What to Do When Someone Is Arrested in Alabama
What to do when someone is arrested in Alabama comes down to four steps, in order: confirm the call is real, find out which jail is holding him, keep every phone call to logistics, and start the bond as soon as bail is set. Alabama's court rules give a judge 48 hours to review an arrest made without a warrant, so the clock starts right away.
Call 205-401-8052. Bail Bonds of Alabama answers 24 hours a day, every day.
If you are working out what to do when a loved one is arrested, keep this checklist open on your phone and work down it in order.
Key takeaways
- Confirm the arrest through an official jail source before you send money.
- Find the jail first, because it decides where the bond is posted.
- Treat every jail call as recorded and keep it to logistics.
- A judge reviews a warrantless arrest within 48 hours, and a warrant arrest reaches a judge within 72 hours if he cannot meet the release terms.
- A bail bond normally costs 10% to 15% of the bail, and creative financing is available upon approval.
Is the call real? Check before you pay anyone
Fake jail calls are real, and in our experience they can reach a family before the arrest even shows up online. The caller sounds official, sounds rushed, and wants money now.
Slow down long enough to check three things. First, look him up through the jail's official inmate search. Second, verify that the bondsman you talk to holds an Alabama license. Third, ask for a video call before you pay. Bail Bonds of Alabama will video call you on request, so you can see who you are dealing with. Read how fake jail calls work so you can spot one fast.
A real arrest will still be real in ten minutes. Want to see a licensed agent's face before you decide? Call 205-401-8052.
Where is he being held?
Find the jail first. Where he is held decides where the bond is posted and which court sets it. Start at Find an Inmate.
Jefferson County runs two jails, one in Birmingham and one in Bessemer. The official Jefferson County search checks both jails at once. Shelby County books people into its jail in Columbiana, and St. Clair County books into Pell City. Use the guides for Shelby County and St. Clair County.
When you find him, write down five things: his full legal name, his date of birth, the booking number, each charge, and the bond amount. You will need all five for the bond and for any lawyer. He can also ask for a copy of the charges against him.
Once you know the jail, call us and we can start the bond.
What should you say on jail phone calls?
Treat every jail phone call as recorded, and keep it to logistics. The Shelby County Sheriff's Office says it plainly: phone calls are recorded, except calls to the inmate's attorney. Shelby also notes that inmates cannot receive calls, so you will usually wait for him to call you.
Keep each call short and about the next steps only. Ask where he is, what the charge is, what the bond is, and what his booking number is. Tell him who you have called and what happens next. That is the whole call.
Leave what happened for his lawyer. At his initial appearance, the judge must tell him he has the right to remain silent. Help him use it. Anything he says on a recorded line about the arrest is a record someone else can hear later, and a short call keeps that record about the bond only.
If he starts to explain, stop him kindly. "Tell the lawyer, not me" is a loving thing to say on a jail phone.
Questions about the bond are always safe to bring to us, any hour.
How long can Alabama hold someone before a judge sees him?
Alabama's court rules set a clock: 48 hours after an arrest without a warrant, and 72 hours after an arrest on a warrant he cannot bond out on. Knowing it calms a lot of fear.
Some people get out at the jail. After an arrest without a warrant, an officer can release a person on a bond set from the statewide schedule, on his own promise to appear, or on a signature bond, under Rule 4.3 of the Alabama Rules of Criminal Procedure.
Arrest without a warrant: 48 hours. If he is held, a judge or magistrate must decide within 48 hours whether there was good reason for the arrest. If that does not happen, he must be released on the minimum bond from the schedule, unless the charge is not bailable.
Arrest on a warrant: 72 hours. If he cannot meet the release terms written on the warrant, he must go before a judge within 72 hours, with the same minimum-bond fallback.
At that first hearing, called the initial appearance, Rule 4.4 says the judge must tell him the charges, his right to a lawyer, that a lawyer will be appointed if he cannot afford one, and his right to stay silent. The judge also sets his release conditions. If he is already out on bond, he skips this hearing.
Some serious charges can be held with no bail at all. Read about Aniah's Law if the jail lists "no bond."
When bail is set, one call starts the bond.
Should you call a lawyer or a bail bondsman first?
Call both on day one, and get the bond moving first once bail is set. That is our honest view, and here is why.
A lawyer works on the case. A bondsman works on getting him home. Those jobs run side by side, and neither one has to wait for the other. Every hour he sits in jail is an hour he is away from work, and getting out first lets him keep earning and pay a defense attorney over time. If bail has not been set yet, use the wait to call defense lawyers and ask about a first consultation.
Legal advice comes from a lawyer, so for the case itself, hire a defense attorney. If he cannot afford one, he can ask for an appointed lawyer, and the judge must tell him about that right at his initial appearance. A lawyer can also ask the court to lower bail at a bond hearing.
Start the bond tonight and let the lawyer start on the case.
How do you post bail once it is set?
You have three ways to post bail in Alabama:
- Cash bail: you pay the full amount to the court.
- A bail bond: a licensed bondsman posts it, and you pay a fee.
- A property bond: real estate is pledged to cover the bail.
A bail bond fee is normally 10% to 15% of the bail, and it is non-refundable. Creative financing is available upon approval, with 0% interest if you pay in full within 12 months.
The person who signs, called the co-signer, is responsible for the full bail if he misses court. Read every page before you sign.
Our Virtual Bail Office™ lets you complete the initial bond from your phone, tablet, or computer. Under our No Jail Visit Guarantee, we post the bond at the facility, so you stay home.
Know two local rules. In St. Clair County, all bonds are made at the Sheriff's Office in Ashville (48 6th St.) or Pell City (1610 Cogswell Ave.). In Shelby County, the Sheriff's Office bonding procedures limit overnight bonds, between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., to the ones its on-duty staff can approve, unless there is an emergency.
At the Jefferson County Jail, release takes about 5 to 6 hours after the bond is posted. For every step in detail, read how to bail someone out.
Ready to start? Call 205-401-8052.
What should you handle at home while he is in jail?
The bond is the big task. A few small ones keep his life steady while he waits.
Money for calls and snacks. Each jail sets its own way to add money to an inmate's account. St. Clair County takes deposits at the lobby kiosk at the jail or online through JailATM, and it does not accept cash or money orders. Check the jail's own page before you send anything.
His work. Someone should call his employer today, even if all you can say is that he will miss a shift.
What cannot wait. Make a short list: his car, appointments this week, bills due before he gets out, and anyone who relies on him today. Hand off what you can, and let other people carry part of this.
What to avoid when someone is arrested in Alabama
Knowing what to do if a family member is arrested includes knowing which first-day mistakes cost the most. Each has a simple fix:
- Send money only after the arrest checks out through an official jail source.
- Keep the case off the phone. Talk about the charge, the bond, and the booking number, and save the rest for his lawyer.
- Read the bond paperwork before you sign, and ask about any unclear line.
- Keep the arrest off social media. Posts last longer than the case, and anyone can screenshot them.
- Pass case questions to his lawyer. If an officer calls you about the case, take a name and number for the lawyer.
- Give true information on the bond forms. Giving false information on a bail contract is a crime in Alabama.
Ask us about any line in the paperwork before you sign.
What happens after he gets out?
Release starts the next part of the case. Put every court date on a calendar the day he gets home, and set a reminder on both your phones. Keep the paperwork from the jail and the bond in one folder, so the dates and the case number are easy to find.
Missing court is the most expensive mistake after release. It can lead to a warrant, and the co-signer can owe the full bail. Read what failure to appear means in Alabama.
The judge also tells him to notify the court promptly if his address changes. Do it the same week he moves.
We are here after release too, for any question about the bond.
Frequently asked questions
What is the first thing to do when someone is arrested in Alabama?
Confirm the arrest is real through the jail's official inmate search. Then find the jail, write down the booking number, charges, and bond amount, and call a licensed bondsman once bail is set.
Are jail phone calls recorded in Alabama?
Treat them as recorded. The Shelby County jail states that calls are recorded except calls to the inmate's attorney. Keep calls to logistics and leave the case for his lawyer.
How long can someone be held in Alabama before seeing a judge?
After an arrest without a warrant, a judge or magistrate must find probable cause within 48 hours. After a warrant arrest, he goes before a judge within 72 hours if he cannot meet the release terms.
Does he get a lawyer if he cannot afford one?
Yes. At the initial appearance, the judge must tell him that a lawyer will be appointed if he cannot afford one. He can also hire his own defense attorney.
Can you bail someone out at night in Alabama?
Yes. We answer 24 hours a day and can start the bond any hour. In Shelby County, overnight bonds between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. are limited to the ones the on-duty staff can approve, unless there is an emergency.
Where to go next
- Find an Inmate
- What you need to bail someone out
- More guides in Arrests & Jail Release
- Bail bonds in Jefferson County, Shelby County, and St. Clair County
Bail Bonds of Alabama has served Jefferson, Shelby, and St. Clair Counties since 2014. One call. That's all. Call 205-401-8052, 24 hours a day.
This article is general information about what to do after an arrest in Alabama. It is not legal advice. For advice about a specific case, talk to a licensed Alabama attorney.