Taft sits about 33 miles southwest of Bakersfield, out past the Elk Hills where the oil country starts — a tight-knit town of about 8,500 people, with Ford City and South Taft running up against it and Maricopa, Fellows and McKittrick scattered out across the hills. It’s far enough from Bakersfield that most county services feel like a drive.

Bail doesn’t have to be one of them. Cowboy Bail Bonds has served Kern County families for more than 50 years, and Taft arrests have a wrinkle most people don’t know about — one that can be the difference between a few hours and a couple of days.

Taft has its own jail — and that changes everything

Most Kern County towns have no local lockup, so an arrest means an immediate trip to Bakersfield. Taft is different. The Taft Police Department operates its own Type I jail at 320 Commerce Way for pre-arraignment prisoners, and if the arrest happened inside city limits, that’s where your loved one is right now.

Two things follow from that, and both are worth knowing tonight:

• Bail can be posted in Taft. The facility accepts bail on site. If we post the bond there, your loved one walks out in Taft — you pick them up in town, not after a long round trip to the county jail.
• It doesn’t last. The Taft jail is short-term holding — the city cites a 96-hour maximum, while the department’s own manual sets a stricter 48 hours. Whichever applies, anyone still in custody is transported to the county jail at the Lerdo Jail Complex in Bakersfield, and everything then runs on county time. Call 661-763-3101 to ask about your situation.

Full details are on our Taft jail page, including visiting hours and phone numbers, and our first 48 hours timeline walks through the whole sequence step by step.

Quick facts for Taft arrests

City police / jail

Taft Police Department, 320 Commerce Way — 661-763-3101

County patrol

KCSO Taft Substation, 601 Gardner Field Rd — 661-763-8550

Held locally

Short-term, then Bakersfield — call to confirm

County booking

Sheriff’s Inmate Reception Center, Lerdo Jail Complex, Bakersfield

Bail cost

Most commonly 10% of the bail amount; 8% filed rates exist

ZIP code

93268

We’re available

24 hours a day, every day — Se Habla Español

Who patrols Taft and west Kern

Two agencies split the area, and which one made the arrest decides where your loved one spent the night.

The Taft Police Department covers everything inside city limits — downtown along Kern Street, the Highway 33 corridor, the neighborhoods, the schools. Their arrests go to the city jail on Commerce Way.

Everything outside city limits belongs to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Taft Substation at 601 Gardner Field Road. That’s a big responsibility for a small station: roughly 787 square miles reaching to three county lines, covering the incorporated city of Maricopa plus McKittrick, Fellows, Derby Acres, Dustin Acres and Valley Acres — oilfield and farm country with long distances between calls. Ford City, South Taft and Taft Heights are unincorporated as well, so despite sitting right against Taft they generally fall to the Sheriff rather than city police. The substation is a patrol base, not a booking facility, so deputies transport arrestees to Bakersfield.

How bail works for a Taft arrest

1. Call 661-324-6009. A licensed agent answers any time, day or night.
2. We find them. City jail or county facility — we make the calls and confirm the charges, the bail amount, and whether there are any holds.
3. You sign the paperwork. By phone, online, or in person. You do not need to drive to Bakersfield.
4. We post the bond at whichever facility they’re in — Taft or Bakersfield.
5. They come home. Fast from Taft; typically 2 to 6 hours from the county jail.

The premium is most commonly 10% of the bail amount — $1,000 on a $10,000 bail. It is not fixed by statute: each surety files its rates with the California Department of Insurance, and many file as low as 8% for qualifying cases, so ask what applies to yours. We offer payment plans and easy-to-qualify terms. Try the free bail bond calculator for an estimate, or read how to post bail in Kern County.

Where the case will be heard

The Taft courthouse on Lincoln Street operates on a limited schedule and does not hear the full range of cases, so where a Taft case is heard depends on the case. We don’t want you driving on a guess.

The release or court paperwork is the authority — it names the courthouse, department, date and time. If it isn’t clear, call the Kern County Superior Court, or call us at 661-324-6009 and we’ll confirm it. We track court dates for our clients. Our Kern County courthouse locations page has addresses and contacts countywide.

The west Kern communities we serve

We write bonds throughout west Kern, not just inside Taft:

• Taft — inside city limits, Taft PD jurisdiction.
• Ford City, South Taft and Taft Heights — unincorporated communities right against the city, generally Sheriff jurisdiction. Confirm which agency made the arrest before assuming where someone was taken.
• Maricopa — the small incorporated city south on Highway 33.
• Fellows, McKittrick, Derby Acres, Dustin Acres and Valley Acres — the unincorporated oil communities north and west, all under Sheriff’s jurisdiction.

Distance is the real obstacle out here. That’s the point of working with a bondsman who handles the driving and the paperwork: you stay home and wait for the phone call instead of making the trip twice.

Drive times from Taft

Frequently asked questions

Does Taft really have its own jail?

Yes — the Taft Police Department runs a Type I jail at 320 Commerce Way. Bail can be posted there, and people are transferred to Bakersfield if they stay in custody. Sources differ on the limit (the city says 96 hours, the department’s manual 48), so call 661-763-3101.

Can I get someone out without going to Bakersfield?

Often yes, if they’re still at the Taft jail and you act inside the window. We post the bond there and they’re released in town.

How much does a bail bond cost?

Most commonly 10% of the bail amount. The rate isn’t set by statute — sureties file their rates with the Department of Insurance, and many file 8% for qualifying cases. Ask what applies to yours. We offer payment plans and easy-to-qualify terms.

Do you serve Maricopa and the smaller towns?

Yes — Maricopa, Fellows, McKittrick, Derby Acres, Dustin Acres, Valley Acres, Ford City, South Taft and Taft Heights, plus the rest of Kern County.

Can you post bail in the middle of the night?

Yes. We’re available 24 hours a day, every day, including holidays. Call the jail first to confirm when bail can be posted.

What if there’s a hold?

An out-of-county warrant or a probation or parole hold can keep someone in custody even after bail is posted. We check for holds before you pay anything.