Sheriff's Office
Inmate Bonding Information
Procedure for Posting Bail
A person who has been arrested and charged with a crime may be required to post bail (a bond) before being released from jail. A bond is insurance to guarantee an arrestee will appear in court for trial. If that person fails to appear for a court date, the bond money is forfeited. A bond may be posted in cash, by an arrestee or by someone on his/her behalf.
Most crimes are bondable offenses. The amount of a bond is determined by a judge or from an established schedule.
Bonds can be paid and processed 24/7 at the Jail Processing Office, located next to the visitor entrance.
There are two ways to post a bond:
Cash Bond
- The full bond amount or, if a 10% bond is set, 10% of the total bail is paid in cash to guarantee the arrestee’s appearance in court.
- Failure to appear results in forfeiture of the bond.
- Upon case resolution, 90% of a 10% bond or the full amount of a cash bond is refunded, minus fines or court costs.
- Accepted payment methods include cash, credit cards, cashier’s checks, or money orders (payable to the Kent County Sheriff’s Office). Credit card payments may incur fees of 8-20%. Personal checks are not accepted.
Surety Bond
- A bonding company guarantees the arrestee’s court appearance.
- The company charges a fee for this service, and Kent County is not involved in the contract.
*Bonds must be paid in full using a single form of payment. Split payments are not accepted.