Austin Jail Release

How Does Bail Work in Travis County, Texas?

When someone is arrested in Travis County, a judge or magistrate decides if they can be released before trial and what amount of money is needed. This is called bail. Bail is not meant to be punishment. It is a promise that the person will come back to court and follow the rules of their release.

The court looks at several things when setting bail, including:

• How serious the charge is (misdemeanor, state jail felony, or higher felony)
• The person’s past criminal history, if any
• Whether the person has missed court dates in the past
• Whether the person is a danger to the community or a specific victim
• The person’s ties to Travis County, such as job, family, and how long they have lived here
• The person’s ability to pay a reasonable bail amount

Travis County Bail Numbers from 2023–2025

The numbers below come from the Texas Office of Court Administration’s Texas Bail Proceedings and Public Safety Report System, filtered for Travis County for bail forms completed between January 1, 2023 and November 12, 2025.

• 97,389 bail bonds were recorded in Travis County during this period.
• Judges recorded 100,922 total offenses tied to these bail forms.
• For 2025 alone, there were about 18,235 offenses with bail decisions. That is roughly 18% of all offenses in the 2023–2025 data window.

Bail Amounts by Type in Travis County

The Travis County dashboard shows the total dollar amount of bail set for cash/surety bonds and personal bonds from 2023 through 2025:

• Cash/Surety bail adds up to about $956,374,884, which is roughly 85% of all bail dollars.
• Personal bond bail adds up to about $167,204,094, or about 15% of all bail dollars.
• The average bail amount across all years is about $14,000 for cash/surety bonds and about $5,700 for personal bonds.

2025 Bail Decisions in Travis County

Looking just at 2025 in the Office of Court Administration data for Travis County:

• Judges approved about 10,396 cash/surety bonds and 7,255 personal bonds in 2025.
• That means around 58.9% of bonds where bail was granted were cash or surety bonds, and about 41.1% were personal bonds.
• If we include cases where bail was denied, judges made decisions in about 18,235 cases in 2025:
  • Cash/Surety bond granted in about 57% of cases
  • Personal bond granted in about 40% of cases
  • Bail denied in about 3% of cases
• For 2025, cash/surety bail amounts total about $235,875,929, while personal bond amounts total about $38,892,748. That is roughly 86% versus 14% of all 2025 bail dollars.

Common Charges That Lead to Bail in Travis County

The Office of Court Administration dashboard shows that many Travis County bail decisions involve:

• Assault causing bodily injury, often involving a family or household member
• Driving while intoxicated (DWI)
• Criminal trespass
• Low-level drug possession cases, such as small amounts of controlled substances
• Property and theft cases, including shoplifting and other non-violent thefts

Misdemeanor A charges and state jail felony charges make up a large part of the cases that move through the Travis County bail system, but higher-level felonies and capital cases still appear in smaller numbers.

Types of Bail in Travis County

In Travis County, a person can usually be released from jail in one of three main ways: cash bonds, surety bonds, or personal bonds.

Cash Bonds in Travis County

With a cash bond, someone pays the full bail amount up front. If the defendant goes to every court date and follows the rules, the court usually returns this money at the end of the case, minus any court fees or fines.

For many families, paying thousands of dollars in cash right away is not realistic. That is why many people use a bondsman or try to qualify for a personal bond instead.

Surety Bonds in Travis County

With a surety bond, you work with a licensed bail bond company. The bondsman promises the full bail amount to the court. In return, you pay the bondsman a non-refundable fee, usually a percentage of the bail.

If the defendant misses court, the bondsman can be forced to pay the full amount and can come after the signer for the money or any collateral. This is why it is very important that the defendant understands every court date and every requirement.

Personal Bonds in Travis County

A personal bond is a written promise by the defendant to return to court and follow all conditions. No cash is paid up front, but the defendant can be required to pay fees later and can owe the bond amount if they skip court.

In Travis County, only Travis County Pretrial Services or a lawyer can ask a judge to approve a personal bond. Many people with steady jobs, strong local ties, and limited criminal history may qualify, especially on lower-level charges.

Where and How to Post Bail in Travis County

Bonds may be posted 24 hours a day at the locations used by the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. For current instructions you should always confirm with the jail, but in general:

• Blackwell Thurman Criminal Justice Center – Bonding Office
  509 W. 11th St.
  Austin, TX 78701
• Travis County Correctional Complex
  3614 Bill Price Rd.
  Del Valle, TX 78617

Cash bonds must usually be paid in exact cash, cashier’s check, or money order, often made payable to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. Out-of-county bonds may require money orders or cashier’s checks in the full bond amount.

If you are trying to post a personal bond, you cannot do that on your own at the bonding desk. Only Pretrial Services or your lawyer can submit the request to a judge. To check on a personal bond request, you can contact Travis County Pretrial Services at 512-854-9381.

What Happens After Release on Bail in Travis County

Once bail is posted and the jail finishes processing, the defendant is released but must follow all conditions set by the judge. These may include:

• Staying out of new legal trouble
• Avoiding certain people, places, or neighborhoods
• Drug or alcohol testing, classes, or treatment
• Reporting to a supervision officer or checking in with the bondsman

Most important, the person must attend every court date. If they miss court:

• The judge can issue a warrant for arrest
• The court can forfeit the bond
• The bondsman can seek payment from the co-signer or take collateral

Statistical information on bail amounts, bond types, and offenses in this section is based on the Texas Office of Court Administration’s Texas Bail Proceedings and Public Safety Report System for Travis County, using data from January 1, 2023 through November 12, 2025.