If someone was arrested in Pasadena, California, they are booked at a local jail, bail is set from the Los Angeles County schedule or by a judge, and you can post it with cash or a bail bond. A bond usually costs 10% of the bail amount. Once bail is posted, release follows, though booking and paperwork decide how fast. This guide walks through each stage so you know what to do first and what to expect. Santa Barbara County follows the same state framework with its own schedule, and we point out the differences along the way.
TL;DR
- After an arrest, the person is booked (fingerprints, photo, records), and bail is set from the county schedule unless a judge or a release protocol decides otherwise.
- In Los Angeles County, many non-violent, non-serious offenses now get $0 bail with conditions, or a citation and release, so a bail amount may not exist at all.
- A bail bond typically costs 10% of the bail amount, paid by you or a co-signer. Cash bail means paying the full amount to the court or jail.
- Release happens after bail is posted and processed. Booking alone can take 2 to 12 hours, and the person may not show in the locator until it ends.
- A missed court date triggers a warrant and bail forfeiture, so the co-signer has a real stake in every hearing.
Table of Contents
- Step 1: Arrest and booking in Pasadena
- Step 2: Find out where they are and what bail is
- Step 3: How the bail amount is set
- Step 4: Your options for posting bail
- What a bail bond costs in California
- Step 5: Posting the bond and getting released
- After release: court dates and conditions
- Perspective
- Get help with a Pasadena bond
- Practical checklist for the first 24 hours
- FAQ
- Sources
Step 1: Arrest and booking in Pasadena
After a California arrest, a person is typically processed at a local police or sheriff's station and then moved to a county jail for formal booking, which includes fingerprints, a photo and recording personal details, according to a California legal guide on finding someone in jail. The same guide says booking can take anywhere from 2 to 12 hours depending on the facility, the time of day and how busy it is.
In Pasadena, people arrested by city police are generally held at the Pasadena City Jail, a temporary holding facility at 207 Garfield Ave, according to a Southern California criminal defense firm's jail guide. That guide notes the jail takes cash bail and bail bonds around the clock. People arrested elsewhere in the area, or held longer, may be moved to a Los Angeles County facility.
During booking, the person often cannot be found in any system. That is normal, and it is the most common reason families panic in the first hours. Wait, then check again.
Step 2: Find out where they are and what bail is
You need two facts before you can do anything: where the person is held and the bail amount.
- Pasadena City Jail: the guide above lists the Pasadena Police Department inmate information line at (626) 744-4616.
- Los Angeles County jails: the LAPD says the public can call 213-473-6100, 24 hours a day, to ask whether someone is in custody at an LAPD- or LASD-operated jail.
- Santa Barbara County: the Sheriff's online Who's In Custody search shows housing location, charges, custody status and CID number.
Bail amounts are typically posted in the online locator once booking is complete, per the same jail-search guide. Have the person's full legal name and date of birth ready. A booking number speeds things up if you can get it.
Step 3: How the bail amount is set
California law says that when no warrant has been issued and the person has not yet appeared before a judge, bail is set under the county's uniform countywide schedule, under Penal Code section 1269b. The schedule ties an amount to the charge. A judge can later raise or lower it.
Los Angeles County: $0 bail and citation release
Pasadena sits in Los Angeles County, and that matters. Since October 1, 2023, the county's Pre-Arraignment Release Protocols assign $0 bail with non-financial conditions to many non-violent, non-serious offenses, or lead to a citation and release instead of a traditional bail amount. The court explains that traditional schedules did not account for individual flight risk or danger to the community, which is why the protocols use individualized assessments.
What this means for you: if the arrest was for a lower-level offense, the person may be released without anyone paying anything. Ask the jail or check the locator before you start a bond. If the charge is more serious, the schedule amount applies and a bond becomes the usual route. How the charge is classified shapes all of this, and a plain explanation of misdemeanor versus felony differences helps you read what is on the booking sheet.
Santa Barbara County
For warrantless arrests, Santa Barbara County's bail schedule sets presumptive bail until a judicial review. A judicial officer may release the person on their own recognizance, on $0 bail with non-financial conditions, set money bail, or defer the release decision until arraignment. The same document says a judge can override the schedule after an individualized look at public safety, victim safety, the nature of the crime and criminal history.
At arraignment
At the first court hearing, the judge may allow release on the person's own recognizance (OR), release under supervision, set bail, or keep the defendant in jail without bail, according to the California Courts self-help guide. If bail was set higher than your family can manage, a lawyer can ask for a reduction or OR release. Our guide to what an OR release motion is explains how that request works.
Step 4: Your options for posting bail
There are two main ways to post bail in California, as described by the San Bernardino County Public Defender: pay the full amount in cash or by cashier's check, or use a bail bond. A bond is a contract that requires payment if the defendant does not return to court, backed by the assets of the person who signs.
| Cash or cashier's check | Bail bond | |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay up front | The full bail amount | A premium, most commonly 10% of bail |
| Money back at case end | Generally returned if the person makes every court date | The premium is the fee for the service and is not returned |
| Who is on the hook | The person who posted | The co-signer (indemnitor) |
| Best when | You have the full amount available and can wait for the refund | Bail is high, or cash is tight |
The refund rule for cash comes from the court system: bail is money held as a guarantee that the defendant attends every appearance, and if they do, it is generally returned when the case concludes. For a deeper comparison of what families pay and recover, read our piece on cash bail versus a bond.
What a bail bond costs in California
The court sets the bail amount. Bail bond rates are regulated: each surety company must file its rates with the California Department of Insurance, and agents must charge those filed rates, according to the Department's consumer page on bail bonds. The same page says the cost to the consumer is most commonly 10% of the bond amount, plus actual, necessary and reasonable expenses tied to the transaction.
A quick example using the Department's own figures: on a $25,000 bail, the fee is $2,500. The same overview describes credit arrangements where a down payment is followed by partial payments, and notes that agents may lower the fee by rebating where permitted.
Two things to check in writing before you sign:
- The full premium figure. Under a long-standing Insurance Commissioner bulletin, the full amount paid for a bail undertaking is the premium, and any separate reimbursement must be for necessary, case-specific out-of-pocket expenses stated exactly in the written charge statement.
- What the co-signer owes. A San Mateo court document explains that an indemnitor is the party financially liable, and that agencies may ask for the full premium, an indemnitor and collateral held for the life of the bond.
Our own premium is the standard 10%, and attorneys receive an 8% rate. Details are on our bail bond cost page.
Step 5: Posting the bond and getting released
Here is the order of events when you use a bondsman:
- Give the bondsman the person's full name, date of birth and booking number or jail location.
- Confirm the bail amount and the premium in writing.
- The co-signer completes the application and identification, and signs the indemnity agreement. This can often be done online. See how online bail bonds work for families who cannot get to an office.
- The bondsman posts the bond with the jail.
- The jail processes the paperwork and releases the person.
Once bail is posted, California law requires that the person be released from custody for the offense the bail covers. The law sets the duty; it does not set a clock. In practice, release speed depends on how busy the facility is, whether booking is finished, whether the person has holds or other charges, and the time of day. A hold on a separate case or an immigration detainer can keep someone in custody even after bail is posted on the original charge. Ask the bondsman to check for holds before you pay.
If you are arranging this from outside California, our guide on bailing someone out from another state covers the remote steps. For a general walkthrough, see how bail bonds work step by step.
After release: court dates and conditions
Getting out is not the end of the bail process. The person must appear at every hearing. In Santa Barbara, if a person fails to appear on the hearing date, the judge issues an arrest warrant, and the same expectation applies in Los Angeles County courts.
OR release comes with its own rules. Santa Barbara's release form lists conditions such as appearing as ordered, obeying all laws, not leaving the state without permission, avoiding contact with victims or witnesses, and not possessing weapons. Conditions on a bond case can be similar, so read the release paperwork carefully.
Missed court: what forfeiture means
Under Penal Code section 1305, a court must declare bail forfeited when the defendant fails to appear without sufficient excuse at arraignment, trial, judgment or another required appearance. For bonds above $400, the clerk mails notice to the surety and bail agent within 30 days, and the statutory 180-day period gets five extra days for mailing. San Mateo's court explains that after forfeiture the surety or agent generally has 185 days from the mailing to seek relief, and if none is granted, the full bond amount must be paid to the court.
That is why a co-signer should remind the defendant of every date, and call the bondsman right away if a date is missed or a mistake is suspected. Quick action can matter during that window.
Perspective
Most families who call us in Pasadena are not looking for a lecture on the bail schedule. They want to know three things: where is my person, what do I owe, and how soon can they come home. We built our service around answering those in plain words, with a licensed professional on the phone, not a call center relaying messages.
Our view is that the best time to hire a bondsman is early, before the details get confusing. We cover all 58 California counties, offer free consultations around the clock, and work in English, Spanish, Hindi and Arabic, so the person signing understands exactly what the indemnity agreement means. We also explain court dates up front, because the bond works best when everyone knows what comes next.
For qualified co-signers we offer 0% down options and payment plans, and we apply attorney and military discounts automatically where they qualify. If cost is the worry, ask us first. A short call costs nothing.
Jake
Get help with a Pasadena bond
If bail has been set and you are ready to move, we can start the paperwork today. We handle felony and misdemeanor bonds, federal and immigration bonds, and complex holds, with support 24/7. Tell us the person's name and where they are held, and we will explain the premium and your options before you commit. Start with our California bail bond services, or see our page on zero down bail bonds in Los Angeles County.
First arrest? We have a page for first-time offender bail bonds in Los Angeles County. Looking for the broader walkthrough? Read how to bail someone out of jail in California.
Practical checklist for the first 24 hours
- Write down the full legal name, date of birth and any booking number.
- Call the Pasadena inmate line or the Los Angeles County line, or use the Santa Barbara online search if the arrest was there.
- Ask whether the person qualifies for $0 bail or citation release before paying anything.
- If bail is set, decide between cash and a bond, and get the premium and any expenses in writing.
- Pick one person to be the co-signer and make sure they understand they are financially responsible.
- Save the court date, courtroom and case number, and set reminders.
FAQ
How long does it take to get out after bail is posted in Pasadena?
There is no fixed time. Release depends on whether booking is finished, how busy the jail is and whether there are holds. Booking itself can take 2 to 12 hours, according to a California jail-search guide, so posting early in that process rarely shortens it. Ask your bondsman to confirm the status with the jail.
Can I post bail directly at the Pasadena City Jail?
Yes. A Southern California defense firm's jail guide says the Pasadena City Jail accepts cash bail and bail bonds 24 hours a day. You can also work through a licensed bondsman, who posts the bond for you.
Do I get the bond fee back?
No. The premium, most commonly 10% of the bail, is the cost of the service, per the California Department of Insurance. Cash bail, by contrast, is generally returned at the end of the case if the defendant makes every appearance.
Is the process different in Santa Barbara?
The steps are the same: booking, bail from the county schedule or a judge, then cash or a bond. The schedule and the jail lookup are Santa Barbara's own, and a judge may set OR release, $0 bail or money bail, per the county's bail schedule.
Sources
- How to Find Someone in Jail in California
- Pasadena Jail Info
- LAPD Jail and Custody Information
- Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Jail Information
- California Penal Code 1269b
- Los Angeles Superior Court Pre-Arraignment Release Protocols FAQ
- Santa Barbara Superior Court Bail Schedule
- California Courts Self Help Guide: The Arraignment
- San Bernardino County Public Defender: Jail FAQ
- California Department of Insurance: Bail Bonds
- California Department of Insurance 2017 Bail System Overview
- Insurance Commissioner Bulletin 137
- San Mateo County Bail Bond Forfeiture Procedures
- Santa Barbara Superior Court Criminal Division
- Santa Barbara OR Release Conditions Form
- California Penal Code 1305
- Misdemeanor vs Felony: What Every Defendant Should Know