Milwaukee County Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds
Milwaukee County bail and bond: the 24-hour window at the Criminal Justice Facility
Adults arrested in Milwaukee County are booked at the Milwaukee County Jail, also called the Criminal Justice Facility, 949 N 9th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233. The county also runs the Community Reintegration Center, 8885 S 68th Street, Franklin, WI 53132, which holds adult men and women. Bail is paid downtown at all hours.
Use the Milwaukee County Inmate Search to learn where your person is. Our Milwaukee County Inmates in Custody page has recent arrests, charges, warrants, mugshots and property.
The jail records line answers at 414-226-7070. Ask which of the two buildings has the person, and how much bail is. For hearings and next steps, see our Milwaukee County court page.
1. Is my relative downtown at the jail or at the center in Franklin?
New arrests go to the Milwaukee County Jail, also called the Criminal Justice Facility, at 949 N 9th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233. It is a Sheriff's Office facility. Search Milwaukee County Inmate Search first to see the booking and the bail.
The Community Reintegration Center, the former House of Correction, is at 8885 S 68th Street, Franklin, WI 53132. It holds adult men and women. Its phone is 414-427-4700. The County Executive appoints its superintendent.
2. Where can bail be posted in the middle of the night?
At the Jail Records office on Level G, the ground floor, of the Criminal Justice Facility. Bail can be posted there 24 hours a day, every day.
People held at the Community Reintegration Center or another county facility are also paid for on Level G. You do not drive to Franklin.
3. What payment methods work, and what are the limits?
Under $10,000, a kiosk on Level G takes cash with no fee, or a credit card with fees. At the window, accepted payments are cash, a cashier's check or money order made out to "Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office," and Visa or MasterCard. A card counts as a cash advance, so your card company may add a fee.
Checks and money orders are accepted only during normal banking hours, because staff call the issuing bank to verify them. A check they cannot verify is refused.
4. What do I need to bring?
A valid picture ID is required from everyone paying in person. A card payer's ID must match the name on the card. Have the defendant's full name and, if you can, the booking or case number from Milwaukee County Inmate Search.
For bail of $10,000 or more, federal rules require IRS Form 8300. You can complete it at the window, and you need a valid Social Security number and a picture ID.
5. Why can't I pay bail online?
Every bail form needs a surety's signature, so Milwaukee does not take bail online. A deposit to the person's commissary account works differently. The money lets the inmate self-bail, and then the inmate, not the payer, is the surety and gets any refund.
If you want your name on the bail so you get the refund, pay at the window. Commissary deposits by phone go through 866-345-1884.
6. Can I hire a bondsman in Milwaukee?
No. Wis. Stat. 969.12 allows only an unpaid person living in Wisconsin to act as a surety, and no surety may be paid for it. Commercial bail bonding is not allowed in Wisconsin, in Milwaukee or anywhere else.
Ignore signs and texts that promise to post bail for a fee. Real bail is paid to the Sheriff's Office or the court, and it is refundable.
7. Who sets bail, and how fast?
A judge, or a court commissioner on misdemeanor warrants, sets it at the first appearance. Wisconsin requires that appearance within a reasonable time, and court decisions require a probable-cause finding within 48 hours of an arrest without a warrant.
The Criminal Division is at the Safety Building, 821 W. State Street, Room 117, open weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 414-278-4538. The Clerk of Circuit Court is at the Courthouse, 901 N 9th Street, Room 104, open to the public 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., phone 414-278-5362.
8. What is pretrial services, and can it free my relative?
JusticePoint runs Milwaukee County Pretrial Services around the clock for people booked into the jail who are eligible for bail. It screens risk using the Public Safety Assessment. It prepares release when the court orders supervision, makes court reminder calls, and runs GPS monitoring watched 24 hours a day. The office is in the Safety Building, Room 417, at 414-278-2140.
A judge decides who gets supervision, case by case. Wisconsin courts may not require it for every defendant.
9. Can the judge let the person go with no money?
Yes. A judge can release a person with no bail, or on an unsecured appearance bond, a signed promise to pay if the terms are broken. The judge can add conditions such as staying away from named people or wearing a monitor.
Money bail may be imposed only after a finding that it is needed to make sure the person returns, or, for a violent crime, under the totality of the circumstances.
10. Can Milwaukee set misdemeanor bail above the maximum fine?
A misdemeanor bail cannot exceed the highest fine the law sets for that offense. State schedules cover traffic and misdemeanor matters and change each year.
No statewide price list exists for felonies. The judge weighs ability to pay, the charge, prior record, community ties, and the strength of the evidence.
11. How does a domestic abuse arrest change release in Milwaukee?
An officer must arrest when the law's tests are met. Wis. Stat. 968.075 bars release until bail is posted or the person appears before a judge.
A 72-hour no-contact period follows the arrest. The person must avoid the victim's home and may not contact the victim, even through friends. An intentional violation can mean a $10,000 fine, nine months in jail, or both.
12. Could Milwaukee County refuse bail altogether?
Only in a limited set of serious cases, and only after a hearing. The District Attorney asks under Wis. Stat. 969.035, and the hearing starts within 10 days. The state carries the burden of clear and convincing evidence.
An order can last up to 60 days after the hearing. The defendant can ask for release at any time and is entitled to an expedited trial calendar.
13. What if my son was arrested on a misdemeanor warrant?
Walk-ins on misdemeanor bench warrants are handled at the Criminal Division in the Safety Building, Monday through Friday, afternoons only, first come first served after the scheduled calendar. The person appears before the court commissioner.
Call 414-278-4538 before you go. Bring ID and any papers that name the case.
14. Where is the free lawyer?
The State Public Defender's Milwaukee Trial office is at 819 N 6th Street, Room 908. Call 414-227-4130. Request one when the case is first called.
After 72 hours in jail, a defendant who still cannot meet the release terms may ask the judge to review them, and the judge must give reasons on the record for keeping them.
15. Where do teenagers go if they are held?
The Vel R. Phillips Youth and Family Justice Center, 10201 W. Watertown Plank Road, Wauwatosa, WI 53226, houses Milwaukee County's juvenile detention and Children's Court. The Children's Division line is 414-257-7700.
The State Public Defender's youth and mental health office, at 10930 W. Potter Road, Suite D, Wauwatosa, answers at 414-266-1182. A child's record is private, so the adult search will not list the child.
16. How do I get the bail back?
The Clerk of Circuit Court issues refunds, at 414-278-4538. Expect three to four weeks after the case closes. The refund goes to the person named on the bail form, only if the defendant attended all appearances and committed no new crimes.
Have the case number and the defendant's name ready. If the bail is over $1,000, the clerk mails a notice and an affidavit within three weeks of closure. Unpaid fines and costs can come out of the deposit.
17. What happens to the money if the person misses court?
The judge may forfeit the bail and issue a bench warrant. Notices go to both the defendant and the person who posted. Wis. Stat. 969.13 allows judgment on the deposit if the person does not appear within 30 days.
Skipping court on purpose is also the crime of bail jumping under Wis. Stat. 946.49. A released person must report a new address to the Clerk within 48 hours.
18. Whom do I call for anything the search cannot answer?
The Sheriff's Office is at 821 W. State Street, Room 107, and answers at 414-278-4766. Use it for jail rules and release questions.
Court questions go to the Clerk at 414-278-5362. Do not pay anyone who calls you offering to "fix" the bail.
Milwaukee County bail contacts
- Jail
- Milwaukee County Jail (Criminal Justice Facility), 949 N 9th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233; bail window on Level G, open 24 hours
- Sheriff's Office
- 821 W. State Street, Room 107, Milwaukee, WI 53233; 414-278-4766
- Custody lookup
- Milwaukee County Inmate Search
- Community Reintegration Center
- 8885 S 68th Street, Franklin, WI 53132; 414-427-4700
- Clerk of Circuit Court
- Courthouse, 901 N 9th Street, Room 104; 414-278-5362
- Criminal Division and refunds
- Safety Building, 821 W. State Street, Room 117; 414-278-4538
- Pretrial Services
- Safety Building, Room 417; 414-278-2140
- Public defender
- Trial office, 819 N 6th Street, Room 908; 414-227-4130
- Juvenile
- Vel R. Phillips Youth and Family Justice Center, 10201 W. Watertown Plank Road, Wauwatosa; 414-257-7700
Hours, fees, and rules at the bail window can change, and a judge may order a different amount. Confirm with the Sheriff's Office or the Clerk of Circuit Court before you pay. This guide does not replace a lawyer's advice.
How do Bail Bonds work at Milwaukee County Jail
Where and How Can I Pay Bail in Milwaukee County?
Bail can be paid at the Milwaukee County Jail Cashier’s Office, or Kiosk located on Level G of the Criminal Justice Facility.
Criminal Justice Facility
949 North 9th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53233
- Cash, cashier’s checks, money orders and all major credit cards are accepted.
- A valid form of identification must be presented when paying bail.
- Bank Cashier’s checks and Money orders must be made out to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office.
- You can pay bail 24 hours a day.
- You can pay up to $10,000.00 using credit cards at the Kiosk.
- You can pay with cash, cashier's check, money order and Visa or MasterCard credit cards. Persons posting bail with a credit card must have a valid picture ID that matches the name on the card.
- If you pay with a Money order or cashier Check, it needs to be verified by calling the bank, so this can only be done during business hours.
- Bail Refunds take 3-4 weeks and are handled through the Milwaukee County Circuit Court Clerk. Their number is: 414-278-4538. If you do call,you need the Court case number.
- An arrestee can also self-bail. You can do this by putting money in their commissary account. Refer to instructions on how to do this at our Inmate Money page.
Milwaukee County Jail
Address:
Criminal Justice Facility
949 North 9th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53233
Phone:
414-226-7070