Someone you love was arrested in Spartanburg County. Here is how bail works.

Call the Spartanburg County Detention Center at 864-596-2607, or use the Sheriff's Office bookings search. Have the person's full name and date of birth ready. Almost every arrest in the county, including city police and Highway Patrol arrests, is booked at the detention center at 950 California Avenue. If the arrest happened in another county, call that county's jail; the numbers are on the jail and courts page.

South Carolina law requires a bond hearing within 24 hours of arrest for a bailable offense (S.C. Code § 22-5-510). The Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office says magistrates usually hold bond hearings at the detention center every day at 11 a.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m., and midnight, and after that as needed. Times can change, and some serious charges can only have bond set by a circuit judge. Call bond court at 864-596-3424 to ask about a specific person. More: the bond hearing.

• Personal recognizance (PR) bond: a signed promise to come to court. No money is paid up front. The law starts here for most non-capital charges (S.C. Code § 17-15-10).
• Cash bond: the full amount is paid to the court and is generally returned through the court when the case ends, minus anything the court keeps.
• 10% cash deposit: if the judge approves, up to 10% of the bond can be deposited in cash with the court.
• Surety bond: someone else guarantees the full amount. That can be a licensed professional bondsman (for a fee) or a property owner acting as an accommodation bondsman.

Details: how bail works in South Carolina.

State law caps the bondsman's premium at 15 percent of the bond, with a minimum of $100 or 10 percent of the bond, whichever is greater (S.C. Code § 38-53-170). The premium is not refunded, even if the charges are dropped. A bondsman may offer a written payment agreement with at least $100 down. Costs required by the bond's own conditions, such as electronic monitoring, are separate from the premium. These rules can change; the fees guide links the current statute.

Yes. The Sheriff's Office lists three ways to satisfy a surety bond in Spartanburg County: pay the full amount in cash, deposit up to 10% in cash if the judge approves, or have a surety sign. A friend or relative who is a South Carolina resident and owns real estate can apply as an accommodation bondsman at the magistrate court office in the detention center. Bring photo ID, the property address, and the balances of any liens, judgments, or other bonds you have signed.

A co-signer (indemnitor) usually promises the bondsman that the person will go to every court date and that you will cover the bondsman's losses if they do not. That can mean losing collateral you put up. Read the whole agreement before you sign, get copies of everything, and ask for a written receipt for any collateral, which state law requires (S.C. Code § 38-53-180). More: what co-signers should know.

The court issues a bench warrant. Under S.C. Code § 38-53-70, the court must notify everyone bound on the bond within 30 days, and the bond is forfeited if the surety does not surrender the person within 90 days of the warrant. A co-signer can then owe the bondsman. If a date was missed, contact the court or a lawyer right away. More: missed court dates.

A bondsman must return collateral within ten days after liability on the bond ends, unless a bench warrant has been issued (S.C. Code § 38-53-170). Liability usually ends when the case is over. Keep the collateral receipt and ask the clerk for proof the case is closed. Cash posted directly with the court is handled by the court, not a bondsman. More: getting collateral back.

South Carolina bondsmen are licensed by the S.C. Department of Insurance. Ask the bondsman for their name and license number, then check it with the department's bondsman page or call its bondsman licensing line at 803-737-0719. The department also takes complaints. For a North Carolina bail agent (for example in Polk County), use the NC Department of Insurance lookup. More: checking a license and red flags.

No. South Carolina law bars a bondsman from suggesting or naming a particular attorney (S.C. Code § 38-53-170). If the person cannot afford a lawyer, they can apply to the Seventh Circuit Public Defender, 180 Magnolia Street, Suite 2137, 864-596-2561. For a DUI arrest, SpartanburgDUI.com lists local DUI defense attorneys. This site does not give legal advice.

Yes. South Carolina changed parts of its bail law in 2023, and the S.C. Department of Insurance issued an order in 2024 explaining those changes to bondsmen. Every guide on this site lists its official sources and the date it was last reviewed. Confirm anything that matters with the court, the detention center, or a licensed attorney.