Santa Barbara County Main Jail Inmate Bail & Bonds

Santa Barbara County Main Jail

Address:
4436 Calle Real
Santa Barbara, CA 93110

Phone:

805-681-4260

Paying an Inmate's Bail or Bond in Santa Barbara County

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff recommends that you use a bail bond agent licensed to do business in Santa Barbara County.

  • You can pay a cash bond yourself, or use your home in Santa Barbara County, or in some cases the state of California, but the benefit of using a bail bond agent is that they take responsibility for making sure the inmate shows up for court in Santa Barbara County, and if they don't, then they take the financial responsibility.
  • The typical fee for a bond will be between 10-20% of the bail amount; usually 15%.  So if an offender has a bail of $10,000.00, their bond will be $1500.00.

Call 805-681-4260 to find out the exact bond (plus other fees) amount, or look it up online by looking up the information on the Santa Barbara County inmate locator.


 

Who do I call to find out the Bond for an Inmate?

Please call the jail at 805-681-4260 for the type of bond and any information that is required for a particular individual at Santa Barbara County Main Jail.
A bond is set according to a court-approved schedule.
The purpose of the bond is to assure the offender's appearance in court.

Instructions on how to post Bail or Bond in Santa Barbara County

Because Santa Barbara County and California can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Santa Barbara County Main Jail at 805-681-4260, or the court in the jurisdiction (i.e. Municipal Court, District Court, etc.) where the offender was charged, right after an arrestee has been booked. 

Ask the staff at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail or the Santa Barbara County Court Clerk these specific questions:

  1. Is the defendant eligible for bail or a bond?
  2. How much will the bail or bond be, and what are the additional fees?
  3. Where do I go to pay it?
  4. Are there any days or times of the day or night when I cannot post bail?
  5. What types of payment are allowed? Cash? Money order? Credit card? What types of credit cards? Property or other collateral? Surety bonds?
  6. Do I have to use a bail or bond agent?

If you feel the bail is too high and you wish to get it reduced, contact a lawyer or the defendant's public defender and get them to look into what they can do to get a bail reduction. The sooner you get working on this the quicker you will get your loved one released. 

This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.

Option 1 - How to Post Bail using Cash for a Defendant at Santa Barbara County Main Jail

The first option, a cash bond, is to pay the full bail amount in cash, cashier's check, or money order. Personal Checks are not accepted.

Depending on the crime, this amount could be anywhere from $100 to $75,000 or more.

To pay a cash bond, go to Santa Barbara County Main Jail or to the court where the bail hearing occurred. Going directly to the jail will quicken the release of the defendant as any bail paperwork processed at the court will have to be transferred to the jail.

Cashier's Checks and Money Orders may be made out to Santa Barbara County Main Jail where the defendant is being held, but usually to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office or to the Santa Barbara County Court.

To purchase money orders visit any Western Union, Moneygram or Post Office.

Option 2 - How to Post a Private or Surety Bond for a Defendant at Santa Barbara County Main Jail

In the event that someone does not have the full bond amount available to him or her, there is what is called a private bond or surety bond.

This is an agreement made with a bail agent or bondsman who will post the full bail amount. In return, the defendant and/or cosigner will pay a premium to the bail agent. This premium will be 10-15% of the full bail amount.



For example, if bail is posted at $5,000, then the premium will cost approximately $500-$750.

A bail agent will often require some form of collateral, for example, a lien on a house, a car or jewelry. This is to ensure that if the defendant skips bail, or does not appear in court, the bail agent has some sort of compensation for the full bail amount being paid.

Remember, by making an agreement with a bail agent the signatory takes responsibility for paying the full bail amount if the defendant does not appear in court.

Option 3 - How to Post a Property Bond for a Defendant at Santa Barbara County Main Jail

If you are a landowner in Santa Barbara County you may be able to post a property bond. Property within Santa Barbara County may be used as collateral to bail someone out. All owners of the property must be present to sign the bond in order for this to happen.

To find if property located outside of Santa Barbara County can be used as collateral, call a local bail or bond agent or contact a defense lawyer.

Click here for additional information on how to post bail at Santa Barbara County Main Jail.

Who can post Bail or Bond for a Defendant at Santa Barbara County Main Jail?

Anyone over the age of 18 who can produce a valid government-issued photo ID can post bail. Accepted forms of ID include a Photo Driver's License, Passport, or Motor Vehicle issued ID.

In many circumstances, if the defendant has the resources, they can post their own cash bail from jail.

Surety Bonds are arranged by a third party, typically a California state licensed Bail Bond firm.

Juveniles may only be bailed or bonded out of custody by a parent or legal guardian.

Santa Barbara County Justice System Flowchart

When will the Cash Bail or Collateral be returned to me?

Money or collateral will not be returned until the defendant's court case is finished, so realistically it could take several months to years, depending on the severity of the charges. If a defendant posts his or her own bail, Santa Barbara County Court may retain whatever amount of fines or fees have accumulated throughout the trial.

What happens to my Bail or Collateral if the Defendant misses Court?

The Santa Barbara County Judge may order a failure to appear warrant for the person's arrest or the Judge may order a Bail Commissioner's Letter be issued that will be sent to the person with a new court date.

If cash bail was paid, the entire amount may be forfeited.

Santa Barbara County Bail Bond Information

Because Santa Barbara County and California can change their bail bond procedures, it is always best to call either the Santa Barbara County Main Jail at 805-681-4260, or the court in the jurisdiction (i.e. Municipal Court, District Court, etc.) where the offender was charged, and do this right after an arrestee has been booked. 

Ask the staff at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail or the Santa Barbara County Court Clerk these specific questions:

  1. Is the defendant eligible for bail or a bond?
  2. How much will the bail or bond be, and what are the additional fees?
  3. Where do I go to pay it?
  4. Are there any days or times of the day or night when I cannot post bail?
  5. What types of payment are allowed? Cash? Money order? Credit card? What types of credit cards? Property or other collateral? Surety bonds?
  6. Do I have to use a bail or bond agent?

If you feel the bail is too high and you wish to get it reduced, contact a lawyer or the defendant's public defender and get them to look into what they can do to get a bail reduction. The sooner you get working on this the quicker you will get your loved one released. 

This entire process will go smoother and faster with a criminal attorney or bail agent handling it for you.


 

How Do Inmates in Santa Barbara County Main Jail Make or Receive Phone Calls?

To receive phone calls from inmates in Santa Barbara County, or to assist them in making phone calls to other people, follow these steps:

1.  Start by confirming that Santa Barbara County Main Jail has the phone service you need to communicate with your inmate by the facility lookup here.
2. In the meantime, you can create an account here for GettingOut.
3. Then add funds to your account. This account can be controlled by just you, or by both you and your inmate.
4. Last, select Santa Barbara County Main Jail, and then the inmate you wish to communicate with.

Santa Barbara County Services that are provided by GettingOut, a GTL company:
 - Phone Calls & Voicemail 
 - Video Visits (from home or jail lobby)
 - Email & Photo Sharing
 - Tablet Rental
 - Deposits


Phone & Voicemail Fees

1.  GettingOut charges $0.25 per minute for all phone calls, prepaid or collect, within California.
2. Prepaid calls between California and other states costs $0.21 per minute. International calls are $0.95 per minute.
3. There is a fee of $3.00 every time you add money to your account online, and it costs $5.95 if you add funds over the phone with a live agent.
4. You can also leave an inmate a short voice message for a flat fee of $1.25.

Note: Rates are subject to change.

Types of Phone Calls
Collect Calls
Collect calls allow you to accept and pay for calls to your land line (only) phone account. This means that if you accept your call from your inmate, all the charges for that call will then be billed to your land line phone account and will show up and be listed on your next local phone bill. Additional fees, costs, restrictions may apply.

Prepaid calls (Direct Calls)
With Prepaid Calls you can set up your account so that the inmate can only call you and/or you can just deposit money in their account and they can purchase prepaid phone cards through their commissary and call whoever they choose, provided the Santa Barbara County Main Jail approves of the phone number.

Quick Connect
Quick connect is an alternative to collect calls. It allows you to quickly pay for a phone call with your credit card.  When your inmate calls you, follow the instructions from the automated voice system to pay for that one phone call, directly billed to your card.

Customer Service
If you have any questions about the Santa Barbara County Main Jail GettingOut phone services, you can call them at 866-516-0115.

* All the information you need to understand making and receiving phone calls with inmates in Santa Barbara County, can be found on our Inmate Phone Page.


 

Santa Barbara County Main Jail Inmate Mail Policies and Address - What Can You Send, and Where?

For inmates receiving mail in the Santa Barbara County Main Jail there are different addresses and policies depending on the inmate's status, as well as what type of mail they are receiving; personal mail, legal mail, subscriptions or books sent from a third-party such as Amazon.

All mail is to be shipped to the Santa Barbara County Main Jail:
Inmate's Full Name & CID Number
Santa Barbara County Jail
4436 Calle Real
Santa Barbara, CA 93110


For complete information on mail policies, what you can send an inmate and what address to send them, check out our Inmate Mail page.


 

How to Send a Carepack Commissary Package Directly to an Inmate in Santa Barbara County

To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Santa Barbara County Main Jail follow these steps:

  • Select California, then select Santa Barbara County Main Jail, and then select the 'Send a Package Order' option.
  • Register and create an account with Access Securepak, for Santa Barbara County.
  • Choose the inmate and the products you want shipped to them, and input your payment method. 
  • NOTE: There may be a limit on how much product you can send your inmate in Santa Barbara County at any one time.

For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Santa Barbara County Main Jail check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Santa Barbara County.


 

How to Send Money to an Inmate in Santa Barbara County

To send commissary money to an inmate in Santa Barbara County Main Jail follow these steps:

  • Register with Access Corrections by creating an account.
  • Select California, then select Santa Barbara County Main Jail, and then the inmate you want to send money to.
  • Choose the amount of money you want to send, and input your payment method.

For all information on how to Send Money to an inmate's account check out our full money and commissary guide for Santa Barbara County Main Jail.


 

How to Send a Secure Email Message to an Inmate in Santa Barbara County

To send a secure email message to an inmate in Santa Barbara County Main Jail follow these steps:

  • Register with Access Corrections by creating an account.
  • Select California, then select Santa Barbara County Main Jail, and then the inmate you want to send your message to.
  • Choose the amount of money you want to spend, and input your payment method. The funds can also be used by the inmate to send a message back to you.
  • NOTE: All messages between you and your inmate will be permanently recorded and seen by the staff and could be used against your inmate in court.

For all information on how to Text/Email an Inmate in Santa Barbara County Main Jail check out our Secure Messaging Guide for Santa Barbara County.


 

Photos of this facility
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