Inmate Bonding Procedure

Listed below are the procedures for bonding and arrested person out of the Pickens County Adult Detention Center. A criminal bond is a financial guarantee that the arrested person will appear in court on the specified date. A BOND IS NOT A FINE! A person posting a bond must appear before a judge to answer criminal charges.

Cash Bond
A cash bond may be posted by anyone. The amount of cash is the amount of the bond, i.e. if the bond is $500.00, then $500.00 CASH must be posted. This cash will be returned to the person posting the money at the conclusion of the criminal trial or plea. When a cash pond is posted you must have the exact amount. The Sheriff’s Office DOES NOT MAKE CHANGE, AND DOES NOT ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS OR CHECKS DRAWN ON PERSONAL OR BUSINESS ACCOUNTS. The Sheriff’s Office will accept POSTAL MONEY ORDERS ONLY, CASHIERS CHECKS AND CERTIFIED CHECKS ONLY. A separate $13.00 bonding fee will be collected for writing the bond; please have cash in the exact amount, as the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office is NOT able to make change. The bond fee cannot be combined with the bond money; it must be separate and exact change only.

Professional Bondsman
A professional Bondsman is in the business of posting bonds for criminal charges. The bondsman will charge a fee (usually under $10,000 12%, over $10,000 15% of the bond amount.) This fee is non-refundable. A list of approved bondsman is located in the main lobby of the Adult Detention Center, as well as in the booking area. The Sheriff’s Office CANNOT recommend one bondsman over another. Please do not ask us to violate Georgia Law. The bondsman you choose and the arrangements made are between you and the professional bondsman. Only professional bonding companies licensed in Pickens County may be used.

Property Bond

A property bond may be posted by individuals who own property inside Pickens County; vehicles cannot be used to post a property bond. To post a property bond you MUST provide the following documents and meet the following criteria:

1. Provide an original or certified copy of ONE of the following property deeds: Warranty Deed; Quit Claim Deed.
2. A CURRENT Property Tax Receipt showing the taxes are paid to date (not overdue).
3. Have enough clear and unencumbered equity to cover twice the bond amount plus a $5,000.00 homestead tax exemption. This calculation can ONLY be made based on the Fair Market Value that is on record with the Tax Commissioner’s Office; selling price, insured value, and other amounts CANNOT be used. Only fixed, permanent structures will be included in the value of the property; the value of mobile homes will not be included in the value of the property.
4. A current mortgage statement must be provided to ensure the amount of equity the surety has is enough to process the property bond. All mortgage payments must be up to date in order to process the bond. A copy of the mortgage statement must be attached to all property bond documentation.
5. All parties named on the deed will be required to sign an affidavit (sworn statement) under penalty of perjury regarding the equity in the property. A lien will be placed on any property posted for bonds. To ensure that the lien is canceled, it is the surety’s responsibility to provide the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office with a certified copy of the disposition and a request for the lien to be removed.
6. ALL persons listed on the deed MUST be present with government issued photographic identification and MUST sign the bond form. If one of these persons is deceased, a certified copy of the death certificate must be presented.
7. A $13.00 bonding fee will be collected for writing the bond, please have cash in the exact amount as the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office is NOT able to make change.

Approved Property Bond

An approved property bond may be accepted if property is owned outside of Pickens County. To obtain an approved property bond, YOU MUST MEET THE CRITERIA LISTED ABOVE FOR PROPERTY BONDS AND complete the following steps:

1. Gather your deed, everyone listed on the property and make sure they all have government issued identification. If anyone on the deed is unable to make the trip to Pickens County , a notarized and signed Power of Attorney for that individual must be provided when posting an approved property bond.
2. Go to the Sheriff’s Office in the county where the property is located to have a bond written by that Sheriff’s Office. Be aware that the Sheriff’s Office where the property is located may have different bonding criteria but you will still have to meet the standards for the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office to post a bond for an inmate in Pickens County Jail. If the Sheriff’s Office writing the bond has any questions, they are welcome to call our Booking Desk at 706-253-8900.
3. Once the bond is written by the Sheriff’s Office where the property is located , that agency will place the bond and ALL the associated documents (except identification) in a sealed envelope. DO NOT OPEN THIS ENVELOPE OR TAMPER WITH IT IN ANYWAY; THE BOND WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED IF THE SEAL OR ENVELOPE IS DAMAGED.
4. Bring the sealed envelope to the Pickens County Adult Detention Center along with ALL parties named on the deed (Power of Attorney to be included if absent parties apply) and their corresponding government issued photographic identification to have a Pickens County bond written.
5. All parties named on the deed will be required to sing an affidavit (sworn statement) under penalty of perjury regarding the equity in the property.
6. A $13.00 bonding fee may be collected by the Sheriff’s Office where the property is located for writing the bond. The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office will not collect a bond fee for approved property bonds, if one has been collected already. Please keep any receipts if this is the case.

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