- Home
- Departments
- Sheriff
- County Jail
- Jail Bonds
Jail Bonds
Bonds can be posted at the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office at any time. The office will accept the bond in cash, money order or a credit card. Bond may also be posted via a cashier’s check made out directly to the court.
For those family and friends wanting to log in and pay an inmate's bond visit Inmate Canteen's website.
Unless the court specifies that a bond is “cash only” - meaning no surety - a bondsman may be hired to post the bond. A bondsman typically charges up to 15 percent of the total bond. To inquire if someone is in our facility call 970-728-1911.
Public Court Docket records are maintained by the 7th Judicial District: Search Court Records (Court Docket Search).
Legal rights related to posting money bond pursuant to section 16-4-102, Colorado Revised Statutes
- Bond fees, booking fees, and other fees or debts never need to be paid to secure a person's release on a money bond. A payor need only pay the bond amount in order to secure release.
- While never a basis to hold a defendant in jail, the following fees are chargeable as a debt to the defendant after release if the payor chooses not to pay the fees at the time of bonding: A $10.00 bond fee and a maximum 3.5 % credit card payment fee. No other bond-related fees may be charged at any time, including kiosk fees or fees for payment by cash, check, or money order.
- Bond payments are to be made out to the holding county and are never to be made out in the name of the incarcerated person.
- A sheriff must/shall release a defendant within six hours after a personal recognizance bond is set and the defendant has returned to jail or within six hours after a cash bond has been set and the defendant has returned to jail and the defendant or surety notified the jail that bond is prepared and posted unless extraordinary circumstances exist. In the event of a delay of more than six hours, a surety and the defendant have a right to know what, if any, extraordinary circumstance is causing the delay. Supervisory conditions of release do not justify a delay in release; except that a sheriff may hold a defendant for up to 24 hours if necessary to ensure a defendant is fitted with required electronic monitoring.
- Anyone who posts a money bond has a right to receive a copy of the bond paperwork, including documentation of the next upcoming court date.
- A surety may never be asked to use posted bond money to pay a defendant’s debts. Only when defendants have posted their own money bond may they be asked if they would like to voluntarily relinquish bond money to pay their debts. Relinquishment of bond money by a defendant to pay a debt is never required and is entirely a voluntary choice by the defendant.
To file a complaint about a violation of any of the above:
- By email: sheriff@sanmiguelsheriff.org
- By phone: (970) 728-1911
- In-person: During lobby business hours, ask for a jail supervisor
- For persons in custody: ask to speak with the on-duty supervisor
Cash Bond - Cash or certified funds can only be paid for this bond. The full amount of the bond is given to Records personnel at the Sheriff's Office. The payee will receive a receipt for the bond amount. The return court date, if any, will be written on the receipt. The inmate will have to sign the bond form and will also be given the return court date. The cash bond will then be forwarded to the court. The bond money is returnable to the payee when the case is closed. Returned bond money is only processed through the court.
Surety Bond - This bond can be processed through a bonding agent (bondsman). Sheriff's Office personnel cannot answer any questions regarding bonding agents or what they charge to post a bond.
Property Bond - Property can be put up in lieu of a bond.
Personal Recognizance Bond (PR) - This bond requires no money and the inmate/defendant is required to sign a promise to appear in court.
Personal Recognizance Co-Sign Bond - This is a bond that an additional person must sign to show they will take responsibility if the inmate/defendant misses a court date.