Cash Bonds in Cherokee County
A cash bond is refundable at the end of the case — but it ties up the entire bond amount, and the fees are not as small as people expect.
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Cash bond, online portal, or a bondsman?
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office accepts cash bonds. The entire bond amount is paid in currency or by cashier’s cheque — the Sheriff states that other than cash, only cashier’s cheques are accepted — plus a $20 non-refundable state bond fee paid separately in exact change, with no change given.
There is also an online cash bond portal. It is convenient, and it costs more: the published fees are a $10 automation fee plus a 5% administrative fee, on top of the full bond amount and the $20 state fee.
The cash comes back at the conclusion of the case, less fees. That is the appeal. The problem is the interval — a felony case can run a year or more, and that is a long time to have $25,000 sitting with the court while you are also paying a lawyer.
Fast facts
- Full bond amount in cash or cashier’s cheque
- $20 non-refundable state bond fee, exact change, no change given
- Online portal adds a $10 automation fee plus 5% administrative fee
- Refunded at the conclusion of trial or plea, less fees
- A surety bond costs 15% and nothing is tied up
- Sheriff’s Bond Administrator: 678-493-4164
This page is general information about Georgia law and Cherokee County practice. It is not legal advice, and it is no substitute for a lawyer. Charges, bond conditions and court dates vary case by case.
What Georgia law says
“A bond is not a fine”
The Sheriff’s Office says this in capital letters on its own bond page, and it is worth repeating. Posting a bond secures release pending court. It does not resolve the case, satisfy a fine or end the obligation.
Charitable and third-party cash bonds are limited
Under O.C.G.A. § 17-6-15(b)(4), as amended by SB 63, no more than three cash bonds may be posted per year by any individual, corporation, organisation, charity, nonprofit or group in any jurisdiction. House Bill 1131, effective 1 July 2026, exempts a natural person posting a cash bond for an immediate family member — so posting for your own spouse, parent, child or sibling is not capped. The wider limit has also been enjoined by a federal court since July 2024 and remains under appeal in the Eleventh Circuit, so verify the current position before relying on it.
The refund is not automatic-fast
Funds come back at the conclusion of the case through the court, not the moment charges are dropped. Release of inmate funds at discharge is handled Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and case refunds run through the Clerk of Courts at 678-493-6511.
Cherokee County, Georgia — cash bonds.
What happens after the arrest
Get the exact bond amount
Call the jail at 678-493-4200 or Inmate Records at 678-493-4209. Do not guess — short payments are rejected.
Bring the right instrument
Cash or a cashier’s cheque, plus $20 in exact change for the state fee. Personal cheques are not accepted.
Or compare with a surety bond
Fifteen percent, no lock-up of capital, and we do the driving. On most bonds this is the cheaper decision in real terms.
Keep every receipt
You will need them at the end of the case to get the money back.
Cash Bonds: questions we get every week
You get the bond amount back at the conclusion of the case, less the $20 state fee and any online portal fees. If the defendant fails to appear, you can lose it entirely.
It is the Sheriff’s own published payment route. Just be aware of the added $10 automation fee and 5% administrative fee. And note the Sheriff’s scam warning: his office will never call an inmate’s family demanding payment for bond, ankle monitors or pretrial release.
If you have the full amount idle and the case is short, cash. If the bond is large, the case will run long, or you need that money for a lawyer and rent, the 15% premium usually wins. We will do the arithmetic with you without pressure.
Yes. Note the three-bonds-per-year limitation in O.C.G.A. 17-6-15(b)(4) — but House Bill 1131, effective 1 July 2026, exempts anyone posting a cash bond for an immediate family member, and the wider limit has been enjoined by a federal court since 2024 and is still on appeal. If you are posting for your own family member, the cap should not apply to you.
Other bail bonds we write in Cherokee County
We post this bond anywhere in Cherokee County
Call now. We will tell you what is actually possible.
No sales pitch. A licensed Cherokee County bondsman will look at the charge and give you a straight answer.