Bail Questions • After an Arrest • Arizona
What Information Do You Need Before Calling a Bail Bondsman?
Before calling a bail bondsman, have the person's full legal name and date of birth, the arresting agency, and the jail or booking number.
Quick answer
Before calling a bail bondsman, have the person's full legal name and date of birth, the arresting agency, and the jail or booking number. Add the charges and bail amount if the initial appearance has happened, plus the cosigner's ID, address, employer and a debit or credit card. Missing some of it is fine; call anyway.
Step by Step
- Write down the person's full legal name and date of birth as shown on their ID.
- Note which agency made the arrest and which jail holds the person.
- Pull the booking number, charges and holds from the MCSO inmate search.
- Record the bail amount and next court date once the initial appearance has happened.
- Have the cosigner's government ID, address, employer and phone number ready.
- Keep a debit or credit card available for the premium or the down payment.
Information about the person in custody
Start with identity. The agent needs the person's full legal name as it appears on their ID, not a nickname, and their date of birth. Those two items are what the MCSO inmate search and the jail information line use, and they separate your relative from everyone else with a similar name.
Next is location. Which agency made the arrest, Phoenix police, Mesa police, the Sheriff's Office or DPS, and where the person was taken. City arrests are booked at a city holding facility first; felony arrestees and anyone with a hold move to the 4th Avenue Jail and get a new booking number there. If you have the booking number, give it. If not, the name and date of birth are enough.
Information about the charges and the bail amount
Bail is set at the initial appearance within 24 hours of arrest, not at booking. If that hearing has happened, the MCSO inmate search shows the charges, any holds, the bond amount and the court. Write down all of it, including the next court date. Holds matter as much as the amount: a probation, parole, immigration or out-of-county hold keeps the person in custody even after a bond posts, so an honest agent checks holds before taking a premium.
If the hearing has not happened yet, there is no bail amount and nobody can give you one. Call anyway. The agent tracks the hearing, confirms the amount the moment it posts, and has the paperwork ready.
What the cosigner needs to have ready
The cosigner, also called the indemnitor, is the adult who signs for the bond and promises the person will appear. The agent needs the cosigner's government ID, current address, employer, phone number and a relationship to the defendant. Out-of-state cosigners are common and sign electronically. One qualified cosigner is usually enough; large bonds may need two.
Have a debit or credit card ready for the premium, typically 10% of the bail under rates filed with DIFI, or for the down payment on a payment plan. Many bonds under about $25,000 are written on a signature with no collateral; larger bonds may need a vehicle title or real estate, returned when the bond is exonerated. The cosigner guide explains what the signature commits you to.
What if you do not have all of it yet?
Call with what you have. The most common first call is a parent who knows only that their son was arrested in Tempe two hours ago. That is enough to start. The agent searches the county and city records, calls the jail information line at (602) 876-0322 if the record has not posted, and tells you when the initial appearance is likely to happen.
What you should not do is pay anyone before custody, holds and the bail amount are confirmed, or send money by gift card, wire or app to someone who called you. A licensed agent signs a written agreement first and posts at the 4th Avenue Jail Bond and Fine Room; the county never requests payment by text or email. Having the items above ready shortens the time from first call to release.
Need a bond now?
A licensed agent answers any hour, confirms the custody location and bail amount, and posts the bond while you stay home.
Related Questions
Can you find out someone's bail amount online in Maricopa County?
Yes, after the initial appearance. The MCSO inmate search by name, date of birth or booking number shows the charges, holds and bond amount once the judge has set release conditions. Before that hearing, within 24 hours of arrest, no bail amount exists.
Who can be a cosigner for a bail bond?
Any adult 18 or older with government ID, a verifiable address and income, and a relationship to the defendant. Out-of-state cosigners are common and sign electronically. One qualified cosigner is usually enough; large bonds may require two, and some require collateral.
Do you need the booking number to bail someone out?
No. The booking number helps, but the full legal name and date of birth are enough for the agent to find the record. The number also changes when a person moves from a city holding facility to the 4th Avenue Jail, so the name is the more reliable key.
What if the person was arrested by a city police department?
They are booked at that city's holding facility first. Misdemeanor arrestees often see a judge and are released from there; felony arrestees and anyone with a hold are moved to the 4th Avenue Jail within hours. Tell the agent the city, and the agent confirms the location before posting.
Can the bail paperwork be done over the phone or online?
Yes. The application and indemnity agreement are signed electronically from anywhere, including out of state, and the premium is paid by debit or credit card. The agent posts in person at the Bond and Fine Room. Call One Stop Bail Bonds any hour and an agent will walk you through it.