Clark County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Search by name on Clark County Inmate Search. For anything the search leaves out, the jail information line, 564-397-4996, is staffed 24 hours a day. Most records about a person in custody are confidential beyond the roster, so ask only for custody status, charges and bail.

Vancouver police and the other police agencies in Clark County book adults at the county jail on West 13th Street. Misdemeanors from Vancouver and Yacolt are heard in Clark County District Court, 210 East 13th Street, 564-397-2424. Battle Ground Municipal Court, 360-342-5150, also hears La Center and Ridgefield cases. Camas-Washougal has its own court at 89 C Street, 564-397-2125.

Washington requires a judge to decide on probable cause within 48 hours of a warrantless arrest, counting weekends and holidays. The first court appearance then happens as soon as practical and no later than the close of business on the next court day. The judge appoints a lawyer if needed, tells the person the charge, and decides release. A court can run this hearing by video.

Take the money to the Clark County Courthouse during normal business hours. District Court offices open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and phones close from noon to 1 p.m. The Superior Court and the clerk are at 1200 Franklin Street, 564-397-2150 and 564-397-2292. Keep the court receipt: it is the proof that gets the person released at the jail.

After the courts close, bail is paid at Clark County Jail Records. Call 564-397-4996 before you drive to confirm the door and the amount. Full bail on every charge must be paid before release, so if the person has bail on two cases, the total is what counts. Have the person's full name and booking details ready.

The county gives these rough times for the main jail: 2 to 4 hours after bail is posted. Someone released by a court between 8 a.m. and noon usually walks out late that afternoon, and a noon-to-5 p.m. release comes in the early evening. A sentence that finishes is processed between 7 and 8 a.m. Night releases go in the order received, and delays happen.

No. People charged with offenses that carry no bail cannot be released before court. The state constitution lets a judge deny bail for offenses that can bring life in prison, but only after a hearing with clear and convincing proof of violent propensity and a finding that no conditions are enough. A domestic violence arrest also means a hold until the person sees a judge.

A judge may release someone to supervision instead of requiring bail. Clark County District Court's Pretrial Release unit is reached at 564-397-4414, and the Probation and Pretrial Services office sits at 1300 Franklin Street, Suite 160, open weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Washington judges start from a promise to appear and use money only when lesser conditions will not work.

A family, friend or bail bond company can pay. Bail bond agents hold a Washington Department of Licensing license, and agents who post surety bonds also need an insurance producer license. Get the fee, any collateral, and the cancellation terms in writing. Check the license with the Department of Licensing at 360-664-6611 before you sign.

The state Supreme Court held in 2014 that the constitution gives a defendant the choice of a surety, which means a bail bond company. A judge may also accept a deposit with the court in place of a full bond. The court must look at the person's finances when it sets a money condition, so a lawyer can argue that the amount is too high.

Under state law, police arrest on probable cause when someone assaults a household member within the past four hours or violates a protection order, and the jail holds the person until a first appearance within one judicial day. At release the judge can order no contact and add weapon limits. A DUI arrest with a prior in the last ten years is held until a judge releases the person.

Request counsel when the judge first sees the person. The Clark County Public Defense Office is at 1300 Franklin Street, Suite 560, and answers at 564-397-2175. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, closed noon to 1 p.m. Phones are staffed only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., so go in person on other days.

Clark County Juvenile Court is at 500 West 11th Street, Vancouver, 564-397-2201, and runs the juvenile detention center. The detention manager's line is 564-397-5110. Juvenile court records are private, so the adult roster will not show a minor. Ask about the detention hearing right away.

Clark County runs a work center at 8101 NE 117th Avenue, 564-397-6045, open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with work crews on Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It serves sentenced work programs. Pay bail at the courthouse or at Jail Records instead, and ask the jail line if you are unsure which applies.

A fresh booking often has no amount until a judge reviews the case at the first appearance. A blank can also mean a no-bail hold or a hold from another agency. Check Clark County Inmate Search again after the hearing, and ask the jail line, 564-397-4996, whether any other case or warrant is attached, because bail on each charge must be paid.

Judges weigh jobs, housing, family ties, years in the community and past court attendance. Send a short list of those facts to the public defender before the hearing, and ask a relative to attend, in person or by video if the court allows it. A relative who can vouch for the person and drive them to every date helps the argument for release without money.

The judge can declare the bond forfeited and issue a warrant. For a surety bond, the court must notify the surety in writing of the unexplained failure to appear within 30 days of the court date, or the forfeiture is void. A bond is forfeited only for missing court, but a new arrest can still bring new charges.

Cash held by the court returns after the case ends, minus any fines and fees a judge orders. A premium paid to a bond company is a fee for the bond, so ask the company in writing whether any part comes back. Ask the clerk at 564-397-2292 how to request a refund once the case closes, and keep your receipt.

Bail is paid only at the courthouse, at Jail Records, or through a licensed bail agent. No office takes gift cards or app transfers, and no one should demand money by text. If a caller says to pay immediately, hang up and dial 564-397-4996.

• County jail: Clark County Jail, 707 West 13th Street, Vancouver, WA 98660; information line 564-397-4996, 24 hours
• Custody lookup: Clark County Inmate Search
• Bail guide: Clark County bail and bond pages
• Courthouse: 1200 Franklin Street, Vancouver, WA 98660; Superior Court 564-397-2150; clerk 564-397-2292
• District Court: 210 East 13th Street, Vancouver, WA 98660; 564-397-2424; pretrial release 564-397-4414
• City courts: Battle Ground 360-342-5150; Camas-Washougal 564-397-2125
• Public defense: Clark County Public Defense, 1300 Franklin Street, Suite 560; 564-397-2175
• Juvenile: Juvenile Court and detention, 500 West 11th Street, Vancouver; 564-397-2201
• County line: 564-397-2000

Clark County hours, release times and payment rules change, and a judge may set an amount that differs from what you expect. Check with the jail line or the courthouse before you hand over cash. Nothing here replaces advice from a lawyer.