Can You Bail Someone Out of Jail at Night?

Arrest calls tend to come with a phone buzzing on the nightstand at 1:45 in the morning. The first thing families want to know is whether anything can be done before morning, or whether their son, husband or sister has to sit there until the courthouse opens.

Usually, something can be done tonight. This page explains what is open overnight in Kern County, where people are actually booked now, what can hold up a night-time release, and exactly what to do if you’re the one making calls at 2 a.m.

Quick facts: bail at night in Kern County

Can you post bail at night?

Yes, once booking is complete and bail is set

Where people are booked

Kern County Inmate Reception Center, Lerdo Justice Facility, 17801 Industrial Farm Road, Bakersfield — 661-391-3100

Sheriff’s jail main line

661-391-7800

Release after bail

The Sheriff’s Office says the release process can take up to 8 hours

Taft arrests

Taft PD jail, 320 Commerce Way — 661-763-3101

We’re available

24 hours a day, every day — Se Habla Español

Can you bail someone out of jail at night?

Yes. California law lets the officer in charge of a jail accept bail in the amount set by the county’s bail schedule or a warrant and order the person released — no judge and no open courthouse required (Penal Code § 1269b). Jails don’t close at 5 p.m., and neither does that authority.

There are two ways to do it. You can post the full bail amount yourself as cash bail, which is refunded after the case ends if every court date is made (subject to the court’s process). Or you can use a bail bond: a licensed agent posts a bond for the full amount and you pay a premium. The premium is most commonly 10% of the bail amount. It isn’t fixed by statute; each surety files its rates with the California Department of Insurance and its agents charge the filed rate, and many file as low as 8% for qualifying cases. Ask what filed rate applies to your case. Unlike cash bail, the premium is the fee for the bond and is not refunded.

At night the bond is usually the realistic choice, since few people can raise the full bail after the banks close. For us, a 3 a.m. bond is ordinary work. For any emergency at any hour, our 24-hour emergency bail bonds page has everything in one place.

What’s open overnight — and where people are booked now

A lot of families still say “Central Receiving” when they mean the county jail. That has changed. According to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, the old Central Receiving Facility at 1415 Truxtun Avenue is now called Metro Court Holding and no longer houses anyone; it holds people only on court days. Booking and release for new arrests now happen at the Inmate Reception Center at the Lerdo Justice Facility, on the Lerdo complex north of Bakersfield.

The Sheriff’s Office doesn’t publish bail-posting hours on its website. If you plan to post cash bail yourself in the middle of the night, call 661-391-3100 or the jail main line at 661-391-7800 first and ask where and how to pay. If you’re using a bond, we handle the posting.

Arrested in Taft or west Kern?

The Taft Police Department runs its own short-term jail at 320 Commerce Way, and bail can be posted there — cash, money order, certified check, or a bond (no personal checks). Someone arrested by Taft PD may be sitting in Taft, not Bakersfield, and won’t show in the county search yet. Posting before a transfer is usually the faster way home. See our Taft jail guide. Arrests by sheriff’s deputies outside Taft city limits generally go to Bakersfield.

What can slow down a night release

When a night release drags, it’s almost always one of these:

• Booking isn’t finished. Fingerprints, warrant checks, medical screening and property all come before bail can be accepted. Until booking is complete, there may be nothing to post against.
• The charge needs a judge. Kern’s bail schedule sorts charges into categories, and many lower-level charges are handled at the jail without a judge. But certain serious or violent felonies, some domestic-violence and protective-order charges, criminal threats and stalking go to Magistrate Review or wait for arraignment. Those can’t be bailed out on the schedule overnight.
• A hold. A probation or parole hold, or a warrant from another county, can keep someone in custody even after bail is posted on the new charge. We check for holds before you pay.
• A source-of-funds hold (PC 1275.1). If an officer believes bail money came from a crime, a declaration can stop release until a judge rules, and the defendant then has to show the money is clean. A loan is a permitted source. If a magistrate doesn’t act on the declaration within 24 hours, the person can be released once bail is posted.
• A request to raise bail. An officer can ask a judge to set bail above the schedule (PC 1269c). Under Kern’s protocol, once that request reaches the booking officer, the person isn’t released until a magistrate reviews it.
• Volume and shift changes. Busy nights mean more bookings ahead of yours. The Sheriff’s Office says the release process after bail can take up to 8 hours. It varies, and nobody can honestly promise a time.

For how bail amounts are set before anyone sees a judge, read how the Kern County bail schedule works.

It’s 2 a.m. and you just got the call: step by step

1. Get the basics while they’re on the line. Full legal name, date of birth, which agency arrested them (Bakersfield PD, CHP, Sheriff, Taft PD), and the city where it happened. Collect calls from jail are short.
2. Find out where they are. Search the Sheriff’s official database at kernsheriff.org/inmate-search. New arrests can take a few hours to appear. Our Kern County inmate locator guide walks through it, including what an empty result means.
3. Call a bail agent before driving anywhere. We can confirm booking status, the bail amount, and whether the charge is bailable on the schedule or needs a judge. No point driving to Lerdo if they’re still in Taft.
4. Decide whether a bond makes sense. If release without bail is likely, waiting may be smarter. If not, we’ll tell you the bail, the premium and the payment plan before you sign anything.
5. Sign the paperwork and arrange payment. We offer payment plans and easy-to-qualify terms. Call to ask about payment options.
6. We post the bond. Then the jail runs its own release process.
7. Plan the pickup. Lerdo is on Industrial Farm Road north of town. Have someone ready to drive out, and don’t leave until you know they’re actually walking out.

What to have ready

• A government-issued photo ID for whoever is signing (the co-signer)
• The arrested person’s full name, date of birth, and booking number if you have it
• Where they’re held and the charges, if known
• The co-signer’s address, phone and employer — standard for any bond
• A way to pay the premium or the first plan payment

Don’t have all of it? Call anyway. For the full checklist, see what information a bail bondsman needs.

Night vs. weekend

The night rules apply on weekends too, with one extra wrinkle: court timing. Someone who can’t be bailed on the schedule waits for arraignment, which must happen within 48 hours excluding Sundays and holidays. Saturdays count, so a Friday-night arrest often means a Monday or Tuesday court date. Full detail is on our weekend bail page.

Frequently asked questions

Can you bail someone out of jail at night?

Yes. California law lets the jail accept scheduled bail without a judge, and we write bonds at any hour. Once booking is complete and bail is set, a bond can be posted. The Sheriff’s Office doesn’t publish bail-posting hours, so call the jail first to confirm if you plan to post cash bail yourself.

Where are people taken after an arrest in Bakersfield?

To the Kern County Inmate Reception Center at the Lerdo Justice Facility, 17801 Industrial Farm Road. The old Central Receiving Facility downtown is now Metro Court Holding and no longer houses inmates. Taft PD arrests may be held at the Taft city jail first.

How long does it take to get out of jail at night after bail is posted?

It varies. The Kern County Sheriff’s Office says the release process can take up to 8 hours after bail is posted. Busy nights and shift changes can add time.

Why can’t I bail someone out right now?

Usually because booking isn’t finished, there’s a hold such as probation, parole or another county’s warrant, the charge requires a judge before release, or there’s a source-of-funds hold under Penal Code 1275.1.

Do I need a bail bond to get someone out at night?

Not always. Many people are cited and released or released on their own recognizance with no bail. If bail is set, you can post the full amount as cash bail or use a bail bond.

Does a bail bond cost more at night?

The bail amount doesn’t change with the hour, and the premium comes from the surety’s filed rate, not the time of day. The premium is most commonly 10% of the bail amount. It isn’t fixed by statute; each surety files its rates with the California Department of Insurance and its agents charge the filed rate, and many file as low as 8% for qualifying cases. Ask what filed rate applies to your case.