Bonding Information

Georgia law §17-6-15 provides the Sheriff the authority to establish, publish, and regulate the guidelines and rules for bonding arrested individuals. The administration of this process is performed by the Bonding Administration personnel of the Sheriff’s Office.

There are multiple methods for obtaining the release of an individual incarcerated in the Cobb County Jail. The act requires an individual to ensure the appearance of the arrested individual for all court appearances until adjudication. The obligating individual(s) are known as the surety. The individual being released from custody is referred to as the principal.

Cash in the full amount of the bond, which will be returned by the court to the surety when the appearance requirements of the bond have been fulfilled. Checks and credit cards are NOT accepted at the facility. The surety listed on the cash bond money receipt has to be the person who appears in the Clerk’s Office for the return of the money. Bonds posted using the cash bond online service will list the defendant as the surety and, upon fulfilling the appearance requirements of the bond, will be refundable only to the defendant.

Cash bonds may be posted on-line at www.cashbondonline.com for all bondable offenses. The maximum cash amount that can be posted online is $2,500.00 to include all applicable surcharges and fees.

The principal (inmate) may use a valid Georgia Driver’s License as bond if charged with a misdemeanor offense (exception: DUI); in custody for a minimum of 5 days, bond amount is $1,000.00 or less (excluding surcharges). Any failure to appear may result in suspension of license.

An “Out of County” property bond offered as a guarantee of the principal’s appearance would be located outside of Cobb County and within the State of Georgia. The bond has to be prepared by the Sheriff of the county where the property is located. You will need to contact the Sheriff’s Office of that county for their requirements.

Once the bonding documentation is prepared, it must be presented to this agency in a sealed envelope. If it is not, the paperwork will not be accepted for processing.

Residential property offered as a guarantee for the principal to appear in court MUST be located in Cobb County, Georgia. Each individual listed on the warranty deed or quit claim deed and current tax bill must be present to sign related documents upon processing at the facility.

The following documents are required to post a property bond:

1. Warranty deed or quite claim deed + current tax bill
2. Current mortgage statement, and
3. Picture identification issued by a government entity

Bonds prepared by a company operating as a professional bonding company in Cobb County, must be registered and authorized by the Sheriff’s Office of Cobb County. Any company is subject to being suspended from operation under the rules published by the Sheriff.

Georgia law allows a professional bonding company to charge up to 15% of the face amount of the bond, which such amounts includes the principal amount and all applicable surcharges. In lieu of the percentage, a professional bonding company may charge a minimum of $50 per charge or offense even if it exceeds the statutory limit. This non-refundable fee, with few exceptions, is above the actual cost of posting the bond.

Pretrial will review all defendants still in custody. Inmates may be interviewed by Pretrial if eligible and recommended for release if they qualify. A Pretrial release authorizes a reduction in bond amounts or conditional release with specific bond condition requirements. Pretrial representatives shall require supervision of the defendant while out of custody.

Any violations of Pretrial release requirements may result in the arrest of the defendant for failure to comply with bond condition orders.

• Cash bond
• Property bond
• Out of county property bond
• Professional bond
• Driver’s License Collateral
• Pretrial Release

Multiple bonds may be required to gain the release of any one incarcerated individual. This is dependent upon the charges against the individual. Each bond has additional fees known as surcharges. In addition, there is a non-refundable bond fee of $20.00 per bond instrument written.