2026 Sarasota County bond schedule. The Twelfth Judicial Circuit’s Administrative Order 2025-22.3, effective January 1, 2026, applies in Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties. It guides police, jail, and pretrial release staff when they may release a person before a first-appearance hearing. The schedule does not bind a judge deciding release in an individual case. A separate bond is required for each arrest charge.
Sarasota County Pre–First Appearance Bond Schedule (2026)
- Third-degree felony involving force or threat of force — $5,000
- Third-degree felony without force or threat of force — $2,500
- First-degree misdemeanor involving force or threat of force — $1,000
- First-degree misdemeanor without force or threat of force (excluding DUI/BUI) — $500
- Second-degree misdemeanor involving force or threat of force — $250
- Second-degree misdemeanor without force or threat of force (excluding DUI/BUI) — $150
- DUI/BUI charged as a first-degree misdemeanor — $1,000
- Second DUI/BUI charged as a second-degree misdemeanor — $750
- First DUI/BUI charged as a second-degree misdemeanor — $500
When is first appearance required?
Many people cannot be released under the schedule before seeing a judge. The court order includes, among others, first- and second-degree felonies; domestic violence and domestic battery; robbery and burglary; drug trafficking; certain sexual offenses; and exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult. It also lists circumstances based on release status, prior sentencing, and recent arrests. Domestic battery has no scheduled bond before first appearance. First appearance required does not automatically mean no bond will ever be set. A judge considers release at the hearing.
An arrested person held in jail normally appears before a judge within 24 hours. The judge may set or change bond and impose conditions of release. If a bond is unaffordable, counsel may seek a hearing to review it. The court can consider the charged offense, prior record, past appearances, community ties, safety, and applicable restrictions. Some charges or circumstances call for additional detention procedures, so the schedule alone cannot predict the result.
For the full list of first-appearance restrictions and the governing amounts, read Administrative Order 2025-22.3. If someone is in the Sarasota County jail and needs help with bond or release conditions, contact the Law Offices of Jeffrey A. Haynes, P.A. at (941) 954-5333.
