Average Bail Amounts in California: Felonies, DUI, Assault & $50,000 Bail Crimes
“How much is bail?” is usually the first question a family asks after an arrest, and the hardest to answer from a search result. California does not have one bail amount. Each county publishes its own bail schedule, the figure depends on the exact charge, and a judge can change it at the first court date. You can, however, get a realistic sense of the range. This guide covers the averages, the common amounts by charge, which crimes carry $50,000 bail, and what you actually pay once a bail bond is involved.
The short version: California’s median bail has historically been about $50,000, roughly five times the national median. Most felonies in Southern California are scheduled between $25,000 and $100,000. Most misdemeanors are released with little or no bail. With a bail bond, you pay a premium of 10% of the amount (8% if you qualify), so $50,000 bail costs $5,000, not $50,000. Run your own number in our bail cost calculator.
What is the average bail amount in California?
The most-cited figure comes from the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), which reported in 2016 testimony that California’s median bail amount was $50,000, five times higher than the rest of the United States. That number is based on Bureau of Justice Statistics data on felony defendants in large urban counties.
For comparison, the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that the national median bail for felony defendants was $10,000 in 2009, the last year it collected this data. The median was $6,000 for defendants who were released and $25,000 for those who stayed in custody. The average (mean) was far higher, at $55,400, because a small number of very large bails pull the average up.
That last point matters. When people search “average bail amount,” the median is the more useful number. Half of cases fall below it. An “average” inflated by murder and major drug cases tells you very little about a typical arrest.
California has also changed a great deal since those studies. Los Angeles County now releases many lower-level offenses before arraignment with no money bail, while Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties still attach dollar amounts to most felonies. So the honest answer to “what is the average bail?” depends on the county and the charge.
Average bail amount for a felony
For felonies, the bail schedules give a clearer picture. Here is what the 2026 schedules in the four largest Southern California counties set for common felony charges:
| Charge | Los Angeles | Orange | Riverside | San Bernardino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assault with a deadly weapon (PC 245(a)(1)) | $30,000 | $25,000 | $30,000 | $50,000 |
| Domestic violence, corporal injury (PC 273.5) | $50,000 | $50,000 | $30,000 | $50,000 |
| Criminal threats (PC 422) | $50,000 | $50,000 | $20,000 | $50,000 |
| First-degree (residential) burglary (PC 459) | $50,000* | $50,000 | $40,000 | $50,000 |
| Robbery, second degree (PC 211) | $50,000 | $50,000 | $30,000 | $100,000 |
| Robbery, first degree (PC 211) | $100,000 | $100,000 | $40,000 | $100,000 |
| DUI causing injury (VC 23153) | $100,000** | $100,000 | $20,000 | $250,000 |
*Los Angeles: $50,000 when a person was present during the burglary; otherwise the charge goes to magistrate review. **Los Angeles: $100,000 with great bodily injury or a weapon; otherwise magistrate review. San Bernardino figures for robbery and assault reflect its violent- and serious-felony tiers.
Across those charges, a typical scheduled felony bail in Southern California lands between $25,000 and $100,000, with $50,000 the most common single figure. That lines up with the long-standing $50,000 median. For a deeper look at how the felony level is set, see felony vs. misdemeanor bail in California.
How counties set bail for felonies not on the list
Schedules cannot list every statute, so most counties use a formula based on the potential sentence:
- Orange County scales by the top prison term: $20,000 for a 3-year maximum, $30,000 for 5 years, $45,000 for 8 years, up to $100,000 for 16 years and $1,000,000 for a life term.
- Riverside County multiplies the middle term by $10,000, so an offense with a 5-year middle term is $50,000.
- San Bernardino County sets unlisted serious felonies at $50,000 and violent felonies at $100,000, with a sentence-based chart for the rest.
- Los Angeles County releases most unlisted felonies before arraignment with no money bail. When a judge later sets bail, as at arraignment or on a warrant, the court’s guideline amounts are $25,000, $50,000 or $75,000 depending on the offense’s release category.
Which crimes carry $50,000 bail?
Because $50,000 is such a common figure, many people search for exactly that. Under the 2026 Los Angeles County felony bail schedule, offenses set at $50,000 include:
- Second-degree robbery (PC 211). See robbery bail amounts
- Battery causing serious bodily injury (PC 243(d)). See assault and battery bail
- Assault on a peace officer or firefighter (PC 245(c))
- Assault with caustic chemicals (PC 244)
- Corporal injury to a spouse or partner (PC 273.5), which rises to $100,000 with a qualifying prior. See domestic violence bail
- Violating a protective order (PC 273.6)
- Criminal threats (PC 422)
- Arson of property (PC 451(d))
- Possessing explosives or flammable devices (PC 453(a))
- First-degree burglary with a person present (PC 459). See theft and burglary bail
- Grand theft of a firearm (PC 487(d)(2)). See weapons charges bail
- Vehicular and DUI manslaughter (PC 191.5(b), 192(c)(1), 192.5(b)–(c))
- Certain drug offenses, including drug offenses involving a minor (HS 11353) up to 1 kilogram. See drug charge bail
Two add-ons also run $50,000 each in Los Angeles: a firearm enhancement and each prior strike. A $30,000 assault charge with a gun enhancement becomes $80,000. Enhancements are the main reason a booking sheet shows a much higher number than the base charge suggests.
Average bail for DUI, assault, and drug charges
DUI
A first-time misdemeanor DUI usually carries low bail or none. Orange County schedules a first-offense misdemeanor DUI at $2,500, a second at $10,000 and a third at $15,000. In Los Angeles County most first-time misdemeanor DUIs are released without money bail before arraignment. Felony DUI and DUI causing injury are a different matter, running $50,000 to $250,000 depending on the county and the injuries. Full detail: DUI bail amounts in California.
Assault
Simple assault and battery are misdemeanors with low or no bail. Assault with a deadly weapon (PC 245(a)(1)) is scheduled at $25,000 to $50,000 across Southern California, and battery with serious bodily injury at $50,000 in Los Angeles. See assault and battery bail amounts.
Drug charges
Simple possession is generally a misdemeanor under Proposition 47 and is typically released. Possession for sale is where bail attaches. Orange County starts HS 11351 at $25,000, rising sharply with quantity, and Riverside sets 11351 at $30,000 and 11352 at $40,000. Los Angeles generally books and releases these offenses pre-arraignment, leaving the amount to the judge. See drug charge bail amounts.
What you actually pay: bail amount vs. bail bond cost
The bail amount is not what most families pay. You have two choices:
- Cash bail: pay the full amount to the court or jail. It is refunded at the end of the case if every court date is kept.
- Bail bond: pay a licensed bail agent a premium of 10% of the bail, or 8% if you qualify. The agent posts the full bond. The premium is not refunded.
| Bail amount | Premium at 10% | Premium at 8% |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $1,000 | $800 |
| $25,000 | $2,500 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 | $4,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 | $8,000 |
| $250,000 | $25,000 | $20,000 |
If bail is $250,000, how much do you pay? With a bail bond, the premium is $25,000, or $20,000 at the qualifying 8% rate. A bond that size usually also involves a cosigner and often collateral. Iron Bail Bonds offers low down payments and payment plans upon qualification, so the premium does not have to be paid all at once. See how much you pay upfront for bail and how our payment plans work.
Why the number on the booking sheet may be different
- Enhancements such as a firearm, gang allegation, great bodily injury, or prior strikes are added on top of the base charge.
- Holds such as probation, parole, or immigration holds can prevent release regardless of bail. See police holds, ICE holds and “no bail.”
- Warrants and failures to appear carry their own bail. See warrant and FTA bail.
- Bail is not added up across counts. Counties generally set bail on the most serious single charge, not the total of every count, unless there are separate victims, dates, or cases.
- The judge has the final say. At arraignment, usually within 48 hours, the judge can raise or lower bail and must consider ability to pay. See what happens at arraignment.
What to do right now
- Find them with our California inmate locator and note the booking number.
- Get the actual bail amount from the jail or from us. Do not rely on an average.
- Estimate the cost with the bail cost calculator.
- Gather what you need: ID, the person’s details, and a cosigner. Here is the checklist.
- Call a licensed bail agent to confirm the number and post the bond.
Want the real bail amount instead of an average? We can look it up and start the release right now. Call 800.590.7321 or message 626.862.0627 any time, day or night.
Related guides
- California Bail Amounts Hub
- Felony vs. Misdemeanor Bail
- How Much Do You Pay Upfront for Bail?
- How Does Bail Work?
- California Bail Cost Calculator
- Iron Bail Bonds FAQ
24-hour California bail bonds, anywhere in the state. Call 800.590.7321 or send us a message.
