Custer County DUI Bail Information
Understanding bail amounts, the release process, and what happens after a DUI arrest in Custer County.
Typical Bail Range
For a first-offense DUI in Custer County, bail typically ranges from:
First-time DUI offense
Bail Can Be Higher If:
- High BAC level (≥0.15)
- Accident or injury involved
- Minor passenger in vehicle
- Prior DUI offenses
- Probation or parole violation
- Additional charges (evading arrest, assault, etc.)
County Jail Information
Fremont County Jail (Cañon City)
Inmate Search
Use the online inmate locator to check booking status, bail amount, and release information.
What to Expect
Booking Process
2-8 hours for processing, fingerprinting, and photographing
Arraignment
Within 24-48 hours, bail set by judge
Release Options
Cash bond, bail bond, or personal recognizance (rare for DUI)
How Bail Bonds Work
Option 1: Cash Bond (Pay Full Amount)
How it works: Pay the full bail amount to the court
Pros: Get full amount back after case concludes (minus court fees)
Cons: Requires full amount upfront ($1,000-$2,000)
Option 2: Bail Bondsman (Most Common)
How it works: Pay 10-15% fee to bondsman, they post full bail
Cost: Typically 10% of bail amount (non-refundable)
Example: On $1,000 bail = $100 fee
Pros: Only need 10% upfront instead of full amount
Cons: Fee is non-refundable, may require collateral, co-signer assumes liability
Co-Signer Liability Warning
Important for Co-Signers:
- You are 100% liable if defendant does not appear in court
- You must pay the full bail amount if defendant skips
- Bondsman can seize collateral (house, car, etc.)
- You cannot cancel the bond - only the court can
- Liability continues until case is fully resolved
Release Timeline
Arrest & Booking (2-8 hours)
Fingerprinting, photographing, background check, medical screening
Arraignment (Within 24-48 hours)
First court appearance, judge sets bail amount, charges are read
Bail Posted (1-4 hours)
Family contacts bondsman, paperwork signed, fee paid
Release (2-6 hours)
Processing, release paperwork, return of personal property, court date assigned
Total Time Estimate
From arrest to release: 12-48 hours depending on booking workload, time of arrest (weekends take longer), and how quickly bail is posted.
After Release: Critical Deadlines
1. Request Express Consent Hearing - 7 Days
You have only 7 days from arrest to request your administrative license hearing. This is separate from your criminal case.
2. Retrieve Your Vehicle
Impound fees accrue daily. Get your car as soon as possible to avoid hundreds in storage fees.
Calculate Impound Costs3. Contact a Bail Bondsman
Need fast release in Custer County? Contact a verified 24/7 Bail Bondsman to start the release process immediately.
Find a Bondsman4. Appear at ALL Court Dates
Missing court will result in bond forfeiture, arrest warrant, and additional charges. Your co-signer will be liable for the full bail amount.
Custer County closed its own jail on January 6, 2023. That single fact reshapes everything about a DUI arrest here: booking doesn't happen in Westcliffe, it happens 33 miles away at the Fremont County Detention Center in Cañon City, and the drive alone adds 45 minutes to an hour before intake even starts. Anyone coming to post bail needs to head to Cañon City too, not the county seat.
Bond amounts follow the 11th Judicial District's standard schedule, which lets most defendants get out without waiting to see a judge. A first-offense DUI with no injury and no child in the vehicle typically carries a bond of $1,000 to $2,000. A DWAI charge runs $800 to $1,000. Prior offenses or a "Persistent Drunk Driver" designation push the bond to $3,000 or higher, and at that point release requires a court appearance and intake through Pretrial Services rather than a straight bond payment.
Fremont County's detention center takes bond payments around the clock, but avoid the two shift changes, roughly 6 AM and 6 PM. Release processing effectively stops during those windows. A flat $30 booking fee applies to everyone and doesn't come back, regardless of outcome.
There are four ways to pay: exact cash, a cashier's check made out to Fremont County Combined Courts, a licensed bail bondsman who will charge a premium in the 10 to 15 percent range, or Allpaid (formerly GovPayNet), an online remote payment system built for exactly this situation. Custer County's specific Payment Location Code for Allpaid is a004w6. For a relative calling from three states away who can't make the drive, that code is the difference between getting someone out today or waiting several more days.
Paying the bond doesn't guarantee an immediate release. Fremont County enforces a sober release requirement: a breath test has to read 0.000 before the doors open. Someone booked with a high blood alcohol level can sit in custody another 8 to 12 hours past the time bond clears, simply drying out.
Then comes the part almost nobody warns defendants about ahead of time. Release happens in Cañon City, sometimes in the middle of the night, and the impounded vehicle is sitting 33 miles away in Westcliffe. Public transit between the two towns is close to nonexistent. Arrange a ride before release, not after — standing outside a jail at 2 AM with no way home is its own kind of trap.
A licensed bail bondsman remains an option worth a phone call given the distance and the logistics involved after hours, though the premium itself is set within a range the state regulates, regardless of which bondsman a family chooses.
24-Hour Custer County Bail Bondsmen
If you or someone you know was arrested for DUI in Custer County, a licensed bail bond agent can arrange release once bail is set. Below are bail bond businesses serving Custer County, CO; paid listings are advertisements and ratings are from Google. Confirm an agent's state license, and get the fee and any collateral terms in writing before you sign or pay.
These are free, unclaimed business listings compiled from public sources. They have not been verified or reviewed by DUI Guide, are not paid advertisements, and listing order does not reflect quality or recommendation. Is this your business? You can claim your listing for free.