Williamson County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

A magistrate makes that call. Here, magistrate hearings happen inside the county jail seven days a week, every day of the year. Four associate judges take turns as the magistrates. At the hearing the magistrate reads the charges and rights, sets the bail amount and any conditions, and can sign an emergency protective order. The Magistrate's Office is at 405 Martin Luther King Street, Georgetown, TX 78626, 512-943-1377.

Texas law sets the clock. Each person arrested must go before a magistrate within 48 hours, face to face or by video (Code of Criminal Procedure arts. 14.06, 15.17). A ruling on bail must come within that same window. It must fit the person, using the lightest terms that will work (art. 17.028). For a Class B charge or higher, the magistrate must review a public safety report first, covering past cases and missed court dates. The report never scores risk or proposes a dollar figure (arts. 17.021, 17.022).

The magistrate also offers help applying for an appointed lawyer, form and all. Jail staff who see signs of mental illness have 12 hours to report it to the magistrate (art. 16.22).

The county's Pretrial Services pages name three ways out: cash, surety and personal bonds. State law groups them as a bail bond or a personal bond (arts. 17.01, 17.02, 17.03).

• Cash bond. A relative or friend pays the full figure in money. It is paid back, less any fee, once the bond terms are met.
• Surety bond. For a fee, a board-licensed bondsman stands behind the full figure in court. The bondsman keeps the fee you pay.
• Personal bond. No money is due at the start. The person signs a promise to return. The county charges an administrative fee of 3% of the bond amount when one is granted.
• Release with a court date. For fine-only Class C cases, a magistrate can free the person on a signed promise to show up on a set day, with no bond at all (art. 15.17).

Charges that are not violent are looked at for a personal bond on their own. In other cases a lawyer must ask: the magistrate for a misdemeanor, or the assigned felony judge for a felony. Only a judge can say yes. See the county's personal bond page for details.

Texas rules out a personal bond for violent crimes on the state's list, for felons caught with a gun, for terroristic threats at Class A level or higher, and for certain protective order violations. It is also barred for someone already on bail, parole or probation for a violent crime who gets a new charge. Burglary, organized crime and some drug felonies need the trial court's own OK for one (art. 17.03). The statewide bail law guide lays out these statewide rules in more depth.

Bail here is decided case by case, and the figure can differ a lot between two people facing the same charge. Texas has no statewide bail chart. A local schedule is allowed, but a magistrate can't use it to skip the steps the law requires (art. 17.028). Under art. 17.15 the magistrate weighs:

• whether the amount is enough to bring the person back to court
• a ban on using bail to oppress someone
• the details of the charge, including any violence
• the person's real ability to pay
• how safe the victim, officers and the community will be
• criminal history, pending charges and any record of skipping court
• citizenship status

One rule does use dollar figures. Picture a warrantless arrest where probable cause still hasn't been ruled on when the clock runs out. Then release is due within 24 hours for a misdemeanor, with bond capped at $5,000, or within 48 hours for a felony, with bond capped at $10,000. A personal bond replaces it for anyone too poor to pay. Prosecutors may seek a delay of up to 72 hours (art. 17.033).

To hear the amount set for your person, ring the jail at 512-943-1365 after the magistrate hearing. The county's records site also offers a Jail Bond Records search.

Bonds are handled through the jail, whose reception entrance faces 4th Street at the north end of the Sheriff's Office: 306 West 4th Street, Georgetown, TX 78626. Rules on hours and payment can change, so call first. Then go step by step:

1. Ring 512-943-1365. Spell the person's legal name and share their birth date, or read off the SO number from the jail search.
2. Get the bail figure for every charge, and check that the magistrate hearing is over.
3. Ask where cash bonds go today, the hours, and what payment works. Check what to write on the "pay to" line.
4. Find out whether a hold or a second case will keep the person in after the bond posts.
5. For a surety bond, choose a bondsman from the county's licensed list. The bondsman files the bond for you.
6. Bring photo ID. Hold on to the receipt, because refunds are paid to whoever it names.

Staff at the jail who accept bail must check criminal history first, and they may not set the amount in a violent case (arts. 17.20, 17.22). On a felony, release also waits until the magistrate has seen the person and read the safety report (art. 17.21).

City officers, such as Round Rock police, book their arrests into the county jail, so bail is handled there. Not sure who arrested them? Jail staff know. Once a case is filed, bond papers, motions and refunds go through the clerk of the court that has it. Call before you go and ask whether that office can take a bond on your case.

• District Clerk (felonies): 405 Martin Luther King Street, Georgetown, TX 78626, 512-943-1212. Mail goes to P.O. Box 24, Georgetown, TX 78627. Call for business hours.
• County Clerk, court cases (Class A and B misdemeanors): Justice Center, 2nd Floor, 405 Martin Luther King Street, Georgetown, TX 78626, criminal line 512-943-1150. Open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1 (Class C tickets): 1801 E. Old Settlers Blvd., Suite 100, Round Rock, TX 78664, 512-244-8622. Open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with no payments taken after 4 p.m.

In fine-only Class C cases, a personal bond is the usual rule in justice and city courts (art. 45A.107). Bring a photo ID and your case or ticket number to any window.

For a cash bond, Texas means current U.S. money deposited with the court (art. 17.02). Before you leave home, call the jail information line at 512-943-1365. Ask what payment the desk will accept right now. Also ask whose name goes on a money order's payee line. Bring the exact amount if you can.

• Money put on an inmate trust account is not bail. The jail's online, phone and kiosk deposits only fund the person's account. Our inmate money page explains those deposits.
• Never mail cash to the jail or a court.
• Each bondsman picks its own price and plan. Ask for every promise on paper.

For a personal bond, the 3% administrative fee is set when the bond is granted. Ask Pretrial Services about it at 405 Martin Luther King Street, Georgetown, TX 78626, 512-943-3224.

Any Texas county above 110,000 residents needs a bail bond board. It licenses bondsmen and posts the list in the booking area and the criminal courtrooms (Occupations Code ch. 1704). The local board's licensed bondsmen list is dated June 1, 2026, and the county says it is updated monthly. Use only a name from that list.

• Texas puts no cap on a bondsman's fee. Ask the price before you sign, and get a receipt for every payment.
• Bondsmen can't recruit customers in the jail.
• Gave the bondsman a car title or other collateral? Once the case closes, request it back in writing. Thirty days is the legal deadline for its return.
• A lawyer who is already on the case may post a bond too.
• To drop off a bond, a bondsman has to notify the defense lawyer first, plus the prosecutor on a felony, and file a sworn statement (art. 17.19). The person may then return to jail until a new bond is posted.

Paying one bond clears one case. Before paying, have jail staff list each hold, at 512-943-1365. These come up most:

• Family violence. Where further abuse looks likely to the magistrate, the person stays at least 4 more hours after bond. A written order can add up to 48 hours (art. 17.291). The magistrate may also issue an emergency protective order that lasts 61 to 91 days, or longer in weapon or serious injury cases (art. 17.292).
• Another county's warrant. Bail on it may be taken here, and the bond is then sent on to that county (art. 15.18).
• A new felony during felony bail. Only the court with the first case, or one it names, may set release (art. 17.027).
• Parole. A person held on a parole "blue warrant" stays in until the violation hearing (Government Code 508.254).
• An immigration hold. The ICE answer further down explains it.
• DWI terms. The county may order an ignition interlock on a DWI bond. Sometimes an alcohol monitor is used instead. Texas requires the device in some cases (art. 17.441). These are a repeat DWI, a DWI with a passenger under 15, intoxication assault and intoxication manslaughter.

Someone on adult probation here can call the probation department, 301 S.E. Inner Loop, Suite 101, Georgetown, TX 78626, 512-943-3500.

Bail is guaranteed by the state constitution for nearly all defendants. Capital cases are the main exception, when guilt is plainly shown (Tex. Const. art. I, §11). Beyond that, after a hearing, a district judge can refuse bail in a handful of other situations. These include some repeat felonies, a felony while on felony bail, a broken safety condition, or a broken family violence order (art. I, §§11a, 11b, 11c).

In November 2025, Texans passed Proposition 3, which added art. I, §11d. The list: trafficking, aggravated robbery, murder, capital murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault involving a weapon or serious injury, and indecency with a child. For these charges, a judge has to deny bail if the state proves at a hearing that release would risk flight or danger. That request can come only from the prosecutor. When a judge allows bail anyway, written reasons are required.

Since September 2025, prosecutors can have a district judge look again at a felony bail. They may also appeal a bail they consider too low in listed violent cases. While that appeal runs, the person stays locked up (art. 17.029, art. 44.01). Two prosecutor offices bring such challenges here:

• District Attorney (felonies): 405 M.L.K. Street, Suite 265, Georgetown, TX 78626, 512-943-1234
• County Attorney (misdemeanors): 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Street, Suite 229, Georgetown, TX 78626, 512-943-1111

Bail and its rules can be changed by the court handling the case. A defense lawyer usually files a written request. These steps help:

1. Gather proof the person is rooted here, such as a steady job, a lease or deed in the area and relatives close at hand, plus a figure the family can afford. The law says bail can't be a tool of oppression and must weigh what the person can pay (art. 17.15).
2. Ask the lawyer about a personal bond. For a misdemeanor the request goes to the magistrate, and for a felony to the assigned judge.
3. Offer conditions that answer the court's safety or flight worries, such as alcohol monitoring or a stay-away order.
4. Watch the calendar. If the state still can't announce ready for trial by a deadline, the jailed person is owed release on personal bond or a reduced bail. The limits: felony, 90 days; most Class A cases, 30 days; Class B, 15 days; Class C, 5 days. Some exceptions apply (art. 17.151).

To change an emergency protective order, file a motion with the District Clerk for a felony, 512-943-1212, or the County Clerk for a misdemeanor, 512-943-1150. Both work from the Justice Center, 405 Martin Luther King Street, Georgetown, TX 78626.

Anyone who can't afford to hire one. At the jail hearing, the magistrate covers how to apply and assists with the form. Within 24 hours, that request goes to the authority that appoints lawyers (art. 15.17). Because this county has 752,827 people (Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025), the deadline is short: one working day after the request comes in (art. 1.051). After appointment, the lawyer has one more working day to try to contact the person (art. 26.04).

Here, appointments run through Pretrial Services, 405 Martin Luther King Street, Georgetown, TX 78626, 512-943-3224. Its staff support the magistrate court and handle indigent defense appointments.

• The judge looks at pay, savings, debts and dependents. Making bail alone can't sink the request (art. 26.04).
• Each county files a written plan for picking lawyers. Read this county's on the state's indigent defense plan page.
• The state agency that oversees the plans is the Texas Indigent Defense Commission, 209 West 14th Street, Room 202, Austin, TX 78701, 512-936-6994.

Nearly every adult criminal case lands in the Justice Center, 405 Martin Luther King Street, Georgetown, TX 78626. It is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The public door is at 4th Street and Martin Luther King Street.

• District courts (felonies), with the District Clerk at 512-943-1212: 26th, 512-943-1226; 277th, 512-943-1277; 368th, 512-943-1368; 395th, 512-943-1395; 425th, 512-943-3380; and the 512th, reached through the clerk. The 480th District Court, 512-943-3620, hears civil, family and child welfare cases.
• County Courts at Law 1 to 5 (Class A and B misdemeanors), with the County Clerk's criminal line at 512-943-1150: No. 1, 512-943-1200; No. 2, 512-943-1410; No. 3, 512-943-1160; No. 4, 512-943-1681; No. 5, 512-943-3671.
• Justice courts (Class C): Precinct 1, 1801 E. Old Settlers Blvd., Suite 100, Round Rock, TX 78664, 512-244-8622; Precinct 2, 350 Discovery Blvd., Suite 204, Cedar Park, TX 78613, 512-260-4210; Precinct 3, 100 Wilco Way, Suite 204, Georgetown, TX 78626, 512-943-1501; Precinct 4, 211 W. 6th Street, Taylor, TX 76574, 512-352-4155.
• Federal court: Austin Division, 501 West Fifth Street, Suite 1100, Austin, TX 78701, 512-916-5896.

Cities like Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, Hutto and Taylor run municipal courts for city tickets. The ticket shows that court's address. Liberty Hill's court sits at 2801 RR 1869, Liberty Hill, TX 78642.

When the bond's conditions are satisfied, the cash goes to whoever the receipt names, less any fee (art. 17.02). A fee of 5%, up to $50, may be kept by the clerk. Only a conviction or a deferred adjudication outcome permits that charge. Cash on deposit can also be used to pay the person's fines and costs (art. 17.53; Local Government Code 117.055). Fees paid to a bondsman stay with the bondsman.

Skipping a hearing puts the bond at risk, since the judge may declare it forfeited. A surety escapes paying only if the person is jailed again within the limit: 270 days for a felony, 180 for a misdemeanor (arts. 22.01, 22.02, 22.13). Skipping court can be charged as its own crime, from a Class C up to a felony of the third degree, depending on the original charge (Penal Code 38.10). The County Attorney's civil division handles misdemeanor bond forfeitures, 405 Martin Luther King Jr. Street, Suite 229, Georgetown, TX 78626, 512-943-1111.

Refund questions go to the clerk holding the money: the District Clerk for felonies at 512-943-1212, or the County Clerk for misdemeanors at 512-943-1150.

Settle questions about money and property before release day. Call the jail at 512-943-1365. Ask how leftover trust money is refunded, when stored items can be claimed, and if the person must sign before you can claim them. Pickups use the jail reception entrance at 306 West 4th Street, Georgetown, TX 78626.

Bring a photo ID. Things the jail would not let in by mail are stored with the person's property, so ask about those too. For how trust deposits and refunds generally work, see our jail account guide.

Federal charges filed from this area are heard by the federal court's Austin Division, part of the Western District of Texas, at 501 West Fifth Street, Suite 1100, Austin, TX 78701, 512-916-5896.

• Release is decided by a U.S. magistrate judge at a detention hearing. That hearing normally comes at the first appearance, though prosecution or defense can request a few days' postponement (18 U.S.C. 3142).
• The U.S. Marshals Service keeps federal defendants in custody until trial, many times in a local jail under contract. Its Austin office is at 501 West 5th Street, Suite 3300, Austin, TX 78701, 512-916-5393. Call to learn where the person is kept.
• The Federal Public Defender's Austin office is at 504 Lavaca Street, Suite 960, Austin, TX 78701, 512-916-5025.
• Once a federal prison term begins, the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator shows where the person is.

No. A detainer is not part of state bail, so paying bail does not end it. What usually follows:

1. ICE issues Form I-247A, its written ask to hold someone past their release time.
2. Jail staff may hold them up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)), so ICE can collect them.
3. Jails in Texas must comply with a detainer. The exception is a person who shows proof of lawful status (Code of Criminal Procedure art. 2A.060). Since 2017, Government Code 752.053 has barred cities and counties from limiting immigration enforcement. Every jail-running county faces a December 1, 2026 deadline, set in 2025, for joining ICE's 287(g) program. The county's jail FAQ says this jail already takes part in 287(g), with screening done only on people booked into the jail.
4. After ICE collects the person, search the ICE Online Detainee Locator. Type in the A-number. Lacking that, try a full legal name with birth country.
5. No result? Call an ICE field office. The San Antonio Field Office, 3523 Crosspoint Drive, San Antonio, TX 78217, 210-564-3300, covers 36 counties of south central Texas.

Texas sends people with state jail felonies to a state jail, and people with higher felonies to prison (Penal Code 12.31 to 12.35). Most people stay in the Georgetown jail after sentencing until the state picks them up. Intake staff then review each new arrival and assign a unit that fits.

• The TDCJ inmate search finds people by TDCJ number, or by last name plus a first initial. Its records lag by at least a day and update on working days.
• For each unit's visiting, mail and money rules, see our Texas state prisons page.

Texas treats people 10 to 16 as juveniles (Family Code 51.02). From 17 on, a person is tried as an adult. Officers must tell a parent promptly (52.02). Youths are not given bail at the jail. Within two working days of custody, the court holds a detention hearing. A Friday or Saturday arrest moves that deadline up to the first working day. A lawyer is appointed before it (54.01).

Youths here are held at the Juvenile Justice Center, 200 Wilco Way, Georgetown, TX 78626. Call detention at 512-943-3232, or Juvenile Services at 512-943-3200, for the child's location and hearing time.