Bail Bonds in San Diego County: A Local Guide

In San Diego County, adults are booked at one of three Sheriff's jails: San Diego Central Jail downtown (men), Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility in Santee (women), or Vista Detention Facility in North County (men and women). Once bail is set, a licensed bail agent delivers the bond in person to a custody information office at a Sheriff's detention facility. A bond premium is typically 10% of the bail amount, based on rates filed with the California Department of Insurance.

This guide covers where people are booked and housed, how to find someone, how bail is posted, which courthouses handle criminal cases, and what to expect along the way.

Who runs the jails in San Diego County?

The San Diego County Sheriff's Office runs the county jail system, which it describes as seven detention facilities across the county. Together they handle booking, classification, housing and release. Even when a city police department makes the arrest, adults are generally booked into a Sheriff's facility.

The Sheriff's custody information main line is (619) 409-5000. When you call, choose the option for the facility you need.

The three booking jails

According to the Sheriff's Office public information plan, these are the facilities that book new arrestees:

San Diego Central Jail (men)

1173 Front Street, San Diego, CA 92101. Central Jail books people who identify as male. It is downtown, near the Central Courthouse. See our San Diego Central Jail page for more.

Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility (women)

451 Riverview Parkway, Santee, CA 92071. Las Colinas books people who identify as female. Our Las Colinas page has more detail.

Vista Detention Facility (North County, men and women)

325 S. Melrose Drive, Suite 200, Vista, CA 92081. Vista books both men and women and is the booking jail for North County. It sits in the same complex as the North County Regional Center courthouse. Read more on our Vista Detention Facility page.

Before booking, people are sometimes held at a police station for up to a few hours. The Sheriff notes that this is why someone may not appear in the online lookup right away.

Housing jails: where people may be moved

After booking, a person who is not released may be moved to another facility based on classification. Other Sheriff's detention facilities include:

• George Bailey Detention Facility, 446 Alta Road, Suite 5300, San Diego, CA 92158
• Rock Mountain Detention Facility, 446 Alta Road, Suite 5400, San Diego, CA 92158
• South Bay Detention Facility, 500 Third Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910
• East Mesa Reentry Facility

If you saw a person listed at Central Jail yesterday and today they show up somewhere else, they have most likely been transferred. The booking number stays the same.

How to find someone in a San Diego County jail

The Sheriff's Office runs an online lookup called "Who's In Jail" on its website, sdsheriff.gov. The Sheriff says it shows housing location, charges, next court date and projected release date when known.

Search by name. When you find the person, write down:

• Full name exactly as listed
• Booking number
• Current facility
• Charges and bail amount
• Next court date and courthouse

If the person is not there yet, booking may still be underway. Try again later or call (619) 409-5000. For other counties, see our guide on finding someone in jail in Southern California.

Watch for the jail's phone number

The Sheriff's Office says calls from people in its detention facilities now come from 727-349-1561, and that some mobile carriers flag that number as spam. If you are expecting a call, save it in your contacts.

Remember that jail calls are recorded. Sheriff's policy states that all inmate calls are recorded except calls to verified attorney, physician or religious advisor numbers. Keep calls to logistics.

How bail is posted in San Diego County

How the amount is set

During booking, the jail calculates bail and sets a court date, the Sheriff says. For most charges, the amount comes from the San Diego Superior Court's bail schedule, which judges adopt each year under California Penal Code section 1269b. If the arrest was on a warrant, the bail is usually on the warrant. A judge can change bail at any court appearance, and some people are released on their own recognizance without bail.

Where bonds are delivered

The Sheriff's Office states that bail bonds must be delivered in person to a custody information office at any San Diego County Sheriff's detention facility. Families do not need to drive to the jail. Your bail agent handles delivery.

What the jail checks

Sheriff's policy says bonds are accepted only from bail agents licensed through the California Department of Insurance, and that agents must show their Department of Insurance ID and a valid photo ID. Staff check the bond's details, including the court, charges and bail amount, before accepting it. Staff also confirm in the "Who's In Jail" system that the person is eligible for release before processing a bond. A separate bond is needed for each arrest or warrant.

Those checks are why accurate information matters. A bond with a wrong booking number or charge has to be fixed before it goes through.

What it costs

A bond premium is typically 10% of the bail amount, based on rates filed with the California Department of Insurance. The premium is not refundable, and payment plans are available. For more, see how much a bail bond costs in California.

The Sheriff's bail agent list

The Sheriff's Office posts a list of bail agencies in every detention facility and on its website. It states that it does not endorse any agency on the list. Whoever you choose, ask for their California license number and verify it with the Department of Insurance.

San Diego County criminal courthouses

The San Diego Superior Court lists criminal business offices at four locations. A person's court date paperwork, or the "Who's In Jail" listing, will show which one applies.

• Central Courthouse, 1100 Union Street, San Diego, CA 92101. (619) 844-2400
• East County Regional Center, 250 East Main Street, El Cajon, CA 92020. (619) 456-4100
• North County Regional Center, 325 South Melrose, Vista, CA 92081. (760) 201-8600
• South County Regional Center, 500 3rd Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910. (619) 746-6200

The court lists business office hours as 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding court holidays. Check the court's website before you go, since locations and hours can change.

For someone who stays in custody, California Penal Code section 825 requires arraignment without unnecessary delay, and within 48 hours of arrest excluding Sundays and holidays.

Our San Diego office

OnCall Bail Bonds has a San Diego office at 1446 Front Street, Suite 200-2, San Diego, CA 92101, in downtown San Diego. Most families never need to come in, since you can sign everything from your phone. If you would rather meet in person, call first so an agent is ready for you.

For more about our service across the county, visit our San Diego County bail bonds page.

This article is general information, not legal advice. For questions about your case, talk to a criminal defense attorney.

Need help now?

OnCall Bail Bonds' licensed agents answer 24/7 in English and Spanish, and you can sign from your phone. Call our San Diego County line at (619) 367-2350 or start bail online.