To find out whether someone is in custody at the Madera County Jail, call the jail at (559) 675-7951, the number on Madera County's jail page. Once the person is released or charged, the release paper or arraignment letter names the court date at Madera Superior Court, 200 South G Street.
How do I find out if someone is in custody at the Madera County Jail?
Call the Madera County Jail at (559) 675-7951, give the person's full legal name and date of birth, and ask whether a booking is complete.
- Call the Madera County Jail at (559) 675-7951, the number on the county's jail page, and give the person's full legal name, along with their date of birth if you have it.
- Ask directly whether a booking has been completed. A person arrested only a short time ago may not be listed yet, even by phone, while paperwork is finished.
- If the arrest happened outside the city of Madera, for example in Chowchilla or Oakhurst, ask whether the person was transferred to the county jail or is still held by the arresting agency.
- If the person may be serving a state prison sentence, use the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's own inmate locator instead of calling the county jail.
- Keep a note of what staff tell you, including any booking number, so you can reference it again when you call back about bail or a court date.
For custody in a different California county, see our courthouse and jail guides by county.
Where does Madera County hold people after an arrest?
The Madera County Jail, run by the Madera County Sheriff's Office, is at 195 Tozer Street in Madera, and its phone number is (559) 675-7951.
| Facility | Address | Public phone |
|---|---|---|
| Madera County Jail | 195 Tozer St., Madera, CA 93638 | (559) 675-7951 |
The county's jail page gives that address and number, and its business and visiting hours page has the current visiting rules. Ask the jail directly about anything specific to a current case.
How does release work before trial in Madera County?
Madera Superior Court's own description of a criminal case places the bail or own recognizance decision after arrest and arraignment, based on the charge, history and likelihood of returning.
The court's Criminal Division page walks through the typical path of a case: a warrant issues, the arrest happens, and at arraignment "the accused is held with or without bail or released on their own recognizance (ROR)," depending on the offense, the person's history, the severity of the charge, and the likelihood they will return to court. Separately, California law (Penal Code section 853.6) generally pushes most misdemeanor arrests toward a written citation to appear instead of being held for a magistrate, unless a listed exception applies, such as an outstanding warrant; the statute itself says nothing prevents an officer from first booking the person at the scene or at the station before release.
How do I post bail for someone at the Madera County Jail?
California law lets the jail or court clerk accept bail in cash or as a surety bond, in the amount a warrant, the court's schedule or a judge sets.
Penal Code section 1269b(a) gives that authority to the officer in charge of the jail and to the court clerk. Under Penal Code section 1295(a), the person or anyone else may instead deposit the cash with the court clerk, after a misdemeanor booking or once a court order admits the person to bail. Ask the jail which forms of payment it takes before you go.
Madera Superior Court's 2026 Felony Bail Schedule (Including Selected Misdemeanors), adopted under Penal Code section 1269b(c), is dated January 2, 2026. It sets amounts such as $10,000 for a first-offense misdemeanor DUI and $30,000 for a felony corporal-injury charge under Penal Code section 273.5(a), with $5,000 as the default for a misdemeanor the schedule does not list by name. A separate order, 2026 Miscellaneous Order No. 7, adopts the Judicial Council's 2026 Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedule for infractions and misdemeanors for local use; it is not the arrest bail schedule above. If bail is posted in cash and the case later ends, the court says refunds "are processed automatically upon court order" and take "approximately 6 to 8 weeks" to arrive.
A schedule number is a starting point, nothing more. Once a judge sets bail in court, the judge's own figure takes over (Penal Code section 1269b(b)); the schedule's introduction says the judge's amount "may be greater or less than the amount indicated in this schedule." Before arraignment, after an arrest without a warrant, the arrested person, or a lawyer, friend or family member, can ask a judge for lower bail or own recognizance release, except for the offenses listed in Penal Code section 1270.1(a) (Penal Code section 1269c). Under In re Humphrey (2021), a judge who sets money bail must consider the person's ability to pay and whether nonfinancial conditions could reasonably protect the public and the victim or reasonably assure the person's return to court. Under In re Kowalczyk (April 30, 2026), in noncapital cases a judge may deny bail only for the offenses listed in article I, section 12(b) and (c) of the California Constitution, and money bail must generally be "reasonably attainable" for that person, though it need not be easily affordable. Read how California sets bail amounts for more on how a judge weighs this.
When is the first court date after an arrest in Madera County?
A statewide deadline controls how fast a judge must see someone held in custody after an arrest, and Madera County has a single courthouse for that hearing.
Penal Code section 825(a)(1) requires that "the defendant shall in all cases be taken before the magistrate without unnecessary delay, and, in any event, within 48 hours after his or her arrest, excluding Sundays and holidays," extended through the end of the next court session on the following court day if the 48 hours run out while court is closed (Penal Code section 825(a)(2)). For an arrest on a Wednesday after that day's court session has ended, the deadline is the following Friday, if neither day is a court holiday. This sets when someone must see a judge, not when charges must be filed, and it does not promise release.
Madera Superior Court sits at 200 South G Street, Madera, CA 93637, main line (559) 416-5599, with the Criminal Division inside the Main Courthouse keeping clerk's window hours of 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and a filing drop box from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Our Madera County Courthouse guide covers case lookup, remote appearance, and interpreters for that courthouse in more depth, and our arraignment guide explains the process generally. If you cannot afford a lawyer, ask for a court-appointed attorney at the arraignment; the court's criminal page says that if the defendant qualifies, an attorney will be appointed.
Where do I check visiting, mail and money rules for the Madera County Jail?
Madera County publishes the jail's business and visiting hours on its own jail page; check it, or call the jail, before visiting or sending mail or money.
Personal mail does not go to the jail's street address: the county's jail page says to send it to Madera County Jail, CA, with the person's name and number, at P.O. Box 16120, Jonesboro, AR 72401. Visiting days and times, mail rules and ways to add money to an account can change, so use the county's jail business and visiting hours page rather than a printed schedule, and ask the jail about anything specific to a visit.
What should I do right now if someone was just arrested in Madera County?
Confirm the booking first, then settle how to handle bail and get a lawyer involved before the first court date, saving all paperwork from the arrest.
- Call the jail to confirm the person is in custody and ask what has been booked so far.
- Find out whether a bail amount has been set, since that decides whether you need cash, a bond, or a request to the judge next.
- Choose how to help with bail, whether that is cash, a licensed bail bond agent, or asking the court for own recognizance release.
- Save any paperwork connected to the arrest for later reference.
- Call a Madera County criminal defense lawyer as soon as you can, so the arraignment date and the bail question are being tracked from day one.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an online inmate search for the Madera County Jail?
The county's jail page lists a VINE (Victim Information Notification Everyday) page but no jail roster of its own. To check custody directly, call the Madera County Jail at (559) 675-7951 and give the person's full legal name and date of birth.
How much is bail in Madera County?
Madera Superior Court's 2026 Felony Bail Schedule, dated January 2, 2026, sets a starting figure by offense, such as $10,000 for a first misdemeanor DUI or $30,000 for a felony corporal-injury charge. A judge can set a different amount at arraignment.
How long does it take to get cash bail back in Madera County?
The court says refunds on cash bail are processed automatically once a judge orders it, and take about 6 to 8 weeks to arrive.
What happens if someone is arrested for a misdemeanor in Madera County?
Under Penal Code section 853.6 an officer must generally release a person arrested for a misdemeanor on a written notice to appear instead of holding them for a magistrate, though booking may come first. Listed exceptions include an outstanding warrant and a stated reason to believe the person will not appear in court.
Which court handles Madera County criminal cases?
Madera Superior Court, 200 South G Street, Madera, with its Criminal Division inside the Main Courthouse.
Can I ask for a lower bail amount before the Madera County arraignment?
Yes, after an arrest without a warrant. Penal Code section 1269c lets the arrested person, or a lawyer, friend or family member, ask a judge for bail below the schedule or for own recognizance release, except for the offenses listed in Penal Code section 1270.1(a). Once a judge sets bail, that figure replaces the printed schedule (Penal Code section 1269b(b)).
Can I get an interpreter for a Madera County criminal case?
Yes. A person charged with a crime who cannot understand English has a right to an interpreter throughout the case (California Constitution, article I, section 14), and in a criminal case the interpreter's pay is a charge against the court, not the defendant (Evidence Code section 752(b)(1)); Madera Superior Court says its interpreters are provided free of charge. Request one in advance, as soon as you know you need to go to court.
What if the person was arrested outside the city of Madera, such as in Chowchilla or Oakhurst?
Ask the jail whether the person has been booked there or is still held by the arresting agency; the county's jail page lists the jail's contact details.
Talk to a lawyer
The Law Offices of David S. Chesley offers a free, confidential consultation, available 24 hours a day, including for a family member calling about someone just arrested in Madera County. Call (800) 755-5174, request a free consultation online, with payment plans available and service in Spanish, or visit our criminal defense lawyer page to learn more.