24/7 Bail Bonds & Inmate Search — California · Texas · Licensed · Insured
City of Orange · Maximum Security
Theo Lacy Facility
Orange County's maximum-security jail, on the Santa Ana River in the City of Orange. Bonds posted day or night.
Table Of Contents
Facility Overview
What Theo Lacy actually is, and what happens there.
Hours & Visiting
Visiting rules, scheduling lines, and the numbers that reach a person.
Reviews
What Orange County families say after the bond was posted.
Bail Options & Charges We Handle
All 19 California charge pages and all 9 payment structures.
Booking & Custody Process
The real sequence from arrest to release.
How To Post Bail Here
The statutes behind the number, and the county's own disclaimer.
Nearby Courthouses
Where the case is heard once someone is in custody.
Which Cities Route Here
All 34 Orange County cities and their own bail pages.
Related Facilities
The other Orange County custody facilities.
Facility FAQs
The questions families ask most about this facility.
Theo Lacy Facility — Maximum-Security Housing
Theo Lacy Facility is Orange County's maximum-security jail — approximately 450 sworn and professional staff, situated on the banks of the Santa Ana River in the City of Orange.
It is the county's main destination for higher-classification male inmates after intake. People are not booked here: the arrest goes through the Intake Release Center in Santa Ana, and a classification decision is what sends someone the roughly six miles north to The City Drive.
The location is worth knowing for a second reason. Lamoreaux Justice Center sits directly across The City Drive, so families often find themselves at a courthouse and a jail within sight of each other and assume the two are connected. They are not — the courthouse hears the case, the jail holds the person, and a bond is filed at the jail.
At A Glance
- Address
- 501 The City Drive South, Orange, CA 92868
- Role
- Maximum-security county housing facility
- Staff
- Approximately 450 sworn and professional staff
- Bail cashier
- (714) 935-6905, daily 8:00 AM–2:00 PM
- Visit scheduling
- (714) 935-6202
- Records / general
- (714) 935-6940
Hours & Visiting
Bail Cashier
(714) 935-6905 — published as daily, 8:00 AM–2:00 PM. Outside those hours a bond is typically filed at the Santa Ana complex; we confirm before anyone drives.
Visiting Days
Typically Friday through Monday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM.
Appointments
Scheduled at least 24 hours in advance — (714) 935-6202. No walk-ups.
Records / General
(714) 935-6940.
Contact
- Bail cashier: (714) 935-6905 (daily, 8 AM–2 PM)
- Visit scheduling: (714) 935-6202
- Records / general: (714) 935-6940
- OCSD headquarters: (714) 647-7000
- 501 The City Drive South, Orange, CA 92868
- OCSD limits visiting to four visits per inmate per week, one per day, within the Friday-through-Monday window.
- The cashier window and the visiting schedule are two different things — a bond can be started at any hour even when the counter is closed.
- Theo Lacy is roughly six miles from the Flower Street complex; a same-day transfer between the two is common enough that the facility should be re-confirmed before filing.
What We Have Not Confirmed
- — Cashier hours of 8 AM–2 PM are as published; OCSD does not publish a separate after-hours bond-filing procedure for this facility, so we verify the current process by phone on every Theo Lacy bond rather than assume it.
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 Amount | 10% Premium | As 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.
Domestic Violence Bail Bonds
Bail and protective-order guidance for PC §273.5 and §243(e)(1) cases.
Drug Possession & Drug Charge Bail Bonds
Bail for possession, sales, trafficking, and prescription-related cases.
Theft Bail Bonds
Bail for petty theft, grand theft, shoplifting, and receipt of stolen property.
Burglary Bail Bonds
Bail for first-degree, second-degree, and auto burglary under PC §459.
Robbery Bail Bonds
Bail for armed and unarmed robbery charges under PC §211.
Warrant Bail Bonds
Clear bench warrants and arrest warrants fast without unnecessary jail time.
Elder Abuse Bail Bonds
Bail for financial, physical, or neglect-based elder abuse charges.
Manslaughter Bail Bonds
Bail for voluntary, involuntary, and vehicular manslaughter under PC §192.
Murder Charge Bail Bonds
Bail for first-degree and second-degree murder charges under PC §187.
Misdemeanor Bail Bonds
Bail for misdemeanors with quick release and flexible payment plans.
Felony Bail Bonds
Bail for felony charges and serious criminal allegations.
Traffic & Vehicle Code Bail Bonds
Bail for reckless driving, hit-and-run, and suspended-license arrests.
Assault & Battery Bail Bonds
Bail for simple battery, assault, and aggravated assault cases.
Failure To Appear (FTA) Bail Bonds
Bail for FTA warrants and missed court dates.
Probation Violation Bail Bonds
Bail for technical and substantive probation violations.
Weapons Charge Bail Bonds
Bail for illegal firearm, concealed carry, and weapons allegations.
Federal Charge Bail Bonds
Bail for federal court charges and pretrial release.
Immigration Bonds
Bonds for ICE detainers and immigration court proceedings.
Payment & Financing Options
1% Bail Bonds
Start the bail process for a fraction of the standard premium.
2% Bail Bonds
Low down-payment option for qualified cosigners and collateral.
24-Hour Bail Bonds
Bonds posted any time, day or night, including weekends and holidays.
Affordable Bail Bonds
Payment plans designed to fit most budgets and credit profiles.
Cosigner Bail Bonds
Use a qualified cosigner to strengthen the application and lower upfront cost.
No-Collateral Bail Bonds
Signature-release options when qualifying employment and residence criteria are met.
No Money Down Bail Bonds
Deferred-down arrangements that let release move forward immediately.
Online Bail Bonds
Complete paperwork, payment, and signatures digitally from any location.
1275 Hold Bail Bonds
Specialized bonds for PC 1275 holds requiring a source-of-funds hearing.
Booking & Custody Process
Nobody is booked at Theo Lacy. Everyone here arrived through the countywide intake sequence and a classification decision.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
How To Post Bail At Theo Lacy Facility
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 §1269bThe 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 §1270.1The 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 §1800What 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
Theo Lacy shares a street with one courthouse and sends most of its adult criminal cases to another.
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 GuideCentral 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 GuideDepartment 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 GuideWhich Cities Route Here
Higher-classification male arrests from any Orange County city can be housed at Theo Lacy after IRC classification. Each city page below covers that city's arresting agency and courthouse assignment.
Theo Lacy Facility Bail FAQs
Can I post bail directly at Theo Lacy?
There is a bail cashier at (714) 935-6905 with published hours of 8 AM to 2 PM daily. Outside those hours the practical route is the Santa Ana complex, which operates around the clock. We confirm the current procedure by phone on every Theo Lacy bond before anyone drives.
Why was someone moved from Santa Ana to Theo Lacy?
Classification. Theo Lacy is the county's maximum-security facility, and higher-classification male inmates are commonly transferred there after intake. The move is a housing decision, not a new charge.
Is Lamoreaux Justice Center part of the jail?
No. Lamoreaux is a courthouse directly across The City Drive from Theo Lacy — juvenile, family law, domestic violence and traffic calendars. Being neighbors does not mean a Theo Lacy case is heard there.
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.