Bail bonds FAQ for Forsyth County

Georgia caps it. Under O.C.G.A. § 17-6-30 a surety may not charge more than 15% of the face amount of the bond, with a minimum of $50 per bonded charge. Charging above the cap is a misdemeanor. The premium is never refundable.

Most releases run two to six hours from the moment the bond paperwork clears. Weekends, shift changes, a busy booking queue, a medical or mental health hold, or a warrant from another county will all stretch it.

Booking has to finish before a record posts. Intake includes a search, property inventory, medical screening, fingerprints and a photograph, and can take a couple of hours. Too early is far more common than wrong jail.

Full legal name and date of birth of the person in custody, the charge, the bond amount if it is set, and which agency made the arrest. If you only have a name, call anyway — finding the rest is our job.

Someone with valid photo identification, a verifiable address and phone number, and reasonable stability — employment or long-term residence. They become liable for the full face value of the bond if the defendant fails to appear.

Yes. Co-signers routinely sign by email. In person at 110 Samaritan Drive in Cumming is welcome, but it is not required and it does not make the release faster.

A charge that cannot be released on a signature or unsecured bond under Georgia law. Senate Bill 63, effective 2024, expanded the list considerably — DUI, family violence battery and a second theft by taking are common examples.

Within 48 hours of a warrantless arrest, or 72 hours where a warrant was issued. In Forsyth County that first appearance is held in Magistrate Court at 1090 Tribble Gap Road.

Yes. The jail generally takes cash only for cash bonds — no personal or business cheques — so confirm accepted methods before driving over. Most of a cash bond is returned at the end of the case, less non-refundable county fees.

Georgia allows a property bond, but it needs a deed, a current tax valuation, proof of equity and a judge’s approval. It usually takes days rather than hours, so it is rarely the answer if the goal is tonight.

A hold keeps someone in custody regardless of any bond posted — probation or parole, a warrant in another county, an immigration detainer, or a medical hold. No bondsman can lift one. We check for holds before taking any money.

No. There are no after-hours fees, travel fees, paperwork fees or expedite fees. The premium we quote on the phone is the number on the contract.

The judge issues a bench warrant and the bond goes into forfeiture. Georgia gives the surety a window to return the person to custody before the full amount is due. Call us the same day — almost everything is fixable early.

Yes. A new arrest, contact in violation of a no-contact order, a failed drug screen where screening is a condition, or leaving the jurisdiction can all lead to revocation. Read the conditions and take them literally.

Tell us. On larger bonds we can discuss collateral and payment arrangements, and a defence lawyer can file a motion for a bond reduction. Both are better options than borrowing at a bad rate.

Yes. We work the booking desks in Hall, Dawson, Cherokee and Fulton as well as Forsyth. Call with the name and we will confirm where they are.

No. It is a scam, every time. No sheriff’s office, jail or court telephones a family demanding payment by card, transfer or gift card for a bond, an ankle monitor or pretrial release. Hang up and call us on (770) 888-4585.

Yes. Your call, the name involved and the circumstances stay between us. Arrest records themselves are public, but nothing about your conversation with us is.

They do different jobs. We get someone out; a defence lawyer deals with the charge, the conditions, bond reductions and the outcome. For anything beyond release, you want a lawyer.

It is our offender services division — check-in support, monitoring and reminders for clients on bond conditions, so a missed appointment does not turn into a revoked bond.