Title CR, Code of Criminal Procedure

Art. 17.023. AUTHORITY TO RELEASE ON BAIL IN CERTAIN CASES. (a) This article applies only to a defendant charged with an offense that is: (1) punishable as a felony; or (2) a misdemeanor punishable by confinement. (b) Notwithstanding any other law, a defendant to whom this articl…

Art. 17.024. TRAINING ON DUTIES REGARDING BAIL. (a) The Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System shall, in consultation with the court of criminal appeals, develop or approve training courses regarding a magistrate's duties, including duties with respect to set…

Art. 17.025. OFFICERS TAKING BAIL BOND. A jailer licensed under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, is considered to be an officer for the purposes of taking a bail bond and discharging any other related powers and duties under this chapter. Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 7…

Art. 17.026. ELECTRONIC FILING OF BAIL BOND. In any manner permitted by the county in which the bond is written, a bail bond may be filed electronically with the court, judge, magistrate, or other officer taking the bond. Added by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 779 (H.B. 2499), …

Art. 17.027. RELEASE ON BAIL OF DEFENDANT CHARGED WITH FELONY OFFENSE. (a) Notwithstanding any other law: (1) if a defendant is taken before a magistrate for committing an offense punishable as a felony while released on bail for another offense punishable as a felony and the sub…

Art. 17.028. BAIL DECISION. (a) Without unnecessary delay but not later than 48 hours after a defendant is arrested, a magistrate shall order, after individualized consideration of all circumstances and of the factors required by Article 17.15(a), that the defendant be: (1) grant…

Art. 17.029. REVIEW OF BAIL DECISION. (a) This article applies only to a bail decision: (1) regarding a defendant charged with or arrested for an offense punishable as a felony; and (2) that was made under Article 17.028 by the magistrate of a court that does not have jurisdictio…

Art. 17.03. PERSONAL BOND. (a) Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, a magistrate may, in the magistrate's discretion, release the defendant on personal bond without sureties or other security. (b) Only the court before whom the case is pending may release on personal bon…

Art. 17.031. RELEASE ON PERSONAL BOND. (a) Any magistrate in this state may release a defendant eligible for release on personal bond under Article 17.03 of this code on his personal bond where the complaint and warrant for arrest does not originate in the county wherein the accu…

Art. 17.032. RELEASE ON PERSONAL BOND OF CERTAIN DEFENDANTS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS OR INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY. (a) In this article, "violent offense" means an offense under the following sections of the Penal Code: (1) Section 19.02 (murder); (2) Section 19.03 (capital murder); (3) …

Art. 17.033. RELEASE ON BOND OF CERTAIN PERSONS ARRESTED WITHOUT A WARRANT. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a person who is arrested without a warrant and who is detained in jail must be released on bond, in an amount not to exceed $5,000, not later than the 24th hour a…

Art. 17.04. REQUISITES OF A PERSONAL BOND. (a) A personal bond is sufficient if it includes the requisites of a bail bond as set out in Article 17.08, except that no sureties are required. In addition, a personal bond shall contain: (1) the defendant's name, address, and place of…

Art. 17.045. BAIL BOND CERTIFICATES. A bail bond certificate with respect to which a fidelity and surety company has become surety as provided in the Automobile Club Services Act, or for any truck and bus association incorporated in this state, when posted by the person whose sig…

Art. 17.05. WHEN A BAIL BOND IS GIVEN. A bail bond is entered into either before a magistrate, upon an examination of a criminal accusation, or before a judge upon an application under habeas corpus; or it is taken from the defendant by a peace officer or jailer if authorized by …

Art. 17.0501. REQUIRED TRAINING. The Department of Public Safety shall develop training courses that relate to the use of the statewide telecommunications system maintained by the department and that are directed to each magistrate, judge, sheriff, peace officer, or jailer requir…

Art. 17.06. CORPORATION AS SURETY. Wherever in this Chapter, any person is required or authorized to give or execute any bail bond, such bail bond may be given or executed by such principal and any corporation authorized by law to act as surety, subject to all the provisions of t…

Art. 17.07. CORPORATION TO FILE WITH COUNTY CLERK POWER OF ATTORNEY DESIGNATING AGENT. (a) Any corporation authorized by the law of this State to act as a surety, shall before executing any bail bond as authorized in the preceding Article, first file in the office of the county c…

Art. 17.071. CHARITABLE BAIL ORGANIZATIONS. (a) In this article: (1) "Charitable bail organization" means a person who accepts and uses donations from the public to deposit money with a court in the amount of a defendant's bail bond. The term does not include: (A) a person accept…

Art. 17.08. REQUISITES OF A BAIL BOND. A bail bond must contain the following requisites: 1. That it be made payable to "The State of Texas"; 2. That the defendant and his sureties, if any, bind themselves that the defendant will appear before the proper court or magistrate to an…

Art. 17.081. ADDITIONAL REQUISITES OF BAIL BOND GIVEN BY CERTAIN DEFENDANTS. In addition to the requirements of Article 17.08, a bail bond for a defendant charged with an offense under Section 20A.02, 20A.03, 43.02, 43.03, 43.031, 43.032, 43.04, 43.041, or 43.05, Penal Code, must…

Art. 17.085. NOTICE OF APPEARANCE DATE. The clerk of a court that does not provide online Internet access to that court's criminal case records shall post in a designated public place in the courthouse notice of a prospective criminal court docket setting as soon as the court not…

Art. 17.09. DURATION; ORIGINAL AND SUBSEQUENT PROCEEDINGS; NEW BAIL Sec. 1. Where a defendant, in the course of a criminal action, gives bail before any court or person authorized by law to take same, for his personal appearance before a court or magistrate, to answer a charge ag…

Art. 17.091. NOTICE OF CERTAIN BAIL REDUCTIONS REQUIRED. Before a judge or magistrate reduces the amount of bail set for a defendant charged with an offense listed in Article 42A.054 or an offense described by Article 62.001(5), or any felony offense committed while the defendant…

Art. 17.092. REDUCTION IN AMOUNT OR CONDITIONS OF BOND PROHIBITED IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. A magistrate described by Articles 2A.151(5)-(14) may not reduce the amount or conditions of bond set by the judge of a district court, including the judge of a district court in another c…

Art. 17.10. DISQUALIFIED SURETIES. (a) A minor may not be surety on a bail bond, but the accused party may sign as principal. (b) A person, for compensation, may not be a surety on a bail bond written in a county in which a county bail bond board regulated under Chapter 1704, Occ…

Art. 17.11. HOW BAIL BOND IS TAKEN. Sec. 1. Every court, judge, magistrate or other officer taking a bail bond shall require evidence of the sufficiency of the security offered; but in every case, one surety shall be sufficient, if it be made to appear that such surety is worth a…

Art. 17.12. EXEMPT PROPERTY. The property secured by the Constitution and laws from forced sale shall not, in any case, be held liable for the satisfaction of bail, either as to principal or sureties, if any. Acts 1965, 59th Leg., vol. 2, p. 317, ch. 722.

Art. 17.13. SUFFICIENCY OF SURETIES ASCERTAINED. To test the sufficiency of the security offered to any bail bond, unless the court or officer taking the same is fully satisfied as to its sufficiency, the following oath shall be made in writing and subscribed by the sureties: "I,…

Art. 17.14. AFFIDAVIT NOT CONCLUSIVE. Such affidavit shall not be conclusive as to the sufficiency of the security; and if the court or officer taking the bail bond is not fully satisfied as to the sufficiency of the security offered, further evidence shall be required before app…

Art. 17.141. ELIGIBLE BAIL BOND SURETIES IN CERTAIN COUNTIES. In a county in which a county bail bond board regulated under Chapter 1704, Occupations Code, does not exist, the sheriff may post a list of eligible bail bond sureties whose security has been determined to be sufficie…

Art. 17.15. RULES FOR SETTING AMOUNT OF BAIL. (a) The amount of bail and any conditions of bail to be required in any case in which the defendant has been arrested are to be regulated by the court, judge, magistrate, or officer taking the bail in accordance with Articles 17.20, 1…

Art. 17.151. RELEASE BECAUSE OF DELAY. Sec. 1. A defendant who is detained in jail pending trial of an accusation against him must be released either on personal bond or by reducing the amount of bail required, if the state is not ready for trial of the criminal action for which …

Art. 17.152. DENIAL OF BAIL FOR VIOLATION OF CERTAIN COURT ORDERS OR CONDITIONS OF BOND IN A FAMILY VIOLENCE CASE. (a) In this article, "family violence" has the meaning assigned by Section 71.004, Family Code. (b) Except as otherwise provided by Subsection (d), a person who comm…

Art. 17.153. DENIAL OF BAIL FOR VIOLATION OF CONDITION OF BOND WHERE CHILD ALLEGED VICTIM. (a) This article applies to a defendant charged with a felony offense under any of the following provisions of the Penal Code, if committed against a child younger than 14 years of age: (1)…

Art. 17.16. DISCHARGE OF LIABILITY; SURRENDER OR INCARCERATION OF PRINCIPAL BEFORE FORFEITURE; VERIFICATION OF INCARCERATION. (a) A surety may before forfeiture relieve the surety of the surety's undertaking by: (1) surrendering the accused into the custody of the sheriff of the …

Art. 17.17. WHEN SURRENDER IS MADE DURING TERM. If a surrender of the accused be made during a term of the court to which he has bound himself to appear, the sheriff shall take him before the court; and if he is willing to give other bail, the court shall forthwith require him to…

Art. 17.18. SURRENDER IN VACATION. When the surrender is made at any other time than during the session of the court, the sheriff may take the necessary bail bond, but if the defendant fails or refuses to give other bail, the sheriff shall take him before the nearest magistrate; …

Art. 17.19. SURETY MAY OBTAIN A WARRANT. (a) Subject to Subsection (a-1), a surety that wants to surrender the surety's principal and has notified the principal's attorney, if the principal is represented by an attorney, in a manner provided by Rule 21a, Texas Rules of Civil Proc…

Art. 17.20. BAIL IN MISDEMEANOR. (a) In cases of misdemeanor, the sheriff or other peace officer, or a jailer licensed under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, may, whether during the term of the court or in vacation, where the officer has a defendant in custody, take the defendant'…

Art. 17.21. BAIL IN FELONY. (a) In cases of felony, when the accused is in custody of the sheriff or other officer, and the court before which the prosecution is pending is in session in the county where the accused is in custody, the court shall fix the amount of bail, if it is …

Art. 17.22. MAY TAKE BAIL IN FELONY. (a) In a felony case, if the court before which the case is pending is not in session in the county where the defendant is in custody, the sheriff or other peace officer, or a jailer licensed under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code, who has the d…

Art. 17.23. SURETIES SEVERALLY BOUND. In all bail bonds taken under any provision of this Code, the sureties shall be severally bound. Where a surrender of the principal is made by one or more of them, all the sureties shall be considered discharged. Acts 1965, 59th Leg., vol. 2,…

Art. 17.24. GENERAL RULES APPLICABLE. All general rules in the Chapter are applicable to bail defendant before an examining court. Acts 1965, 59th Leg., vol. 2, p. 317, ch. 722.

Art. 17.25. PROCEEDINGS WHEN BAIL IS GRANTED. After a full examination of the testimony, the magistrate shall, if the case be one where bail may properly be granted and ought to be required, proceed to make an order that the accused execute a bail bond with sufficient security, c…

Art. 17.26. TIME GIVEN TO PROCURE BAIL. Reasonable time shall be given the accused to procure security. Acts 1965, 59th Leg., vol. 2, p. 317, ch. 722.

Art. 17.27. WHEN BAIL IS NOT GIVEN. If, after the allowance of a reasonable time, the security be not given, the magistrate shall make an order committing the accused to jail to be kept safely until legally discharged; and he shall issue a commitment accordingly. Acts 1965, 59th …