What does a hold mean in jail? It means that some other court or agency has a claim on the person, apart from the charge they were arrested on. Posting bond on the local charge does not release them while the hold is in place. The jail either keeps them for the other agency or hands them over. Holds are a common reason a family pays a bond and the person still does not come home. This page explains the seven kinds seen at the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility and what can be done about each.
Before you pay anything, call Case Bail Bonds at (316) 900-1667 and ask us to read the full record. We are at 705 N Broadway, three blocks from the jail.
On this page
- How to spot a hold on the jail record
- 7 kinds of holds
- Should you post the local bond if there is a hold?
- What a bondsman can and cannot do
- Frequently asked questions
- Call Case Bail Bonds
How to spot a hold on the jail record
Look the person up on the Sedgwick County inmate search. The Sheriff lists each charge or hold on its own line with a bond amount. Read every line, not just the first.
- A dollar figure is a bond that can be posted.
- $0.00 can mean no bond is allowed, a judge ordered none, or several charges share one case number.
- A line naming another county, another state or an agency is a hold.
The Sheriff’s bond page says the total bond is the sum of the bond amount column. If one line cannot be bonded, covering the others will not open the door. More in what no bond means in Sedgwick County.
7 kinds of holds
| Hold | Who placed it | Can it be bonded in Wichita? |
|---|---|---|
| Another Kansas county | A court in that county | Often yes, on an arrest warrant with a bond amount |
| Another state | A court in that state | Not until a Sedgwick County judge sets a bond |
| Federal | A federal court or agency | No. Release is decided in federal court |
| State parole violation | Kansas Department of Corrections | No |
| Arrest and detain order | A probation or community corrections officer | Not at the jail. A judge can set bond later |
| Immigration detainer | Federal immigration authorities | No local bond applies to it |
| Cooling off period | The court, on a domestic violence booking | It ends on its own, then bond can be posted |
1. A hold for another Kansas county
A warrant from Butler, Harvey, Sumner or any other county can be served in Wichita. K.S.A. 22-2901 gives the arrested person a choice. They can be taken to that county, or they can ask to go before the nearest judge here, who can release them on a bond no lower than the amount on the warrant with an order to appear in the other county within 14 days.
That option does not apply to a bench warrant. A person arrested on a bench warrant goes back to the judge who issued it. Full details are in out of county warrants in Kansas.
2. A hold for another state
The Sheriff states that on an out of state warrant, no bond is allowed until a judge of the 18th Judicial District sets one. The person sees a Wichita judge. The other state then decides whether to come for them. Hire a Kansas defense lawyer for this one.
3. A federal hold
The Sedgwick County jail also books federal inmates. A federal case follows federal law, not the Kansas bail statutes. Under 18 U.S.C. 3142, a federal judge decides between release on personal recognizance, release on conditions and detention. The government can ask for a detention hearing, which can be continued up to three days on the government’s request or five days on the defendant’s. The same statute says a judge may not set a financial condition that results in detention.
Commercial bail bonds are rarely used in federal court, and a state bondsman cannot post a bond that lifts a federal hold. The person needs a federal defense lawyer or the federal public defender.
4. A state parole hold
The Sheriff lists state parole violations among inmates who are not bondable. Parole is run by the Kansas Department of Corrections, and the hold is resolved through the state’s process.
5. An arrest and detain order
A court services or community corrections officer can have a person on probation held on a written statement under K.S.A. 22-3716. The Sheriff does not take a bond on these. The same statute applies the ordinary bail rules to probation violation arrests, so a judge can set a bond once the case is in front of the court. See probation violation bail bonds in Wichita.
6. An immigration detainer
A detainer is a request from federal immigration authorities asking a jail to hold a person for transfer. It is not a Kansas criminal charge, and no local bond applies to it. Two points from Kansas law are relevant:
- K.S.A. 22-2802 lists lawful presence in the United States among the factors a judge weighs when setting bond.
- Under K.S.A. 22-2807, a court must set aside a bond forfeiture when the person had no immigration detainer when the bond was posted and was later deported, if the surety proves it by sworn statement.
Talk to an immigration attorney before posting a local bond for someone with a detainer, because release from the local case can mean transfer to immigration custody, not release home.
7. A cooling off period
People booked for domestic violence must serve a court ordered cooling off period before they can bond out, and the Sheriff says its length varies by municipality. This is the one hold that ends by itself. See domestic violence bail bonds in Wichita and 48 hour hold in Kansas.
Should you post the local bond if there is a hold?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Work through these questions first.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Can the hold itself be bonded? | If so, arrange both bonds and post them together |
| Will the other agency pick the person up? | If so, the local bond buys nothing today. The person is transferred |
| Is the local case the bigger one? | Posting it can still matter later, when the hold is resolved |
| Is there a deadline on the hold? | Ask the lawyer how long the other agency has to act |
A premium is not refunded if the person is transferred the next morning. Kansas sets the minimum premium at 10% of the bond, with at least half of that paid before posting. On a $5,000 bond that is $500. Spend it when it will result in a release. The full table is in how much a bond costs in Kansas.
What a bondsman can and cannot do
Can do:
- Read the record and tell you which lines are bonds and which are holds
- Post every bondable line in Sedgwick County
- Post a bond in another Kansas county where the company is authorized
- Have paperwork ready for the moment a judge sets a bond
Cannot do:
- Remove a hold. Only the agency or judge that placed it can
- Post a bond on a parole hold or a federal case
- Speed up another county’s or another state’s pick up
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean when an inmate has a hold?
Another court or agency wants custody of the person. The local jail will not release them on the local bond alone.
How long can a jail hold someone for another county?
Kansas law requires an arrested person to be brought before a judge without unnecessary delay. Ask a lawyer about the time limits in your situation.
Can you bond out with a federal hold?
Not with a state bail bond. A federal judge decides release under federal law.
Does paying the local bond remove the hold?
No. Each hold is resolved with the agency that placed it.
Can a hold be dropped?
Yes. The agency or court that placed it can withdraw it, and a lawyer can ask.
Call Case Bail Bonds
We are a family owned company run by Tyson and Rachel Case. We are open 24 hours at 705 N Broadway, Wichita, KS 67214. Call (316) 900-1667.
Sources
- Sedgwick County Sheriff, how to post bond for an inmate
- K.S.A. 22-2901, appearance before the magistrate, Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes
- 18 U.S.C. 3142, release or detention of a defendant pending trial, Legal Information Institute
- K.S.A. 22-3716, violation of probation and arrest procedure
- K.S.A. 22-2807, forfeiture of appearance bonds
This article is general information checked against the sources above in October 2026. It is not legal advice.
