Richland County DUI Bail Information
Understanding bail amounts, the release process, and what happens after a DUI arrest in Richland County.
County Jail Information
Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center
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
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)
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 MVD Hearing - 30 Days
You have only 30 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 Richland 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bring exact change or don't bother. The Bond Court inside the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center keeps no cash on hand and cannot make change, so a cash bond has to be paid to the penny. Personal checks aren't accepted under any circumstance, and a certified check has to be made out precisely to the "Richland County Circuit Clerk." Credit and debit cards work too, and they're the only way to post bond remotely without showing up in person, but that convenience comes at a real cost: a 7% processing fee on the full bond amount, which turns painful fast on a high-dollar surety bond.
A magistrate sets bond at one of four daily hearings, weighing flight risk and community safety rather than guilt. For a standard, non-aggravated first-offense DUI, a personal recognizance bond, release on a written promise to appear, is common and requires no money down. If the magistrate wants a financial tether instead, it's either a cash bond for the full amount or a surety bond through a licensed bail bondsman for a non-refundable fee, typically around 10%. First-offense bail can't legally exceed the maximum fine for the underlying charge, which caps around $400 for a BAC under 0.10%. A second offense, or a high BAC, hands the amount over entirely to the magistrate's discretion.
Timing works against anyone arrested late on a Saturday. Bond Court runs 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. on weekdays but only 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends, so a late-Saturday-night arrest can mean sitting in a holding cell until the Sunday morning rotation starts. Visitation, listed as 8:15 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays, gets interrupted by unannounced one-to-two-hour blackouts during meal service, shift changes, and lockdowns.
A cluster of bail bond agencies operates 24/7 in the immediate area around the detention center, on the Bluff Road / John Mark Dial Drive corridor, ready to post a surety bond on short notice for anyone who can't cover the full cash amount.