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Being arrested is a terrifying time, particularly if you believe it was unjust. You don’t want to spend time in jail and wish you could head back home to your family. Thankfully, Californian laws make it possible to be released from jail on bail. If you or someone you love is arrested, bail will be set according to the severity of the charges and your/their criminal record. All you have to do is post bail and you’ll be released under strict conditions - this typically means you’ll stay out of jail as long as you attend all court proceedings until the conclusion of your trial. 

Keeping all of this in mind, you’re likely asking: how long does it take for bail to be posted? Once the bail amount is set, how quickly can you post it and be out of jail? Times vary depending on all sorts of factors, so let us take you through the bail posting process in California to learn more. 

How Long Does It Take To Get Released From Jail After Posting Bail?

When the courts set a bail amount, it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 8+ hours for someone to be released from jail after posting bail. 

We appreciate that’s a rather large timescale and it can extend to over 24 hours in some circumstances. The huge time gaps are down to a myriad of factors that may make the bail posting process faster or slower.

Key factors affecting bail posting times

Generally speaking, three main factors play the biggest roles in the bail posting times: 

  • How you post bail - Bail can be posted in multiple ways but most individuals will opt for cash bail or a bail bond. “Cash bail” is when you pay the full bail amount using personal funds. It’s typically the quickest as it can be done almost instantly. Bail bonds are when you work with a bail bond agency to cover the costs. At King Stahlman Bail Bonds, we offer a 24/7 bail bond service to ensure you get the money you need as quickly as possible. You pay a fee and we get the ball rolling to ensure you or your loved one are out of jail within a few hours at most. It will take longer for you to post bail if you don’t use a 24/7 bail bond agency. Some companies only work during specific hours, meaning you might have to stay overnight before you can get a bond in place. That’s why finding the fastest bail bond company is key to getting out of jail as quickly as possible. 
  • The type of jail - Smaller jails will usually lead to faster release times once bail is posted. This is simply because they shouldn’t have as many inmates on their books, so the processing time is less disruptive and easier to handle. Many of the smaller local jails will release inmates within 30 minutes of receiving bail. 
  • How busy the jail is - This combines with the previous point as the busiest jails will have a much longer bail posting process. You’ll likely form a queue of inmates looking to be released on bail, so the further down this line you are, the longer you’ll have to wait. That’s why a lot of county jails can take over 24 hours to release people as they’ve got hundreds of inmates who’ve posted bail at the same time. 

The Bail Posting Process - How Long Does It Take?

We’ve discussed how long it takes to be released after posting bail - but how long does the entire bail posting process last from start to finish? This involves the moment you’re arrested to your final point of release. 

Again, similar factors affect how long this takes and there are three main stages to be aware of: 

  • Booking & processing - This is when you’re arrested and charged with a crime. It can take up to an hour to be booked and processed in smaller jails or many hours more than this in larger county ones. Expected to be booked in up to 8 hours on average. 
  • Bail setting - The next stage is when your bail is set. It usually takes up to 48 hours for this to happen and the longer it takes, the more complex your case is. The people in power must decide how much bail to set based on the California Penal Code and other external factors - such as repeat offenses, the individual’s flight risk, and so on. If your case is hard to deal with due to these factors, it could take the full 48 hours before bail is set. In other instances, bail is set almost immediately after you are booked so the first two steps could only take 30 minutes max. 
  • Posting bail - From here, you can refer back to the previous section as it’s everything that happens after bail is set. 

In total, it will likely take a minimum of 1-2 hours to be released from jail on bail - when accounting for the entire time spent after you’ve been taken into custody. On the other end of the scale, you might be in jail for over 48 hours before being released. 

How To Speed Up The Bail Posting Process

The quickest way to be released on bail is by working with an experienced bail bond agency. Our bail bonds service operates 24/7 and lets you obtain a bail bond online in minutes. You or a family member should contact us the moment you’ve been booked and bail is set. We have a close working relationship with jails and court houses across California, ensuring we can post a bail bond ASAP and get the ball rolling. 

It’s the difference between being in jail for a couple of hours or a couple of days. Contact us today to learn more or browse our site to see more of our services.