Municipal Courts

Posting A Bond

If a person is arrested on city charges i.e., new charges, warrants, or capias pro fines (fines that have not been paid), that person can be released in one of several ways:

• A person may post a cash bond - This means that a person places a certain amount of cash with the city to guarantee that he/she will appear at the next court setting. If a person does not appear at the next setting after posting a cash bond, the bond may be forfeited. If a person appears timely and is found not guilty or has his/her cases dismissed then the bond money may be refunded.
• A person may post a surety bond - This is done by contacting a bonding company who, for a fee, puts up a bond which guarantees that a person will appear at the next court date. The City of Houston is not involved with the contract between a defendant and the bonding company.
• A person may request to be released on personal bond - Whether or not a person is released on personal bond is entirely up to the judge. Factors that are considered by the judge are: the type of charge, the defendant's ties to the community, and whether or not the arrest resulted from warrants for failure to appear in court. Once a person appears before a judge and pleads guilty or is found guilty, he/she may request a deferred payment. A deferred payment means that a person is given time to pay his/her fine.
• Bonds can be posted at all Municipal Courts Locations during regular business hours. You can also post bonds at the Harris County Joint Processing Center, 700 N. San Jacinto St., (Municipal Courts Jail Bonding Window), Houston, TX 77002. The Municipal Courts Jail Bonding Window is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays.