within 24 hours. Because this is a smaller county, counsel must be named by close of the third working day (art. 1.051).
• The appointed lawyer then has one more working day to try making contact.
• Local procedures appear in the county's prompt magistration plan and its indigent defense plans.

Oversight of those plans rests with the Texas Indigent Defense Commission, 209 West 14th Street, Room 202, Austin, TX 78701, 512-936-6994.

The July 2026 flood closed the courthouse at 700 Main Street, Kerrville, TX 78028, and its offices spread across town. Several came back by late summer, with public access held to the first floor and offices that had officially reopened. Phone before every trip.

• 198th and 216th District Courts (felonies): second floor, 700 Main Street, Kerrville, TX 78028, 830-792-2290. The District Clerk has returned to Suite 236, 830-792-2281.
• County Court at Law, for jailable misdemeanors: its page gives Suite 123, 700 Main Street, Kerrville, TX 78028, 830-792-2207. A July county notice listed it at 3501 Legion Drive, Kerrville, TX 78028, so ask where court meets.
• Justice of the Peace 1: listed at Room 102, 700 Main Street, Kerrville, TX 78028, 830-792-2230.
• Justice of the Peace 2: in the jail building, 400 Clearwater Paseo, Kerrville, TX 78028.
• Justice of the Peace 3: Allie Burton Annex, 550 Earl Garrett Street, Kerrville, TX 78028.
• Justice of the Peace 4: West Kerr Annex, 510 College Street, Ingram, TX 78025, 830-367-3663.
• Kerrville Municipal Court: 365 Clearwater Paseo, Suite 100, Kerrville, TX 78028, 830-257-2388.
• Federal court: 262 West Nueva Street, Room 1-400, San Antonio, TX 78207, 210-472-6550.

For today's phone numbers at the second and third justice courts, call the Sheriff's Office, 830-896-1216.

Once the bond has served its purpose, cash bail goes back to whoever holds the receipt, minus any fee the law allows (art. 17.02). The clerk's fee is 5%, never more than $50, and it may be taken only once a judge has found guilt or ordered deferred adjudication, as Local Gov't Code 117.055 allows. The deposit can be used for the defendant's fines and court costs too, under article 17.53. A plain-language money bond explainer comes from the state courts.

Skipping a court date is costly. The judge's first step toward taking the bond is a ruling called a judgment nisi. The bondsman is excused, says art. 22.13, when the runaway is back in custody in time. There is a 180-day window for misdemeanor cases and a 270-day window for felonies. Skipping court also creates a new offense under Penal Code 38.10, called bail jumping. Its level depends on the skipped case. Missing a felony date is a third-degree felony; missing a jailable misdemeanor date is a Class A; and missing a fine-only date is a Class C.

Bondsman fees never come back. For a felony cash refund, ask the District Clerk, 830-792-2281; for a misdemeanor, ask the County Court at Law, 830-792-2207.

Sort out money and personal items before the person exits the jail at 400 Clearwater Paseo, Kerrville, TX 78028. By jail rule, an account balance goes only to the inmate, never to a relative acting for them.

Phone 830-896-1257 and ask how the leftover balance is handed over at release and when stored property may be collected. If you're fetching items for a person still in custody, find out what signed release the jail requires. Bring photo ID.

For deposits during a stay, read our inmate money page; for store purchases, read our commissary page.

San Antonio hosts federal cases from this county, in the Western District of Texas's San Antonio Division. Its clerk's office: 262 West Nueva Street, Room 1-400, San Antonio, TX 78207, 210-472-6550.

• At the first appearance, in most cases, a U.S. magistrate judge decides between release on conditions and detention. A short continuance may be asked for (18 U.S.C. 3142).
• No bondsmen work in federal court. The choice is conditions of release or detention.
• Pretrial federal prisoners are in the Marshals' custody. Their San Antonio office: 262 West Nueva Street, Room 2-300, San Antonio, TX 78207, 210-332-6800. Its deputies track which jail houses each federal prisoner.
• For appointed counsel in federal court, the Federal Public Defender keeps an office at 300 Convent Street, Room 2300, San Antonio, TX 78205, 210-472-6700.
• Sentenced federal prisoners appear in the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

The detainer stays. A bond resolves only the state's claim; ICE's hold rests on federal authority. Here is how it usually unfolds:

1. Agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement send the jail their Form I-247A detainer.
2. With that form, jailers may hold the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released, waiting for agents (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. State law obliges Texas jails to honor detainers (art. 2A.060). Proving lawful status gets a person released from the hold. A separate 2017 law, now Government Code 752.053, means no city or county may set rules that hamper immigration enforcement.
4. Sheriffs face a deadline too. Under S.B. 8 (2025), the cutoff is December 1, 2026 for each jail-operating Texas county to sign on to ICE's 287(g) program through an agreement. Kerr's status? Ask the Sheriff's Office at 830-896-1216.
5. The nearest ICE field office: 3523 Crosspoint Drive, San Antonio, TX 78217, 210-564-3300.
6. Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator. An A-number works best; without it, try the full name plus the birth country.

Two tracks exist for long sentences in Texas. The lighter one covers state jail felonies, which carry 180 days minimum and two years maximum in a state jail instead of a prison (Penal Code 12.35). The heavier track, for third-, second- and first-degree felonies, leads into the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, with ranges set by Penal Code 12.32-12.34.

Until state transport comes, a sentenced person usually waits in the Clearwater Paseo jail. TDCJ then runs intake and picks a fitting unit.

• Search TDCJ's online inmate search. It accepts a TDCJ number or SID number, or try the last name with the first initial.
• Read about each facility on our Texas state prisons page.

A plea deal can change where time is served, so ask the defense lawyer to walk you through any offer.

Texas juvenile court covers conduct by a child aged 10 to 16. Age is measured at the time of the alleged act. A person who was already 17 is prosecuted in adult court and jailed with adults (Family Code 51.02). Children don't post bail. A detention hearing settles whether the child goes home.

• Officers owe a parent or guardian prompt notice and a reason (Family Code 52.02).
• The timing rules sit in Family Code 54.01. First a lawyer is appointed. The detention hearing then follows by the second working day after custody begins, or the next working day for a youth picked up on Friday or Saturday.
• Youths of 14 or 15 accused of some serious felonies can be transferred to adult court (Family Code 54.02).

Your best contact is the county's Juvenile Probation Department, 3501 Legion Drive, Kerrville, TX 78028, 830-896-9013, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., open through lunch. They can tell you which facility has your child and the hearing time. The state agency is the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, 1711 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX 78701, 512-490-7130.