Orange County · Countywide Intake

Intake Release Center (IRC)

Nearly every Orange County arrest is booked here first. Licensed agents, 24 hours a day, who know exactly where a bond has to be filed.

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Table Of Contents

Facility Overview

What the IRC actually is, and what happens there.

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Hours & Visiting

Visiting rules, scheduling lines, and the numbers that reach a person.

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Reviews

What Orange County families say after the bond was posted.

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Bail Options & Charges We Handle

All 19 California charge pages and all 9 payment structures.

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Booking & Custody Process

The real sequence from arrest to release.

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How To Post Bail Here

The statutes behind the number, and the county's own disclaimer.

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Nearby Courthouses

Where the case is heard once someone is in custody.

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Which Cities Route Here

All 34 Orange County cities and their own bail pages.

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Related Facilities

The other Orange County custody facilities.

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Facility FAQs

The questions families ask most about this facility.

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Intake Release Center (IRC) — Countywide Booking & Classification

The Intake Release Center is Orange County's central processing point — nearly every arrest countywide passes through here for booking, fingerprinting, and classification before being assigned to Central Men's Jail, Central Women's Jail, Theo Lacy, or Musick. It shares an address with the Central Men's and Women's Jails: 550 N. Flower Street, Santa Ana.

That single funnel is why Orange County feels simpler than a county like Los Angeles, where custody is spread across dozens of separate city facilities. It also means the first hours after an arrest usually look the same no matter which of the county's 34 cities the arrest happened in: identification, warrant check, medical and mental-health screening, then a classification decision about where the person is actually housed.

For a family, the practical consequence is timing. The person is at the IRC before they are anywhere else, and they may be released straight from here without ever being moved — or transferred out to Orange or Irvine within a day. Which of those happens changes where the bond gets filed, which is why the facility has to be confirmed before anyone drives anywhere.

Official OCSD Facility Page

At A Glance

Address
550 N. Flower Street, Santa Ana, CA 92703
Role
Countywide intake — booking, fingerprinting, screening and classification
General line
(714) 647-6063
Visitation scheduling
(714) 647-6050, Monday–Friday 7:00 AM–4:00 PM
OCSD headquarters
(714) 647-7000 (general and administrative)
Public visiting
None — this is a processing facility, not a housing facility

Hours & Visiting

Booking & Intake

24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Public Visiting

None at the IRC — it is a processing facility. Visits happen at the housing facility a person is classified to.

Visitation Scheduling Line

(714) 647-6050, Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–4:00 PM.

General Information

(714) 647-6063, for booking status and facility questions.

Contact

  • General line: (714) 647-6063
  • Visitation scheduling: (714) 647-6050 (Mon–Fri, 7 AM–4 PM)
  • OCSD headquarters: (714) 647-7000
  • 550 N. Flower Street, Santa Ana, CA 92703
Call (213) 510-2764
  • Intake is not instant. Identification, warrant checks and medical screening routinely take several hours, and a weekend or holiday arrest can take longer still.
  • Because the IRC handles the whole county, a person may be released from here directly, or moved to Central Men's, Central Women's, Theo Lacy or Musick after classification.
  • OCSD headquarters at (714) 647-7000 handles general and administrative questions, not booking status.

What We Have Not Confirmed

  • Some third-party sources list the Flower Street complex with a 92702 ZIP code. OCSD's own IRC location page lists 92703, and that is the ZIP used throughout this directory.
  • Release timing is not published as a fixed schedule and varies with staffing and volume.

What Families Say

They told me my brother had already been moved out of Santa Ana before I wasted a trip. The bond was filed at the right jail the first time.

Priscilla M. · Orange County, CA

Called at 2 in the morning and someone picked up who actually knew the booking process. No pressure, straight numbers, everything signed from my phone.

Andre L. · Orange County, CA

What I appreciated most was them writing down the next court date and explaining what happens if it's missed. Nobody else did that.

Karen S. · Orange County, CA

Bail Options & Charges We Handle

California bail premiums are set by the rate filed with the Department of Insurance under Insurance Code §1800 and run 10% of the face amount of the bond. Qualifying cosigners can start as low as 1% down on a written payment plan.

Bail Amount10% PremiumAs Low As 1% Down
$5,000$500$50
$10,000$1,000$100
$25,000$2,500$250
$50,000$5,000$500
$100,000$10,000$1,000
$250,000$25,000$2,500

California Charge Pages

DUI / DWI Bail Bonds

24-hour bail for drunk-driving arrests under Vehicle Code §23152.

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Domestic Violence Bail Bonds

Bail and protective-order guidance for PC §273.5 and §243(e)(1) cases.

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Drug Possession & Drug Charge Bail Bonds

Bail for possession, sales, trafficking, and prescription-related cases.

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Theft Bail Bonds

Bail for petty theft, grand theft, shoplifting, and receipt of stolen property.

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Burglary Bail Bonds

Bail for first-degree, second-degree, and auto burglary under PC §459.

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Robbery Bail Bonds

Bail for armed and unarmed robbery charges under PC §211.

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Warrant Bail Bonds

Clear bench warrants and arrest warrants fast without unnecessary jail time.

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Elder Abuse Bail Bonds

Bail for financial, physical, or neglect-based elder abuse charges.

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Manslaughter Bail Bonds

Bail for voluntary, involuntary, and vehicular manslaughter under PC §192.

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Murder Charge Bail Bonds

Bail for first-degree and second-degree murder charges under PC §187.

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Misdemeanor Bail Bonds

Bail for misdemeanors with quick release and flexible payment plans.

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Felony Bail Bonds

Bail for felony charges and serious criminal allegations.

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Traffic & Vehicle Code Bail Bonds

Bail for reckless driving, hit-and-run, and suspended-license arrests.

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Assault & Battery Bail Bonds

Bail for simple battery, assault, and aggravated assault cases.

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Failure To Appear (FTA) Bail Bonds

Bail for FTA warrants and missed court dates.

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Probation Violation Bail Bonds

Bail for technical and substantive probation violations.

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Weapons Charge Bail Bonds

Bail for illegal firearm, concealed carry, and weapons allegations.

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Federal Charge Bail Bonds

Bail for federal court charges and pretrial release.

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Immigration Bonds

Bonds for ICE detainers and immigration court proceedings.

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Payment & Financing Options

Booking & Custody Process

The IRC is step two of a sequence that starts with the arresting agency and ends at whichever facility the person is classified to. Here is how that actually runs.

1

Arrest & Transport

The arresting agency — OCSD for the contract cities, an independent city police department elsewhere — completes its own paperwork first. That step alone can add hours before anyone appears in a county record.

2

Intake At The IRC

Nearly every county booking runs through the Intake Release Center on Flower Street: identification, fingerprints, warrant check, medical and mental-health screening.

3

Classification

Classification staff — not the charge alone — decide where someone is housed: Central Men's or Central Women's Jail downtown, Theo Lacy in Orange, or Musick in Irvine.

4

Bail Amount Is Set

The Orange County bail schedule adopted under Penal Code §1269b fixes an amount at booking, before any judge is involved. That is the figure a bond is written against.

5

The Bond Is Posted

A licensed agent files the bond at the facility actually holding the defendant. Getting that facility right is the single most common cause of delay for families doing this themselves.

6

Release & First Court Date

Release processing takes hours, not minutes, and runs slower on weekends and holidays. The paperwork the defendant signs on the way out carries the first court date.

Orange County Inmate Locator

How To Post Bail At Intake Release Center (IRC)

Bail Is Set At Booking

Under Penal Code §1269b, the county bail schedule fixes an amount at booking, before anyone sees a judge. That is the figure the bond is written against.

Penal Code §1269b

The Court Can Change It

Penal Code §1270.1 requires a hearing before release on certain serious charges, and a judge can raise, lower, or attach conditions at arraignment.

Penal Code §1270.1

The Premium Is Regulated

Insurance Code §1800 governs bail premiums in California — 10% of the bond, with as low as 1% down for qualifying cosigners on a written plan.

Insurance Code §1800

What The County Itself Says

The Sheriff's Department states plainly on its own visiting-information pages that it “does not recommend, suggest, or direct individuals to any Release Surety Agent/Company.” That is accurate and we say it here rather than skate past it: no bail agent in Orange County is endorsed by the county, and the choice of agent belongs to the family. What we do is show up, write the bond correctly, and put the next court date in writing.

Nearby Courthouses

The IRC sits inside the same downtown Santa Ana footprint as the county's in-custody courtroom and a short drive from the county's largest courthouse.

Department CJ1 (Building 50)

550 N. Flower St, Santa Ana, CA 92703

The in-custody arraignment and probation-violation courtroom inside the jail complex itself. Someone still in custody often has their first hearing here rather than at a public courthouse.

Courthouse Guide

Central Justice Center

700 Civic Center Dr W, Santa Ana, CA 92701

The county's largest courthouse, a few blocks from the Flower Street jail complex. Most Santa Ana-area adult criminal cases are heard here after arraignment.

Courthouse Guide

Lamoreaux Justice Center

341 The City Dr S, Orange, CA 92868

Directly across The City Drive from Theo Lacy. Juvenile, family law, domestic violence and traffic calendars — a different case-type split from the adult criminal courthouses.

Courthouse Guide
All Orange County Courthouses

Which Cities Route Here

Every one of Orange County's 34 cities routes through the IRC for county booking — whether the arrest was made by an OCSD deputy in a contract city or by an independent city police department that transports afterward. Each city page below covers that city's own arresting agency, courthouse assignment, and local detail.

Intake Release Center (IRC) Bail FAQs

Can I visit someone at the Intake Release Center?

No. The IRC is a processing facility with no public visiting. Once a person is classified and housed at Central Men's Jail, Central Women's Jail, Theo Lacy or Musick, visits are scheduled at that facility — the scheduling line is (714) 647-6050, Monday through Friday, 7 AM to 4 PM.

How long does someone stay at the IRC?

Long enough to be booked, screened and classified — commonly several hours, sometimes considerably longer on a busy weekend. Someone who bails out quickly may never leave the IRC at all; someone who does not may be transferred to Orange or Irvine within a day.

Is the IRC the same place as Central Men's Jail?

Same complex, same street address, different facility. 550 N. Flower Street covers the IRC and both Central jails. The distinction matters for visiting and for release, not for the drive.

Can bail be posted overnight or on a weekend?

Yes. The county jail system operates around the clock and a licensed agent can start a bond at any hour. Release processing still takes time, and it is generally slower overnight, on weekends and on holidays because fewer staff are working the release side.

Why did my inmate search come back empty right after the arrest?

Because the booking record has not caught up yet. Someone arrested by a city police department may sit at that department for hours before transport to the IRC, and the county record only appears once intake begins. Call with a full legal name and date of birth and we will keep checking.

Does the Sheriff's Department recommend a bail agent?

No, and it says so directly: OCSD does not recommend, suggest, or direct anyone to a particular bail agent or company. Families choose their own agent. We are licensed in California and work every Orange County facility.

Talk To A Licensed Agent Right Now

We answer around the clock, we confirm which facility is actually holding your person before anyone drives, and we put the next court date in writing.