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Updated September 2026. A California guide for homeowners and other property owners whose real estate secured a bail bond. Checked against California's bail-lien statute, the Penal Code's forfeiture rules, the Civil Code's deed-of-trust rules, bail regulations, court opinions and property-bond packets, and official county recorder guidance. Property pledged directly to a court follows its own process, covered in a separate section. If the lien involves another state, the procedure may differ.

Quick answer: To remove a California bail bond lien from your property's title, first confirm that the bond has been exonerated and identify any obligations the property still secures. Request the properly executed lien-release or reconveyance documents from the responsible bail company or surety, arrange recording in the county where the property is located, and verify the recorded result. An exoneration order, a release document, and a recorded release are three different things. Under Penal Code section 1276.5(d), the bail licensee must deliver the release document within 30 days after notice that the time to appeal the exoneration order has expired, or within 30 days after full payment of what the lien secures, whichever is later. Recording it in the county is a separate step. And if the defendant misses court, the house is not simply taken: the court's forfeiture rules, the signed agreements, and California's deed-of-trust foreclosure rules all come first.

Removing a Bail Bond Lien at a Glance

In this guide: what the lien is · reading your deed of trust · the release steps · California timelines · unpaid money · if the defendant misses court · property bonds with the court · county recorder guide · refusal or delay · court examples · in their words · selling or refinancing · other jurisdictions · family checklist · how Bail Hotline can help · FAQ · sources.

What Is a Bail Bond Lien on Property?

A bail bond lien is a claim against real estate used to secure a bail-related obligation. In a commercial bail transaction, the insurer's bond goes to the court while a property owner may sign a deed of trust or another security instrument for the bail company or surety. The property owner may be a parent, friend, spouse, or another person helping the defendant. The actual documents identify the parties and the obligation secured.

Do not treat every use of the phrase property bond as the same arrangement. Real estate pledged to a commercial bail company is different from property offered directly to the court as bail under Penal Code section 1298. This guide focuses on the commercial-bond lien, and a separate section covers property pledged to the court. Nor is a house lien the same thing as a vehicle title, cash deposit, or jewelry held as collateral. Different property and documents require different release steps.

California's Penal Code section 1276.5 requires a written real-property lien disclosure at the initial application and completed copies of the disclosure and relevant lien documents before the owner signs the lien instrument. The statutory warning explains that failure to pay the bail bond premiums when due, or the defendant's failure to comply with the conditions of bail, could result in loss of the property. That does not mean a bail company can simply take a house without the procedures required by the documents and law. The deed-of-trust section quotes the full warning, and the forfeiture section walks through those procedures.

How common is this? The California Department of Insurance (CDI), which licenses bail agents, described the practice in a January 31, 2017 overview of the bail system (quoted in In Their Words) and said it is used in cases with high bail amounts. The same overview estimated that about 175,000 bail bonds are written in California each year. It did not say how many are secured by real estate, and none of the sources reviewed for this guide publish that figure.

A reconveyance is a document used to release the security interest created through a deed of trust. The appropriate instrument might instead be a certificate of discharge or a full release of lien. Ask the responsible party which document fits the recorded instrument. A receipt saying the account is paid is useful evidence, but it is not automatically a recordable release.

For the underlying financial roles, read bail bond co-signer responsibilities. If your main question is leaving the co-signer agreement while the bond continues, use the separate co-signer removal guide.

How to Read Your Bail Deed of Trust

Most official guidance on bail liens describes a deed of trust, though your paperwork may use a mortgage or another lien instrument instead. Find your copy before you call anyone. Los Angeles County's consumer protection office, the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA), suggests starting with the page that has the words “WHEN RECORDED MAIL TO” in the top left corner, then reading the document's title near the top of the page (DCBA, Using Your Home for Bail, last changed December 1, 2013). DCBA also notes that the copies you receive may look different from what you signed simply because they are smaller than the originals.

The disclosure you should have received first

Penal Code section 1276.5(a) requires the bail licensee, at the initial application for a bond to be secured by a lien against real property, to give the property owner a written disclosure in this form:

“DISCLOSURE OF LIEN AGAINST REAL PROPERTY DO NOT SIGN THIS DOCUMENT UNTIL YOU READ AND UNDERSTAND IT! THIS BAIL BOND WILL BE SECURED BY REAL PROPERTY YOU OWN OR IN WHICH YOU HAVE AN INTEREST. THE FAILURE TO PAY THE BAIL BOND PREMIUMS WHEN DUE OR THE FAILURE OF THE DEFENDANT TO COMPLY WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BAIL COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF YOUR PROPERTY!”

The California Legislature, Penal Code section 1276.5(a), added in 1991. The official text checked September 25, 2026 shows no later amendment.

Subdivision (b) requires 14-point bold type, either in a separate document attached to or accompanying the application, or as a clear and conspicuous statement on the application's face. Subdivision (c) requires that the owner receive completed copies of the disclosure and of the note and deed of trust, or other lien instrument, before signing anything that creates the lien. If any of those three requirements is not fully met, the statute makes the lien instrument voidable. That means it can be challenged in the proper legal proceeding. It does not vanish on its own.

Two practical points follow. First, the warning says these failures “COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF YOUR PROPERTY.” The forfeiture rules and foreclosure steps stand between a missed court date and a sale. Second, if a signature on your deed of trust was forged, the document was changed after you signed, or your property was used without your permission, DCBA tells Los Angeles County residents to speak with its counselors, and a lawyer should review the document promptly.

How to Remove a Bail Bond Lien: Step by Step

1. Confirm the bond's actual status

Ask the defendant's lawyer or the court clerk how to obtain the order or court record showing exoneration of the particular bond. Exoneration means the bond's liability to the court has ended. For more on that step, see what happens when a bond is exonerated. Match the defendant, court case, and bond number; a person can have more than one case or bond.

Do not substitute the defendant's release from jail, the last hearing you attended, or a statement that charges were dismissed for the actual bond record. Ask the lawyer about any appeal and when the time to appeal the exoneration order expires. Those details matter to the statutory document-delivery timeline.

2. Find the recorded lien and the agreements behind it

Collect the deed of trust or other lien instrument, promissory note if one was signed, indemnity agreement, collateral receipt, payment records, and any amendments. Note the property owner's exact name, legal description, county, recording date, and document number. A street address or assessor's parcel number can help identify the property, but county indexes do not all allow searches by those fields.

Read the named roles carefully. The beneficiary is the party identified as benefiting from the deed of trust's security. The trustee has the role assigned by that instrument and applicable law. The bail agent you spoke with, the surety insurer, the beneficiary, and the trustee may not all be the same person or business. That is one reason to work from the recorded document rather than a business name remembered from years ago.

3. Ask for an accounting of the secured obligation

Request a written explanation of what the lien secures and whether anything remains unpaid. Separate an earned premium, a covered bond loss, and permitted expenses. A demand should be supported by the agreement and appropriate records; an unexplained balance is not the same thing as a documented secured obligation.

If you believe everything is paid, include receipts and payment confirmations. If the company identifies a remaining charge you dispute, ask for an itemized explanation and get advice about that dispute. Do not assume that an unrelated balance or the defendant's court fines automatically belong in your property's bail-lien payoff.

4. Send a documented request for release

Send the responsible bail company or surety a written request identifying the bond and property. Include the exoneration information, relevant appeal-status information, and proof of payment or the accounting that shows satisfaction of the secured obligation. Keep a copy and evidence of delivery.

Ask for the appropriate document under Penal Code section 1276.5(d): a fully executed and notarized reconveyance of title, a certificate of discharge, or a full release of the real-property lien. The document must meet the execution and recording requirements that apply to it. Also ask who will record it and where the recorded copy will be sent. A written request gives everyone a record of what was supplied and what still needs to be resolved; it should not claim that a deadline has already expired unless the necessary dates are established.

5. Check that the document matches the lien

Before recording, compare the release with the original instrument. Confirm the property description, recording reference, parties, and scope of the release. Ask the responsible party to correct an error before submission. A release of one property or one obligation should not be assumed to release everything else in a transaction.

Have the proper party execute the proper document. Do not sign for the beneficiary or trustee, copy a signature, or submit a blank sample form as though it releases someone else's interest. County recorder staff can explain recording requirements, but legal questions about who has authority to sign or what must be released need appropriate legal or title assistance.

Section 1276.5(d) also requires the licensee, upon reconveyance, to deliver the original note and deed of trust, security agreement, or other instrument securing the bail obligation to the property owner. Keep those documents together with the release.

6. Arrange recording in the property's county

Confirm whether the company, trustee, title or escrow company, or owner is arranging submission. For a property in a different county from the criminal case, the land-records office to check is the recorder in the county where the real estate is located.

Use that recorder's current instructions for document preparation, acknowledgment, fees, delivery method, and return address. The county may have in-person, mail, or approved electronic-recording options, with different requirements. An online records search is not the same service as electronically recording a new document.

7. Verify the recorded result

Obtain the recording date and document number, then obtain or inspect the recorded copy through the county's available channels. Keep that copy with the original lien and your payment and bond records.

If a sale or refinance is pending, send the recorded release to the title or escrow professional handling the transaction. Ask them to confirm how it affects the specific exception in the title report. The recorder's acceptance establishes that a document was recorded; it does not independently decide every dispute over the debt, signature authority, or condition of title.

How Long Does It Take to Release a California Bail Lien?

California's bail-specific rule ties the deadline to two events, and the later one controls. Penal Code section 1276.5(d) describes delivery of the release documents. Recording and later access to the recorded copy are separate steps.

A worked example, with made-up dates. Suppose the court exonerated the bond, and on June 1, 2026 the property owner gave the surety and the bail licensee notice, with the court record, that the time to appeal the exoneration order had expired. The owner had made the final payment on everything the deed of trust secured on May 15, 2026. The later trigger is June 1, so the statute's 30 days run to July 1, 2026. If the final payment had instead come on June 20, 2026, the deadline would move to July 20, 2026. If someone had filed a timely appeal of the exoneration order, the 30 days would start only when the appellate decision affirming exoneration became final.

A regulation adds a duty to act. Under 10 CCR 2088.2, which governs return of collateral generally, collateral securing a bond must be returned immediately once an order ends the bond's liability. A licensee or surety that fails to take promptly any action needed to end that liability must return the collateral immediately once the right to that order arises. No appellate opinion reviewed for this guide settles exactly how this rule, section 2088.3, and section 1276.5 fit together for recorded real estate, so ask for the release as soon as the conditions are met.

Keep the two duties clear: establish when the responsible party must provide the release, then establish who will record it and how you will confirm the result. If the timing is contested, a lawyer can assess the statute, regulation, agreement, notices, and court record together.

General deed-of-trust law also matters. Civil Code section 2941 assigns separate duties to beneficiaries and trustees. For a deed of trust covered by that section, the beneficiary supplies the required reconveyance materials after satisfaction of the secured obligation, and the trustee must execute and record the reconveyance, or cause it to be recorded, when the statutory requirements are met. Another party may help submit the document without automatically taking over the trustee's legal duty. The section also calls for recording within two business days after the recorder receives a recordable instrument and all required fees, under its submission conditions. That does not guarantee acceptance of an incomplete document or an online-index update or mailed copy within two business days. Do not add unrelated statutory periods together to predict a guaranteed completion date.

Does Every Balance Have to Be Paid Before the Lien Is Released?

Ask what this lien secures. The answer comes from the security instrument and related agreements, read with applicable law. A bond can be exonerated while an agreed premium balance remains, and collateral may secure more than the bond's exposure to the court. Conversely, not every demand from a company necessarily falls within the particular lien.

10 CCR 2088.2 distinguishes collateral securing the bond from collateral securing unpaid premium or other permitted charges. 10 CCR 2081 limits the categories and conditions of permissible bail charges. Request the agreement, calculation, and supporting records for a disputed amount.

The defendant's fine, restitution obligation, or other court-ordered debt is a separate issue from the premium or indemnity obligation a property owner accepted. Do not assume that every fine must be paid to release a commercial bail lien. Also do not assume a paid premium settles an unresolved forfeiture or every other obligation secured by the documents.

Can a Bail Company Take Your House if the Defendant Misses Court?

It can happen, but a missed appearance does not transfer ownership of the house. Los Angeles County's consumer office warns families plainly that a missed court date can cost them the house (DCBA, last changed December 1, 2013). The law also provides grounds for relief from forfeiture and requires a formal foreclosure process before a home is sold. Two related processes matter: the court decides the surety's bail liability, while the security agreement and property law govern enforcement of the lien. Do not assume the court's forfeiture period postpones every contractual demand or foreclosure notice. Have a lawyer review any property notice promptly.

The court side: forfeiture, the 180-day window, and summary judgment

Two more rules matter here. A dismissal of the case after the defendant's default does not by itself release the bond (1306(d)). And instead of exonerating the bond, the court may order bail reinstated and the defendant released on the same bond, if the bail gets prior notice and has not surrendered the defendant (1305(c)(4)).

The bail can also act before a forfeiture. Section 1300 provides a surrender procedure, and section 1301 governs arrest for that purpose and prompt delivery to the appropriate court or law enforcement custody. Its delivery rules distinguish arrests inside California from return after an out-of-state arrest and include specified exceptions. If the court finds no good cause for surrendering a defendant who has not missed court or violated a court order, it may order the premium returned in whole or in part (1300(b)).

The property side: what the lien secures, then foreclosure rules

DCBA says the amount on a bail deed of trust should be the full bail amount, which is why a forfeiture puts the home at risk. If you also signed an indemnity agreement (the Seneca opinion refers to the homeowner there as “indemnitor Walker”), Civil Code section 2772, unchanged since it was enacted in 1872, defines indemnity as “a contract by which one engages to save another from a legal consequence of the conduct of one of the parties, or of some other person.” In plain terms, the signer promises to cover what the defendant's nonappearance costs the surety. DCBA describes the practical result: after a failure to appear, the company “will then demand that you pay the full bail amount,” and it “may also foreclose on your property to collect it.” What counts as a default under your deed of trust, and what a demand may include, depends on the signed agreement read with 10 CCR 2081, which limits what a bail licensee may charge.

Unpaid premium is a separate path. Under 10 CCR 2088.2, collateral securing premium or charges that remain unpaid at exoneration, and after a demand, may be levied upon “in the manner provided by law.” That means a lawful process, not self-help.

Enforcing a deed of trust without a court case is called a nonjudicial foreclosure, or trustee's sale. The Civil Code sets minimum steps and waiting periods (official text checked September 25, 2026):

A beneficiary can instead foreclose through a court case. In a court foreclosure where a deficiency judgment may be ordered, the property is sold subject to a right of redemption (Code of Civil Procedure section 729.010). DCBA's plain-English foreclosure guide (last changed December 16, 2025) explains these notices for homeowners. It is written for mortgage borrowers, so some steps it describes may not apply to a bail deed of trust. The table gives minimum notice rules, not every protection or a guaranteed sale date; for example, section 2924f(e) provides additional postponement rights for qualifying residential sales when its requirements are met.

What ends the risk to the property

• The defendant returns to court inside the 180-day window, or an extension, and the court vacates the forfeiture and exonerates the bond.
• The court or clerk misses a statutory step, such as mailing notice within 30 days or entering summary judgment within 90 days of the first possible date. Seneca is a real example with dates.
• The case ends without a forfeiture and the bond is exonerated.
• Everything the lien secures is paid, and the release is delivered and recorded.

Even after exoneration, confirm whether any unpaid premium or permitted charge is still secured by the property. Then follow the release steps.

If You Posted a Property Bond Directly With the Court

Some families pledge real estate to the court itself instead of working with a bail company. Penal Code section 1298 lets the defendant or any other person give as security equity in real property that person owns, and it bars any charge for doing so. Section 1276.5, the bail-licensee statute, does not describe this arrangement, so its 30-day rule is not the release timeline here.

• Equity must equal twice the cash bail. A magistrate holds a hearing, where witnesses may be called or examined, to value the equity. Bail is allowed if the equity equals twice the required cash deposit (section 1298). Contra Costa's packet defines equity as appraised value minus liens.
• The county is the beneficiary. Local packets show the pattern. The San Mateo County Attorney's property bond page calls for a deed of trust naming the court's executive officer as trustee and the County of San Mateo as beneficiary. Contra Costa Superior Court's property bond packet names Contra Costa County as beneficiary and the court executive officer or court services administrator as trustee.
• Paperwork comes before release. San Mateo's list (page revised September 2013) includes a short form deed of trust signed by all owners and notarized, a promissory note in which the owners promise to pay the county the bail amount if the defendant misses a required appearance, a title report, a state-certified appraisal, and proof of fire insurance. Once the property is approved, the deed of trust is recorded and a copy goes with the court paperwork. Contra Costa's packet also requires a notarized promissory note for the full amount of bail.
• A missed court date can lead to a court-ordered sale. Section 1298 directs the clerk, under court order, to sell the equity and apply the proceeds as a cash deposit would be applied. Contra Costa's packet warns that the property may be sold to pay the bail amount plus interest and foreclosure costs. Stanislaus's packet describes the court side of a forfeiture: the judge signs an order of forfeiture and a summary judgment, certified copies are mailed to the attorney of record, the signer of the deed of trust, county counsel, and the court, and county counsel prepares the documents for the sale.

Releasing a court property bond

After the bond is exonerated, release follows the court's local procedure. In Stanislaus Superior Court's packet (Local Form CR-20INFO, effective February 15, 2022), the attorney of record or the parties complete a Full Reconveyance form, arrange for the court executive officer to sign it before a notary, and submit it to the County Recorder. Once a copy of the recorded reconveyance is filed with the court clerk, the clerk mails a copy of the promissory note and full reconveyance, with the original deed of trust, by certified mail. Contra Costa's packet has the owner acknowledge that, if bail is exonerated, preparing and submitting the request for reconveyance to the court's executive officer is the owner's responsibility.

The practical sequence: get the exoneration order from the clerk, get that court's current reconveyance instructions, have the court's designated officer sign, record the reconveyance in the property's county, and keep the recorded copy. Procedures and forms vary by county, so use your own court's current packet. For the cash side of court deposits, see cash bond vs. bail.

Where to Check and Record the Release

Use the county recorder, not merely the assessor's property-value page. The recorder keeps recorded real-estate documents. An assessor's parcel or tax information does not by itself establish that a bail deed of trust was reconveyed. For court-side bail records, see are bail bonds public records.

Use the recorder for the county where the property is located. These eight counties are practical starting points. An online index may identify a document without displaying its pages. County links were checked in September 2026.

These official recorder sources do not provide a statewide average for completing a bail-bond lien release. They describe different steps and access methods. A document can have been accepted for recording before an online index, mailed original, or title review gives you the confirmation you need.

What If the Bail Company Does Not Release the Lien?

First determine what is missing: proof of exoneration, appeal-status notice, an unresolved secured payment, a signature, a recordable instrument, or recording itself. Ask for the explanation in writing. Send a documented request to the responsible parties identified in the agreements, and keep the response or evidence that no response arrived.

California provides a specific remedy when a licensee fails to comply with section 1276.5(d): the property owner may petition the superior court for an order directing the clerk to execute a full reconveyance, certificate of discharge, or full release of the bail-related lien. The petition must be verified and allege facts showing the licensee's failure to comply.

Section 1276.5 does not name a standard form for this petition. Ask a California lawyer or court self-help center about the appropriate court, parties, notice, evidence, and filing procedure for your facts. A recorder generally cannot decide the dispute or cancel the lien simply because an owner says it should be gone.

Section 1276.5(e) also provides remedies for a violation, including damages caused by the violation, statutory damages of $300, and costs and reasonable attorney's fees for a prevailing property owner in an enforcement action. These are legal remedies with requirements to prove, not an automatic payment for every delay.

For concerns about a licensed bail agent's conduct, the California Department of Insurance's bail consumer page provides a complaint route. A regulatory complaint does not itself record a reconveyance or replace time-sensitive legal action when a sale, foreclosure, or lawsuit is involved. In Los Angeles County, DCBA invites residents to speak with its counselors if a bail company will not issue a full reconveyance even though all fees are paid and the defendant appeared in court as promised.

If the issue is a forged or unauthorized lien, or missing required disclosures when it was created, the dispute may require a different legal analysis. Section 1276.5(c) makes the security instrument voidable for specified disclosure and document-copy failures. That means it can be challenged; it does not mean the county automatically deletes it when an owner alleges a problem. Depending on the facts, a lawyer may evaluate cancellation of the instrument under Civil Code section 3412 or a quiet title action under Code of Civil Procedure section 760.020.

What Court Records Teach About Lien Release

Seneca: first establish what happened to the bond

In Seneca Insurance Co. v. County of Orange (2004), a homeowner had pledged his house for someone else's bail bond. A disputed extension affected the forfeiture timeline. The Court of Appeal concluded that judgment against the surety came too late and directed the trial court to exonerate bail.

The opinion's own dates show how the forfeiture sequence works in practice. Thomas Walker signed a deed of trust on February 4, 2001. The opinion put his house's value at $325,000, with $265,000 in equity after a $60,000 mortgage.

• February 23, 2001: Seneca Insurance posted a $200,000 bond for the defendant.
• March 16, 2001: the defendant failed to appear, and the court ordered the bond forfeited.
• March 21, 2001: the clerk mailed notice of forfeiture to Seneca and its bail agents.
• October 11, 2001: on Seneca's motion under section 1305.4, the court set aside an earlier summary judgment and extended the period to March 21, 2002.
• March 19, 2002: a police detective asked a judge, in a chambers conference without notice to the parties, for a second extension. It was granted to June 17, 2002.
• July 1, 2002: the court entered a $200,000 summary judgment against Seneca.

The Court of Appeal, in an opinion decided March 24, 2004, found no substantial evidence that any agent of the surety requested the second extension. The statutory period had therefore expired before judgment, and the court reversed “for the trial court to order the bail exonerated.”

The decision illustrates why the actual orders and deadlines matter. It does not say the appellate court recorded a reconveyance or erased every private obligation. Exoneration and the later property-release work remain separate questions.

Markowitz: identify the party responsible for the next step

Markowitz v. Fidelity National Title Co. (2006) was an ordinary real-estate financing case, not a bail case. The homeowner sued a title company acting as a sub-escrow after a deed of trust was not reconveyed. The Court of Appeal upheld judgment for that company on the facts presented and discussed the separate statutory duties of the beneficiary and trustee.

Its limited practical lesson is to identify the parties and their actual responsibilities. It does not excuse a bail licensee from the bail-specific statute or establish that title and escrow companies can never owe duties.

In Their Words

“I offered to help Detective Spector if he could try to get more time for the bounty hunters, so that I would not lose my house.”

Thomas Walker, the homeowner who pledged his house for another man's bail bond, as quoted in the Court of Appeal's opinion in Seneca Insurance Co. v. County of Orange, decided March 24, 2004.

“To put it plainly, if the person you bailed out of jail does not appear in court as required, you can lose your house.”

The Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, Using Your Home for Bail, a consumer guide last changed December 1, 2013.

“The bail agent may require the bond to be secured by a lien on real property owned by an arrestee or his or her family or friends.”

The California Department of Insurance, An Exploration of California's Bail System, an overview released by then Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones on January 31, 2017.

“The petition shall be verified and shall allege facts showing that the licensee has failed to comply with this subdivision.”

The California Legislature, Penal Code section 1276.5(d), describing the property owner's petition when the licensee has not complied with its release duty (added in 1991; official text checked September 25, 2026).

“immediately upon such responsible party learning of the satisfaction of the obligation secured”

California's real-property collateral regulation, 10 CCR 2088.3, excerpting its timing language for delivery of a recordable reconveyance (text checked September 25, 2026).

“In order to make changes to title, a new document must be prepared and recorded.”

The Santa Cruz County Recorder's general recording FAQ, answering how to change a name or add or remove someone on a deed (page undated, checked September 25, 2026). Its guidance explains why a change is documented through a later instrument rather than by rewriting the original record.

“While we sympathize with the demands on a busy trial judge who is asked to make an order that appears harmless, there is, after all, a statutory procedure to request an extension, and it was not followed.”

Justice Moore, writing for the Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Three, in Seneca Insurance Co. v. County of Orange, March 24, 2004.

“In matters of this kind there should be no element of revenue to the state nor punishment of the surety.”

The California Supreme Court in People v. American Contractors Indemnity Co., filed July 22, 2004, quoting its 1960 decision in People v. Wilcox.

“Thus, when there is a breach of this contract, the bond should be enforced.”

The same 2004 Supreme Court opinion, as a counterweight. The court had just described a bail bond as a contract between the surety and the government that guarantees the defendant's appearance in court.

Selling, Refinancing, or Dealing With an Old Lien

If an escrow or lender discovers the lien, ask for the exact title-report exception and a copy of the recorded document. Provide the bond information, payoff or satisfaction evidence, and any release already received. Tell the responsible company about the scheduled closing date, while recognizing that the date does not eliminate legal requirements or control the recorder's processing.

If the original agent is no longer at the office or the business has changed names, use the named surety, beneficiary, and trustee in the documents to identify the responsible parties. The Department of Insurance's license lookup can help you identify a bail licensee. Do not assume that a similarly named business owns the old obligation or can sign the release.

If the property owner has died, the property was transferred, or the original documents were lost, raise that immediately. Section 2088.3 addresses delivery to the original grantor's heirs, legal representative, or successor in interest where applicable. The person requesting the release may need to establish their authority or entitlement; a recorder's online search alone does not resolve that issue.

How long can an old lien last? California sets outer limits. Under Civil Code section 882.020, the lien of a recorded deed of trust expires 10 years after the final maturity date or last date fixed for payment or performance, if that date can be determined from the recorded evidence of the debt. If it cannot, or there is no such date, the lien expires 60 years after the deed of trust was recorded. A recorded notice of intent to preserve the interest can extend these times. A title professional can tell you how the rule applies to your document. For a family trying to sell or refinance, waiting for a lien to expire is seldom practical, so request the release once the bond is exonerated and nothing secured is owed.

Finally, releasing the lien normally adds evidence to the public record; it does not erase the original recorded document from history. A title professional looks at the chain of recorded instruments and other relevant information. Seeing an older deed of trust in search results is not, by itself, proof that the lien remains enforceable.

If the Property or Bond Is Outside California

This guide's 30-day rule and superior-court petition discussion are California-specific. Do not apply them automatically to a different state's bail agreement or land records. If the criminal case and property are in different states, identify both jurisdictions before choosing the release and recording procedure.

For example, the Idaho Department of Insurance describes a different collateral-return rule: its bail consumer page (updated January 2, 2025) says collateral should be returned within 14 days of notice that the obligation is discharged. That guidance should not be turned into a promise about how quickly a county records a real-property release. Get the actual agreement and the relevant state's instructions for the type of collateral involved.

What Families Should Do Now

1. Identify the exact lien. Obtain its recorded document number, parties, and property description.
2. Confirm the bond status. Get the exoneration information and ask about appeal timing for that bond.
3. Reconcile the secured account. Separate premium, permitted expenses, any covered loss, and other debts.
4. Send the release request with supporting records. Keep proof of what was sent and when it was received.
5. Assign responsibility for recording. Know who will submit the executed document and how you will obtain the recorded copy.
6. Verify completion. Save the recording date and number, and provide the release to any title or escrow professional involved.
7. Escalate a documented problem. Get legal or regulatory help appropriate to the issue instead of relying on a verbal assurance or an unrelated lien form.
8. If the defendant missed court, move fast. Contact the bail company and the defendant's lawyer the same day, keep every notice, and remember the 180-day window under Penal Code section 1305.

How Bail Hotline Can Help

Everything above this section is written to be useful whether or not you ever call us. This is the one place we talk about ourselves.

Bail Hotline has been family-owned since 2004. We are licensed through DMCG, Inc., with the California Department of Insurance, license #1845394. Our agents answer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (888) 958-1228.

A missed court date with your home on the line: this is where we do our best work

When a home secures a bond, the moment families fear most is a missed court date. The law gives the defendant a window to get back to court, and the first days count. This is where our daily work matters most.

• Reminders that protect the collateral. Our clients receive text court-date reminders, because a kept court date is what keeps a forfeiture from starting.
• Warrant walk-throughs after a miss. If a date is missed, we walk the defendant and co-signer through the warrant and the next steps, so no one is guessing while the clock runs.
• Fast jail information. Our agents gather inmate information for all jails as part of their daily work, quickly and at no charge, and every office holds jail-system accounts.
• Dedicated posting agents, 24/7. A large, complicated, or out-of-county bond is not an automatic no.

Before property becomes part of a bond

A home is more than a line on an application. We walk every co-signer through the agreement, so you can ask what the property secures, what the disclosure warning means, and what happens at the end of the case before you sign.

• Ask about signing out. Any co-signer may sign out of a bond at any time while it is in good standing, meaning no past-due payments and a defendant who is not missing court or daily online check-ins. We explain how that works case by case, including what it means for any property you pledged. Our co-signer removal guide, linked near the top of this page, covers the details.
• Stay supported while the bond is active. Our team remains available for bond questions around the clock.

Every case is different, the judge makes the final decision on matters before the court, and we cannot promise a particular result. Willful conduct is treated differently from an honest mistake. County recording and title-review timing are also outside a bail agent's control.

Call before traveling to confirm arrangements. For more about the underlying process, read the Bail Hotline bail FAQ.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a bail bondsman put a lien on my house?

A voluntary bail-collateral lien is created through an authorized security document, such as a deed of trust, signed by the owner or an authorized representative. California requires the licensee to give the owner the Penal Code section 1276.5(a) written disclosure at the initial application and completed copies of the disclosure and lien documents before execution. If those steps were skipped, the lien instrument is voidable. A lien you never agreed to, or one with a forged signature, needs a lawyer's review right away; a separate judgment lien raises different questions.

How long does a bail lien stay on my property?

Until a release is recorded, or until the lien expires under California law. Recording a reconveyance or other release adds it to the county record. Without a release, Civil Code section 882.020 sets outer limits: 10 years after a final maturity date that can be determined from the recorded evidence of the debt, or 60 years after recording if no such date can be determined, unless the interest is preserved. When the bond is exonerated and nothing secured is owed, ask for the release instead of waiting.

Can the bail company foreclose if the defendant misses court?

A missed appearance can put pledged property at risk, but does not let the company simply take the house. The court's forfeiture period and any extensions govern the surety's liability; the signed documents and applicable law govern a property default. A trustee's sale generally requires a recorded notice of default, the statutory waiting period, and proper notice of sale. Do not assume the court's appearance period prevents a contractual demand or property notice. The forfeiture section explains both processes.

Does a bail bond lien disappear when the case is dismissed?

Do not assume it does. Confirm exoneration of the particular bond, identify any remaining secured obligation, and obtain the appropriate release documents. The county recording step also needs to be completed and verified. If charges were dropped, see what happens to bail money if charges drop.

Is an exoneration order the same as a deed-of-trust reconveyance?

No. The exoneration order addresses the bond's liability to the court. A reconveyance or other release addresses the property security, and recording puts that document into the county's land records.

Does the bail company have 30 days after the last court date?

The statute counts from different events. Penal Code section 1276.5(d) ties its document-delivery deadline to notice about expiration of the appeal period and full payment of the secured bail obligation, with a separate provision for a timely appeal. Ask for the actual court, notice, and payment dates before calculating a deadline.

Who records the release of a bail bond lien?

Confirm the arrangement with the responsible parties rather than assuming it has been done. The company, trustee, title or escrow professional, or owner may be involved in submission, depending on the documents and process. Ask who is handling it and request the recorded document number afterward.

Can I remove the lien myself by filling out a form?

You can gather records and make a documented request, but a blank form does not authorize you to release someone else's interest. The correct person must execute the appropriate instrument. California also provides a verified-petition route when the statutory requirements are met and the licensee fails to comply.

Do I have to pay the defendant's fines first?

The defendant's court fines are not automatically the same debt as your secured bail obligation. Read the lien and related agreements, and ask for an itemized accounting. A dispute over what the property secures needs review of those documents and the applicable law.

Can I sell or refinance while the lien is still on the property?

Tell the title or escrow professional about the lien as early as possible. They can identify what must be resolved for the particular transaction and evaluate any payoff or release documents. Do not promise a closing date based only on a verbal statement that the bond is over.

Why does the old deed of trust still appear after release?

Recorded documents normally remain part of the historical property record. The release is a separate instrument that should be matched to the original lien. Obtain the recorded release and ask a title professional to review the relevant chain of documents if the status is unclear.

What if the bail company is closed or the original agent is gone?

Start with the recorded instrument and the related agreements to identify the surety, beneficiary, trustee, and licensee. Check available licensing information and preserve your prior correspondence. If you cannot obtain the required release, seek advice about the statutory remedy and proper parties rather than signing the document for them.

Does taking my name off the bail agreement clear my property too?

Not automatically. A release from personal obligations and a release of recorded property security must each be addressed. Ask for written confirmation of what is being released, then obtain and verify the property document. The co-signer removal guide linked near the top of this page explains the separate co-signer issue.

Why We Publish This

Property owners should be able to distinguish a completed court case from a completed lien release. This guide explains the records and questions that help a family establish what happened and what remains to be done. It provides general information, not legal advice about a particular property, agreement, or court case.

Sources and Further Reading

Statutes were read in the official California Legislative Information text on September 25, 2026.

California law and bail regulation

• Penal Code section 1276.5: lien disclosures, documents, release duties, petition procedure, and remedies.
• 10 CCR 2088.3: recorded real-property collateral and recordable reconveyances.
• 10 CCR 2088.2: collateral securing the bond, premium, or permitted charges.
• 10 CCR 2081: permitted bail charges and expenses.
• California Department of Insurance: Bail Bonds and License Status Inquiry.
• Civil Code section 2941: separate reconveyance and recording duties.
• Penal Code section 1298: property equity pledged directly to the court. Penal Code Article 5 shows it in context.
• Penal Code section 1305, section 1305.4, and section 1306: forfeiture, the 180-day period, extensions, and summary judgment.
• Penal Code section 1300 and section 1301: surrender and arrest by the bail.
• Civil Code section 2924, section 2924b, section 2924c, and section 2924f: notice of default, mailing, reinstatement, and notice of sale.
• Civil Code section 2903 and Code of Civil Procedure section 729.010: redemption.
• Civil Code section 2772: the definition of indemnity.
• Civil Code section 882.020: outer time limits on recorded security interests.
• Civil Code section 3412 and Code of Civil Procedure section 760.020: cancellation and quiet title.

Court records

• Seneca Insurance Co. v. County of Orange (2004), 117 Cal.App.4th 611.
• Markowitz v. Fidelity National Title Co. (2006), 142 Cal.App.4th 508.
• Seneca Insurance Co. v. County of Orange, full text on FindLaw.
• People v. American Contractors Indemnity Co. (2004), California Supreme Court, S120474.

Court property bond packets

• Stanislaus Superior Court: Deposit of Real Estate Equity packet, Local Form CR-20INFO, effective February 15, 2022.
• Contra Costa Superior Court: Property Bond Packet.
• San Mateo County Attorney: Property Bond Information.

Consumer and regulator guidance

• Los Angeles County DCBA: Using Your Home for Bail, last changed December 1, 2013.
• Los Angeles County DCBA: The California Foreclosure Process, last changed December 16, 2025.
• California Department of Insurance: An Exploration of California's Bail System, January 31, 2017.

Recorder guidance

• The eight official county recorder entries in the table above.
• Orange County: checking whether a lien was released.
• Los Angeles County: full reconveyance document guidance.
• Fresno County: the county recorder and the permanent property record.
• Santa Cruz County Recorder: general recording questions.

Other jurisdictions

• Idaho Department of Insurance: Bail Bonds, updated January 2, 2025.

Quick answer: An immigration bond and a regular bail bond both pay for someone’s release while a case continues, but they belong to two separate systems. Regular bail in California is part of a criminal case. A county bail schedule or a California judge sets the amount, and it is posted with the jail or court, often through a licensed bail agent. An immigration bond belongs to a civil federal case about whether a noncitizen may stay in the United States. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sets it first, an immigration judge can review it, federal law sets a floor of $1,500 under 8 U.S.C. 1226(a), and it is paid to ICE by an eligible obligor, such as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, during ICE’s weekday posting hours. Posting one never satisfies the other. A person with both a criminal case and an immigration case can need two separate releases, and paying one bond does not end either case. Some people cannot get an immigration bond at all because federal law requires their detention, and the rules on who qualifies for a bond hearing changed more than once in 2025 and 2026. If your relative is in ICE custody, talk to an immigration lawyer before you pay anyone.

Updated September 2026. Written for California families whose loved one is in immigration detention, is in a county jail with an immigration hold, or is out on criminal bail and worried about ICE. Checked on September 28, 2026 against federal immigration statutes and regulations, ICE’s bond page, the immigration court practice manual, Board of Immigration Appeals decisions through July 2026, the Ninth Circuit’s July 30, 2026 decision in Rodriguez Vazquez v. Bostock, and the California Penal and Government Codes. General information, not legal advice.

If you are still trying to find out where someone is held, start with our California inmate locator guide, which explains ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System alongside county, state and federal searches. For San Diego County, our guide to San Diego detention centers covers the Otay Mesa immigration facility. For a plain list of release labels (cash, surety, O.R., federal and immigration), see our guide to bail bond classifications. This guide answers a narrower question: how the two kinds of bond actually differ, and what that means for the family paying or signing.

Immigration Bonds and Bail Bonds at a Glance

In this guide: Two separate systems | California bail basics | How an immigration bond works | Who cannot get a bond | Paying ICE | Breach and refunds | ICE holds in county jail | ICE detains someone out on bail | Misunderstandings | Examples | Checklist | How Bail Hotline can help | FAQ | Sources

Two Separate Systems, Two Separate Releases

The most important difference is not the price or the paperwork. It is that the two bonds answer to different governments and to different kinds of cases.

A California bail bond belongs to a criminal case. The State of California has charged, or may charge, someone with a crime, and bail secures that person’s return to a California courtroom. A county sheriff or city police department holds the person, and a California superior court controls bail.

An immigration bond belongs to a removal case: the federal government’s process for deciding whether a noncitizen may stay in the United States. That process is civil. In Zadvydas v. Davis (2001), the U.S. Supreme Court wrote: “The proceedings at issue here are civil, not criminal, and we assume that they are nonpunitive in purpose and effect.” ICE holds the person, and the judges who review immigration custody sit in federal immigration courts run by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), not in California’s courts.

Because the systems are separate, several practical rules follow:

• Paying criminal bail does not release someone from ICE custody. A California bail bond only answers the California charge.
• An immigration bond does not satisfy a criminal case. If the same person also has a California charge, that case keeps its own court dates and its own bail.
• Each system uses its own identifiers. The criminal side runs on a booking number and a court case number. The immigration side runs on the A-number, which EOIR’s case information page describes as a number that “begins with the letter A and is followed by an 8- or 9-digit number.”
• Each system has its own deadlines and consequences. Missing a criminal court date can forfeit bail. Missing an immigration hearing can breach an immigration bond and can lead to a removal order.

A person can be in both systems at once. That usually happens in one of two ways: someone arrested on a California charge also has an immigration issue ICE learns about, or someone already out on California bail is later detained by ICE. Both situations have their own sections below, because that is where it is easiest to pay for the wrong thing or miss a deadline.

How Regular Bail Works in a California Criminal Case

This section is short on purpose, because our other guides cover California bail in depth. What matters here is the contrast.

The amount starts with a schedule. Penal Code 1269b(c) says: “It is the duty of the superior court judges in each county to prepare, adopt, and annually revise a uniform countywide schedule of bail for all bailable felony offenses and for all misdemeanor and infraction offenses except Vehicle Code infractions.” Once the defendant has appeared before a judge on the charge, “the bail shall be in the amount fixed by the judge at the time of the appearance” (Penal Code 1269b(b)).

A judge weighs public safety first. Under Penal Code 1275(a)(1), a judge setting, reducing or denying bail “shall take into consideration the protection of the public, the seriousness of the offense charged, the previous criminal record of the defendant, and the probability of his or her appearing at trial or at a hearing of the case. The public safety shall be the primary consideration.” In In re Humphrey (March 25, 2021), the California Supreme Court added: “Where a financial condition is nonetheless necessary, the court must consider the arrestee’s ability to pay the stated amount of bail.”

Almost anyone can pay. Penal Code 1295(a) allows “The defendant, or any other person” to deposit cash bail. Families can instead use a bail bond, posted by a licensed bail agent and backed by an insurance company. Our guides to cash bonds versus surety bonds, what you need to get a bail bond and what it costs to bail someone out walk through that process.

A defendant who cannot afford a lawyer gets one. Under Penal Code 987(a), “If the defendant desires and is unable to employ counsel the court shall assign counsel to defend them.” Immigration court has no matching guarantee. Under 8 U.S.C. 1362, representation there is “at no expense to the Government.”

Missing court puts the bail at risk. If the defendant does not appear, the court can declare bail forfeited under Penal Code 1305. Our guide to bail bond forfeiture covers the notice, the time limits and how a forfeiture can be set aside.

How an Immigration Bond Works

ICE makes the first custody decision

The federal statute is 8 U.S.C. 1226(a). After a noncitizen is arrested on an immigration warrant, the government “may continue to detain the arrested alien” or may release the person on a “bond of at least $1,500 with security approved by, and containing conditions prescribed by, the Attorney General,” or on “conditional parole.” The statute still names the Attorney General, but in practice the first decision comes from ICE. The immigration court’s practice manual puts it simply: “Initially, the bond is set by DHS.”

There is no bail schedule for immigration bonds. The statute sets a floor, not a price list, and the amount turns on the individual person. The same statute also lets the government take the release back: “The Attorney General at any time may revoke a bond or parole authorized under subsection (a), rearrest the alien under the original warrant, and detain the alien” (8 U.S.C. 1226(b)).

An immigration judge can review that decision

If ICE refuses bond or sets an amount the family cannot pay, the detained person can ask an immigration judge to review it. The regulation, 8 CFR 1236.1(d)(1), authorizes the judge, after ICE’s initial decision and before a final order, to “detain the alien in custody, release the alien, and determine the amount of bond.” That review is often called a bond hearing or a custody redetermination.

• Where it is filed. Under 8 CFR 1003.19(c), a detained person applies first to “the Immigration Court having jurisdiction over the place of detention.”
• How it is requested. The practice manual says, “A request for a bond hearing may be made in writing.” It adds that, with some exceptions, a request may also be made orally in court or, at the judge’s discretion, by telephone.
• It is a separate proceeding. The regulation says the bond decision “shall be separate and apart from, and shall form no part of, any deportation or removal hearing or proceeding.” The manual says the same thing more plainly: “Bond proceedings are separate from removal proceedings.” Winning a bond hearing does not decide the removal case, and losing one does not end it.
• The evidence can be broad. The judge’s decision “may be based upon any information that is available to the Immigration Judge or that is presented to him or her by the alien or the Service” (8 CFR 1003.19(d)).

What the immigration judge weighs

The regulation that governs ICE’s own release decision, 8 CFR 1236.1(c)(8), says the person “must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the officer that such release would not pose a danger to property or persons, and that the alien is likely to appear for any future proceeding.” At a bond hearing, the practice manual says, “the immigration judge considers whether respondent’s release would pose a danger to property or persons, whether the respondent is likely to appear for further immigration proceedings, and whether the respondent is a threat to national security.” In practice, the detained person and their lawyer should come ready to answer all of those questions with evidence.

The Board of Immigration Appeals listed factors a judge may consider in Matter of Guerra, 24 I&N Dec. 37 (BIA 2006). In plain terms, they are:

• whether the person has a fixed address in the United States;
• how long the person has lived here;
• family ties in the United States, and whether they may allow the person to stay permanently in the future;
• employment history;
• the record of appearing in court;
• the criminal record, including how extensive, how recent and how serious it is;
• the history of immigration violations;
• any attempt to flee prosecution or escape authorities; and
• the manner of entry to the United States.

The Board added: “The Immigration Judge may choose to give greater weight to one factor over others, as long as the decision is reasonable.” That is why two people with similar backgrounds can get different results.

The Board has tightened how flight risk is judged. In Matter of A-L-S-, 29 I&N Dec. 794 (BIA 2026), decided July 28, 2026, it held: “Inherent in the concept of flight risk is not only whether the alien will appear at future hearings before the Immigration Judge, but also whether the alien is likely to comply with future orders of the Immigration Judge.” It also held: “Speculative future eligibility for relief based upon conjecture or hypothetical future events does not materially diminish flight risk.” In that case the Board sustained ICE’s appeal and vacated a judge’s order releasing the person on a $7,500 bond.

Two 2025 Board decisions point the same way. The Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) summarizes Matter of Dobrotvorskii as vacating a bond grant for lack of adequate sponsorship evidence, such as a sponsor’s letter, and Matter of Akhmedov as vacating a bond grant over inconsistent address reporting and late change-of-address filings. The practical lesson for families is concrete: a sponsor’s letter, proof of a stable address, and consistent records carry weight. Promises about what might happen later carry much less.

After the hearing: second requests and appeals

• A second request needs something new. Under 8 CFR 1003.19(e), a later bond request must be in writing and “shall be considered only upon a showing that the alien’s circumstances have changed materially since the prior bond redetermination.”
• Either side can appeal, and the clock is short. The practice manual says, “Either party may appeal the immigration judge’s decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals.” As amended in February 2026 (91 FR 5278), 8 CFR 1003.38(b)(1) generally requires the notice of appeal (Form EOIR-26) to be filed with the Board “within 10 calendar days of the Immigration Judge’s decision.” Deadlines like this change, so confirm the current one with a lawyer the day of the decision.

Three kinds of immigration bonds

ICE’s bond page defines an immigration bond as “a guaranty by the person who posts the bond (the obligor) that the noncitizen will fulfill the noncitizen’s obligations to the government.” It describes three kinds:

Release can also come with reporting and monitoring conditions. ICE says its Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program “exists to ensure compliance with release conditions and provides important case management services for non-detained aliens.” ICE lists telephone reporting, body-worn GPS monitoring by ankle bracelet or wrist-worn device, and a smartphone check-in app called SmartLINK among its tools.

Who Cannot Get an Immigration Bond

Criminal bail in California can be denied in some cases, as our guide to being denied bail explains. Immigration law goes further: some groups are held without any bond hearing at all.

Mandatory detention under 8 U.S.C. 1226(c)

Federal law requires ICE to detain several groups, including people who are inadmissible or deportable on listed criminal grounds. In January 2025 the Laken Riley Act (Pub. L. 119-1) added a new category, 8 U.S.C. 1226(c)(1)(E). It covers a person who is inadmissible on certain grounds, including being present “without admission or parole,” misrepresentation, or lacking required documents (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(6)(A), (6)(C) and (7)), and who:

“is charged with, is arrested for, is convicted of, admits having committed, or admits committing acts which constitute the essential elements of any burglary, theft, larceny, shoplifting, or assault of a law enforcement officer offense, or any crime that results in death or serious bodily injury to another person”

Two details matter for California families. First, the statute reaches people who are only arrested for or charged with those offenses, not just those convicted. Second, subsection (c)(2) says those offense terms “have the meanings given such terms in the jurisdiction in which the acts occurred,” which means California’s definitions apply to acts in California. A California shoplifting or theft arrest can therefore have immigration custody consequences far larger than the criminal charge itself. Anyone in that position should make sure the criminal defense lawyer knows the person’s immigration status.

People immigration judges cannot give bond to

The practice manual lists groups over whom immigration judges have no bond jurisdiction, including people in exclusion proceedings, “arriving aliens” in removal proceedings, and people ineligible for release on security or certain criminal grounds.

The 2025 to 2026 fight over people who entered without inspection

The biggest recent change involves people who entered the United States without inspection and were later arrested inside the country. In September 2025, in Matter of Yajure Hurtado, 29 I&N Dec. 216 (BIA 2025), the Board of Immigration Appeals treated those people as subject to mandatory detention under a different statute, 8 U.S.C. 1225(b)(2)(A). CLINIC’s summary puts the result this way: “IJs lack authority to hear bond requests or grant bond to noncitizens who are present in the United States without inspection and admission.”

Federal courts whose rulings reach California have pushed back. In Rodriguez Vazquez v. Bostock, decided July 30, 2026 in an appeal from the Western District of Washington, the Ninth Circuit, whose rulings bind federal courts in California, concluded “that aliens present without admission who are apprehended in the interior of the United States are subject to the detention regime of § 1226, not § 1225(b)(2)(A).” The opinion describes detention under section 1226(a) as “discretionary, allowing the release of aliens on bond pending their removal proceedings.” That bond route still does not reach someone who falls in a mandatory detention category under 1226(c). Judge Bress wrote the opinion, and Judge Bea dissented.

A related class case from the Central District of California, Maldonado Bautista v. Santacruz, produced a December 18, 2025 judgment for a “Bond Eligible Class” and a February 18, 2026 order vacating Matter of Yajure Hurtado. According to the Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse, on March 31, 2026 the Ninth Circuit stayed the district court’s orders insofar as they extend beyond the Central District of California, leaving the December 18, 2025 judgment in place within that district.

Other courts of appeals have split. A September 11, 2026 CLINIC summary reports that most circuits to decide the question have rejected the government’s position, while the Fifth and Eighth Circuits upheld mandatory detention, and that petitions asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the question have been filed.

For a California family, the practical point is this: whether your relative can even ask for a bond may depend on how and where they entered, where they were arrested, where they are detained, and the state of the law on the day of the hearing. This is a question for an immigration lawyer, not a bond company.

Paying an Immigration Bond: Who Can Pay, How and When

Paying a California bail bond and paying an immigration bond feel similar only until you try to do it. The rules below come from ICE’s bond page, opened September 28, 2026.

Who can be the obligor

The obligor is the person or organization that posts the bond and makes the promise. ICE lists eligible obligors as “U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, law firms, and non-profit organizations.” ICE also says a noncitizen may post a voluntary departure bond or an order of supervision bond on their own behalf.

This is one of the sharpest differences from criminal bail. In California, “The defendant, or any other person” can deposit cash bail. For a delivery bond, ICE’s list does not include a relative who is neither a U.S. citizen nor a lawful permanent resident. Settle who will be the obligor before the money is gathered.

ICE also lists the identification it accepts. For a U.S. citizen, the list includes a U.S. passport, a U.S. birth certificate, a naturalization certificate, a REAL ID driver’s license or state ID card, or a military ID. For a lawful permanent resident, it is a Permanent Resident Card or a military ID. Check the current list before you go, because an ordinary driver’s license that is not a REAL ID card is not on it.

How the money moves

ICE’s page is direct: “Bond payments must be made via Fedwire or Automated Clearing House (ACH) to post an immigration bond.” Bonds are posted through ICE’s online system, CeBONDS, and ICE says it works case by case with obligors who walk into an ICE office. That means a bank transfer, not cash handed across a counter at a jail.

For people who cannot do that, ICE says: “Obligors without access to banking services may use an immigration bond company to post a bond.” ICE also points to community-based organizations that help with immigration bonds.

When the money can be posted

ICE lists bond posting hours as Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., excluding government holidays, applied in the time zone where the person is detained. Compare that with California criminal bail, where timing depends on the jail and bail agents can work nights and weekends. Our guide to getting bailed out on the weekend explains how weekend timing works on the criminal side. An immigration bond decided on a Friday afternoon may not be payable until the next business day.

Using an immigration bond company

An immigration surety bond is backed by a surety company rather than by the obligor’s own cash. Federal regulation limits who can stand behind it: “Immigration bonds may be posted by a company holding a certificate from the Secretary of the Treasury under 31 U.S.C. 9304-9308” (8 CFR 103.6(b)). The Treasury Department publishes that roster. Its surety bond page says, “The Department Circular 570 offers a complete list of companies that write or reinsure federal bonds,” and showed an edition updated August 1, 2026 when we checked.

Before you sign with any company, ask these questions and get the answers in writing:

1. Which insurance company is the surety, and is it on Treasury’s list?
2. What is the total cost, what is it for, and is any part refundable?
3. Is collateral required, and exactly when and how is it returned?
4. Are there monitoring requirements, such as a GPS device, and who pays for them?
5. What happens to your money and collateral when ICE cancels the bond, or if the bond is breached?
6. Will you get a complete copy of everything you sign, in a language you read well?

A trustworthy company will answer all six without pressure. Be wary of anyone who asks you to pay before telling you which surety backs the bond.

What the Obligor Promises, and How the Money Comes Back

The promise

For a delivery bond, the obligor promises to produce the person when ICE demands it. ICE’s page names the form that makes the demand: the Notice to Obligor to Deliver Alien (Form I-340). If that notice arrives, treat its date and place as fixed. Keep copies of the bond form, ICE Form I-352, and make sure ICE can reach you, because the delivery notice is addressed to the obligor.

Breach

Under 8 CFR 103.6(e), “A bond is breached when there has been a substantial violation of the stipulated conditions.” ICE sends the obligor a breach notice (Form I-323). ICE’s page explains the cost: “When a bond is breached, the obligor forfeits the bond deposit to the government. However, when an obligor breaches a cash bond ICE will still refund to the obligor the interest that has accrued on the cash deposit.”

Missing an immigration hearing is also dangerous for the person released. Under 8 U.S.C. 1229a(b)(5)(A), a noncitizen who received the required written notice and does not attend “shall be ordered removed in absentia if the Service establishes by clear, unequivocal, and convincing evidence that the written notice was so provided and that the alien is removable.” To check hearing dates, EOIR says, “Users can dial 1-800-898-7180 (toll-free) to obtain case status information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week” (EOIR case information).

Cancellation and getting the money back

According to ICE, an immigration bond stays in effect until ICE issues its bond cancellation notice, Form I-391. That notice is the document that closes out the obligor’s promise, so keep it with your bond papers. Winning the case, losing the case and leaving the country each end the removal case in different ways, and the bond is not closed until ICE issues the cancellation notice.

On the criminal side, the rules for getting money back are different again. Cash bail deposited with a California court is handled under state law when the case ends, and the fee paid to a bail agent is a separate matter. Our guides to whether you get bail money back and what happens to bail money if charges are dropped cover California’s rules.

When the Two Systems Meet: County Jails, ICE Holds and California Law

This is where most confusion happens. Someone is arrested on a California charge, the family hears there is an “ICE hold,” and nobody is sure whether posting criminal bail will bring the person home or deliver them to ICE.

What an ICE hold is

ICE can send a local jail a request about a person in custody. California law speaks of three kinds: a “hold” request (keep the person), a “notification” request (tell ICE before release), and a “transfer” request (hand the person to ICE). A request from ICE is not a California court order.

What California law lets jails do

The California Values Act, Government Code 7284.6, limits how California law enforcement agencies help with immigration enforcement. Among other things, it bars:

• “Detaining an individual on the basis of a hold request.”
• Giving out release dates or answering notification requests, unless the information is public or the request fits the exceptions in Government Code 7282.5. Even then, the statute says: “Responses are never required, but are permitted under this subdivision, provided that they do not violate any local law or policy.”
• Transferring a person to immigration authorities “unless authorized by a judicial warrant or judicial probable cause determination, or in accordance with Section 7282.5.”

Government Code 7282.5 is the exceptions list. It gives law enforcement “discretion to cooperate with immigration authorities only if doing so would not violate any federal, state, or local law, or local policy,” and it allows release-date notifications and transfers only for people who fit listed categories. Those include people convicted of a serious or violent felony, people convicted of a felony punishable by state prison, and people with certain listed convictions within set time periods, among others. A separate subdivision allows a release-date notification, but not a transfer, for a person charged with a serious or violent felony or a felony punishable by state prison after a magistrate finds probable cause on that charge. None of these categories lets a jail keep someone in custody on an ICE hold request alone.

Two cautions keep this accurate. First, even where cooperation is allowed, it is discretionary, and county policies differ. Second, these rules govern California agencies. They do not control what ICE itself does after a person leaves the jail.

Rights under the TRUTH Act

California’s TRUTH Act, Government Code 7283.1, gives people in local custody specific notice rights:

• Before any ICE interview about civil immigration violations, the jail must provide a written consent form explaining “that the interview is voluntary, and that the individual may decline to be interviewed or may choose to be interviewed only with the individual’s attorney present.”
• “Upon receiving any ICE hold, notification, or transfer request, the local law enforcement agency shall provide a copy of the request to the individual and inform the individual whether the law enforcement agency intends to comply with the request.”
• If the agency tells ICE about a release date, it “shall promptly provide the same notification in writing to the individual and to the individual’s attorney or to one additional person who the individual shall be permitted to designate.”

That last right is valuable for families. If your relative designates you, the agency must promptly send you, in writing, any release-date notice it gives ICE.

Should the family post criminal bail if there is an ICE request?

There is no single right answer, and anyone who promises one is guessing. These are the questions to settle first, ideally with both a criminal defense lawyer and an immigration lawyer:

1. Is there actually an ICE request on file? Under the TRUTH Act, your relative should receive a copy and be told whether the jail intends to comply.
2. Does your relative fall within Government Code 7282.5? Either way, a California jail may not keep someone in custody on an ICE hold request alone. If your relative is outside 7282.5, the jail also should not notify ICE of a nonpublic release date or transfer them without a judicial warrant or judicial probable cause determination. If your relative is inside it, a notification, and in some categories a transfer, is possible, depending on county policy.
3. Would mandatory detention apply if ICE took custody? Under 8 U.S.C. 1226(c), including the Laken Riley Act category, some people would be held without bond. That changes what leaving county custody could mean.
4. Who will keep the California case on track? Even if ICE takes custody, the criminal case continues. The next section explains what that means for the bail bond and the cosigner.

Nothing in this section is a reason to leave a loved one in jail without advice. It is a reason to get the right advice quickly.

If Someone Out on California Bail Is Detained by ICE

This scenario worries cosigners most. A person is released on a California bail bond, goes home, and is later detained by ICE before the next court date.

The criminal case does not pause on its own. If the defendant misses a California court date, the court can declare bail forfeited, and the clock that governs the bond starts running. Our bail bond forfeiture guide and our guide to bail bond reinstatement explain that process.

California law expressly addresses detention by other authorities. Penal Code 1305 contains three provisions that can matter when a defendant is in immigration custody or has been removed:

• Permanent inability to appear, subdivision (d). A court “shall direct the order of forfeiture to be vacated” when it is shown, within the statute’s time limit, that “The defendant is deceased or otherwise permanently unable to appear in the court due to illness, insanity, or detention by military or civil authorities,” and that “The absence of the defendant is without the connivance of the bail.”
• Temporary inability to appear, subdivision (e). A court “shall order the tolling of the 180-day period” when “The defendant is temporarily disabled by reason of illness, insanity, or detention by military or civil authorities,” the disability keeps the defendant from appearing during the rest of that period, and the absence is without the connivance of the bail.
• Custody outside the court’s reach, subdivision (f). When a defendant “is in custody beyond the jurisdiction of the court that ordered the bail forfeited, and the prosecuting agency elects not to seek extradition after being informed of the location of the defendant,” the court “shall vacate the forfeiture and exonerate the bond on terms that are just.”

Courts apply these rules to specific facts. In the published case People v. American Surety Ins. Co. (2000) 77 Cal.App.4th 1063, a defendant released on bail was deported by federal immigration authorities before his preliminary hearing. The Court of Appeal reversed the order refusing to vacate the forfeiture, explaining: “He was not only ordered to leave the country, he was physically escorted across the border by federal agents. Federal statutes prevent both his voluntary return, and his forced return by Surety.” The bond was exonerated. The court stressed that the defendant was physically removed and legally barred from returning, and the record showed the surety had no reason to suspect the deportation. Different facts can lead to a different result.

What cosigners should do right away:

1. Tell the bail agent the same day you learn of the ICE detention. Give the facility name, the A-number if you have it, and any ICE paperwork.
2. Tell the criminal defense lawyer, who can raise the detention with the court before a date is missed.
3. Keep proof: locator results, letters from ICE or the facility, and immigration court notices.
4. Keep every date on both calendars, criminal and immigration.

Bail agents cannot be used for immigration enforcement. Penal Code 1299.07(f) says a person authorized to apprehend a bail fugitive “shall not use that position for the purposes of immigration enforcement, except pursuant to a valid judicial warrant or court order.” Subdivision (g) bars that person from disclosing a bail fugitive’s personally identifiable information “for purposes of immigration enforcement” on the same terms. Our guide to what bail enforcement agents can do covers the rest of those rules.

Common Misunderstandings About Immigration Bonds

Each of these mix-ups can cost a family time or money.

• “Immigration bonds come in the same forms as criminal release.” Citation release, own-recognizance release, cash bail and surety bail bonds are California criminal-case concepts. ICE’s bond types are delivery, voluntary departure and order of supervision bonds.
• “An immigration bond means the person committed a crime.” Immigration detention is civil. A person can be in removal proceedings with no criminal case at all, although a criminal record can affect bond eligibility and the judge’s decision.
• “Paying the bond ends the case.” The bond secures the person’s appearance and compliance. The removal case continues until an immigration judge decides it.
• “Anyone in the family can pay.” ICE’s list of eligible obligors is limited to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, law firms and nonprofit organizations, with narrow exceptions for a noncitizen’s own voluntary departure or supervision bond.
• “We can pay it tonight.” ICE’s posting hours are weekday business hours in the detention time zone.
• “The bond hearing decides whether they can stay.” By regulation, the bond decision is “separate and apart from” the removal hearing.
• “No criminal record means bond is certain.” Mandatory detention rules, flight-risk findings and the judge’s discretion all still apply.
• “Bond money always comes back.” A breached bond forfeits the deposit, although ICE still refunds accrued interest on a cash bond.
• “Posting criminal bail sends someone with an ICE hold straight home.” California law bars jails from keeping someone on an ICE hold request alone, but it allows release-date notifications and transfers in listed cases, and ICE can act on its own after release.

How This Plays Out: Four Hypothetical Examples

These examples are hypothetical. They are composites built to show how the rules interact, not real cases, and none predicts the result in any real case.

Hypothetical 1: An ICE arrest with no criminal case

A man in Los Angeles County with no criminal record is arrested by ICE. His family finds him through ICE’s online locator and writes down his A-number. ICE does not release him. His immigration lawyer asks the immigration court with jurisdiction over his place of detention for a bond hearing. Before the hearing, the family collects a signed lease, a letter from his employer, proof of his children’s school enrollment and a sponsor letter from his sister, a U.S. citizen. Whether he can get a hearing at all depends on how he entered and on the law in the Ninth Circuit at that moment. If the judge sets a bond, his sister, as obligor, pays it by bank transfer on a weekday before 3 p.m. Pacific time and keeps a full copy of Form I-352. Two years later, after the case ends, she keeps watching for Form I-391, because the bond is not closed until ICE cancels it.

Hypothetical 2: A county arrest with an ICE request

A woman is arrested in Riverside County on a misdemeanor theft charge. She has no prior convictions. The jail receives an ICE request and, as the TRUTH Act requires, gives her a copy and says whether it intends to comply. The Values Act bars the jail from holding her on the request. Because she does not appear to fit the categories in Government Code 7282.5, it also bars the jail from giving ICE a nonpublic release date or transferring her without a judicial warrant or judicial probable cause determination. Her family posts criminal bail through a bail agent. Her immigration lawyer then points out a separate risk: if she entered without inspection and ICE later takes custody, the Laken Riley Act category for people arrested for or charged with theft could make her detention mandatory, with no bond. The family keeps both lawyers informed and keeps every California court date.

Hypothetical 3: Out on a California bail bond, then detained by ICE

A man is out on a California bail bond for a felony charge in Fresno County. Two weeks before his next court date, ICE detains him and moves him to a detention facility. His cosigner calls the bail agent that day with the facility name and A-number, and calls his defense lawyer. The lawyer tells the court about the detention before the hearing. If he misses the date and bail is forfeited, the surety can ask the court to toll the time limit under Penal Code 1305(e) while he is detained. If he is later removed, subdivision (d) or (f) may apply, depending on the facts. The court, not the bail agent or the family, decides.

Hypothetical 4: A voluntary departure bond

At the end of a removal case in San Diego, an immigration judge grants a woman voluntary departure and requires a bond. By regulation it is at least $500 and must be posted with the ICE Field Office Director within five business days of the judge’s order. Her husband, a lawful permanent resident, posts it on the second business day. After she leaves, he gives ICE the proof of departure it requires and keeps a copy. The five-day deadline mattered most: the regulation attaches serious consequences to a bond that is not posted on time.

What Families Should Do: A Practical Checklist

1. Confirm who is holding the person. A county jail, a state prison, a federal facility and an ICE detention facility each use different searches. Our California inmate locator guide walks through each one, and USA.gov explains that ICE’s locator accepts either the person’s name, country of birth and birth date, or the A-number.
2. Write down every identifier. Keep the booking number, the criminal case number, the A-number and the facility name together on one page.
3. Get the right lawyer for each case. In the criminal case, ask for the public defender if the person cannot afford a lawyer. In immigration court there is no appointed lawyer, so start early. EOIR’s find legal representation page links to its list of pro bono legal service providers.
4. Ask whether ICE has sent the jail a request. Under the TRUTH Act, the person must get a copy and be told whether the jail intends to comply. Ask your relative to designate you, or their lawyer, to receive any release-date notice.
5. Do not pay until you know which case the money answers. Criminal bail and an immigration bond are separate payments to separate governments.
6. For an immigration bond, line up the obligor first. Confirm the obligor is a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident, a law firm or a nonprofit; confirm the ID is on ICE’s list; and arrange a bank transfer that can be completed during ICE’s weekday posting hours.
7. If you use a bond company, verify the surety. Check the company’s surety against Treasury’s Circular 570 list, and get the full cost, collateral terms and any monitoring requirements in writing.
8. Gather evidence for a bond hearing. Proof of address, family ties, work history, a sponsor’s letter and a record of attending court all speak to the factors immigration judges weigh.
9. Keep both calendars. Check immigration hearing dates at 1-800-898-7180, keep every California court date, and keep every paper, including Form I-352 now and Form I-391 later.
10. Tell the bail agent immediately if ICE detains someone who is out on criminal bail. Fast notice gives everyone the most room to protect the defendant and the cosigner.

How Bail Hotline Can Help

Everything above this section is written to be useful whether or not you ever call us. This is the one place we talk about ourselves.

Bail Hotline is a family-owned bail bond company that has served California families since 2004. We are licensed through our parent company, DMCG, Inc., with the California Department of Insurance (license #1845394). Reach us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at (888) 958-1228.

Arrested on a California charge, with immigration worries in the background? We move fast on the criminal side

When someone is booked into a California jail and the family is also frightened about immigration, the first hours are the hardest. Which agency has them? Is there a hold? What is bail, and who can sign? That is the moment we are built for: getting the facts on the California criminal case quickly and moving on bail, at any hour, while the family lines up the right lawyers.

• Jail information quickly, at no charge. Our agents gather inmate information for all jails quickly and at no charge, and every Bail Hotline office holds accounts with the jail systems.
• Posting agents on duty 24/7. When bail is set, our dedicated posting agents work around the clock, including nights, weekends and holidays.
• Every cosigner is walked through the agreement. Before anyone signs, an agent explains what the cosigner is agreeing to and answers questions.
• Out-of-county is not an automatic no. A large, complicated or out-of-county bond is not an automatic no for us.
• Warrant walk-throughs. If there may be a California warrant, we walk you through the steps to address it. Our guide to posting bail on an outstanding warrant explains how bail on a warrant works.

Every case is different. A California judge decides bail and release conditions in the criminal case. ICE and the immigration court make their own custody decisions, and nothing in a criminal bail bond changes those decisions. We cannot promise approval, a release time or any result in either case.

After release: keeping the California case on track

• Text court-date reminders. We send text reminders of court dates, which matter even more when a family is juggling two calendars.
• If ICE detains someone who is out on bail, call us right away. Tell us where the person is held and share the A-number if you have it. The California court date still matters, and the defense lawyer should know the same day.
• Signing out of a bond. A cosigner may be able to sign out of a bond that is in good standing, meaning there are no past-due payments and the defendant has not missed court or daily online check-ins. We explain how it works case by case. See our guides to your role as a bail bond cosigner and removing a cosigner’s name from a bail bond.

The services above concern California criminal bail. The immigration bond itself is posted with ICE under the federal rules described earlier, and that is the work of our sister company, Liberty Immigration Bonds, which handles immigration bonds. Both companies are part of DMCG, Inc., and Liberty’s staff speak English and Spanish.

Find more offices in our locations directory, start online with online bail bonds, or read quick answers in our bail FAQ.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an immigration bond the same as bail?

No. Both pay for release while a case continues, but bail belongs to a California criminal case and an immigration bond belongs to a civil federal removal case. Different agencies set them, different rules decide who can pay, and paying one never satisfies the other.

How much is an immigration bond?

There is no schedule. Federal law sets a floor of $1,500 for a bond under 8 U.S.C. 1226(a), and a voluntary departure bond ordered at the end of proceedings is at least $500. Above those floors, ICE and the immigration judge set the amount based on the individual person’s danger and flight-risk factors, so nobody can quote you a reliable number in advance.

Can a bail bondsman post an immigration bond?

An immigration bond can be paid in full by an eligible obligor or posted through an immigration bond company backed by a surety that holds a Treasury certificate under 8 CFR 103.6(b). A California bail bond, by contrast, answers a California criminal case. Whoever you use, ask which surety backs the bond and check it against Treasury’s Circular 570 list.

Can an undocumented relative pay an immigration bond?

ICE lists eligible obligors as U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, law firms and nonprofit organizations. The only noncitizen exception on ICE’s page is a noncitizen posting a voluntary departure or order of supervision bond on their own behalf. If no relative qualifies, ask an immigration lawyer whether a law firm or nonprofit organization can serve as obligor.

Can I pay an immigration bond at night or on the weekend?

Generally not. ICE lists bond posting hours as Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., excluding government holidays, in the time zone where the person is detained. California criminal bail is different: timing depends on the jail, and bail agents can work around the clock.

Do you get immigration bond money back?

A cash immigration bond stays in effect until ICE issues its cancellation notice, Form I-391, which closes out the obligor’s promise. If the bond is breached by a substantial violation of its conditions, the obligor forfeits the deposit, although ICE says it still refunds interest that accrued on a cash deposit. If you used a bond company, your contract decides what you get back from the company.

What happens if someone on an immigration bond misses a hearing?

Two things can happen. The bond can be breached, costing the obligor the deposit. And under 8 U.S.C. 1229a(b)(5)(A), a person who received the required written notice and does not attend can be ordered removed in absentia. Check hearing dates at 1-800-898-7180.

Will a California jail hold someone for ICE after they post bail?

Under the California Values Act, a California law enforcement agency may not detain someone on the basis of an ICE hold request. It may notify ICE of a nonpublic release date or transfer the person only in the situations Government Code 7282.5 allows, or, for a transfer, with a judicial warrant or judicial probable cause determination. The TRUTH Act requires the jail to give the person a copy of any ICE request and say whether it intends to comply.

What happens to a California bail bond if ICE detains or deports the defendant?

The criminal case continues, and a missed court date can lead to forfeiture. Penal Code 1305 allows a forfeiture to be vacated or its time limit tolled when a defendant cannot appear because of “detention by military or civil authorities,” and allows exoneration when the defendant is in custody elsewhere and the prosecutor elects not to seek extradition. The court decides based on the facts, so tell the bail agent and defense lawyer immediately.

Does getting out on an immigration bond end the deportation case?

No. The bond decision is separate from the removal case. The person must keep attending immigration court and following ICE’s conditions until the case is decided.

Why We Publish This

An arrest can carry an immigration question inside it, and immigration bonds and criminal bail are easy to confuse. They are not the same, and the differences decide who can pay, when, and what happens next. We publish this guide so families can see the actual federal and California rules, in plain English, with the statutes, regulations and decisions linked, and get to the right lawyer and the right payment faster. This guide is general information, not legal advice. For advice about a specific case, talk to a licensed immigration attorney and, if there is a criminal charge, a California criminal defense lawyer or the public defender.

Sources and Further Reading

Federal statutes

• 8 U.S.C. 1226 (arrest, detention, bond and mandatory detention, including subsection (c)(1)(E) added by the Laken Riley Act, Pub. L. 119-1, January 29, 2025)
• 8 U.S.C. 1182 (inadmissibility grounds, including (a)(6)(A), (a)(6)(C) and (a)(7))
• 8 U.S.C. 1229a (removal proceedings and in absentia orders)
• 8 U.S.C. 1362 (right to counsel at no expense to the government)

Federal regulations (eCFR, current as of September 2026)

• 8 CFR 103.6 (immigration bonds, acceptable sureties and breach)
• 8 CFR 1003.19 (custody and bond redeterminations by immigration judges)
• 8 CFR 1003.38 (appeal deadlines, as amended February 6, 2026)
• 8 CFR 1236.1 (custody determinations and release standard)
• 8 CFR 1240.26 (voluntary departure and voluntary departure bonds)

Immigration court and Board of Immigration Appeals

• Immigration Court Practice Manual, bond proceedings (EOIR)
• Matter of Guerra, 24 I&N Dec. 37 (BIA 2006)
• Matter of A-L-S-, 29 I&N Dec. 794 (BIA 2026) (July 28, 2026)
• EOIR automated case information (updated May 29, 2025)
• EOIR, find legal representation

Federal court decisions and litigation tracking

• Rodriguez Vazquez v. Bostock, No. 25-6842 (9th Cir. July 30, 2026)
• Zadvydas v. Davis, 533 U.S. 678 (2001)
• Maldonado Bautista v. Santacruz, No. 5:25-cv-01873 (C.D. Cal.) (Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse case page)
• CLINIC, “A Circuit Split Ripe for Review” (September 11, 2026)
• CLINIC, “Three BIA Decisions Severely Limit Bond Eligibility” (Matter of Yajure Hurtado, Matter of Dobrotvorskii, Matter of Akhmedov)

Federal agency pages

• ICE, immigration bonds
• ICE, Alternatives to Detention
• USA.gov, find someone detained by ICE (updated March 17, 2026)
• Bureau of the Fiscal Service, surety bonds and Department Circular 570 (list updated August 1, 2026)

California law

• Penal Code 987 (appointed counsel)
• Penal Code 1269b (bail schedules and bail fixed by the judge)
• Penal Code 1275 (factors in setting bail)
• Penal Code 1295 (cash deposit instead of bail)
• Penal Code 1299.07 (bail fugitive recovery limits, including immigration enforcement)
• Penal Code 1305 (forfeiture and relief from forfeiture)
• Government Code 7282.5 (when cooperation with immigration authorities is permitted)
• Government Code 7283.1 (TRUTH Act notice rights)
• Government Code 7284.6 (California Values Act limits)

California court decisions

• In re Humphrey (Cal. Supreme Court, March 25, 2021)
• People v. American Surety Ins. Co. (2000) 77 Cal.App.4th 1063