Forgery Bail in California: Amounts, Process and Costs

Woman checking a California jail bail lookup

Forgery is bailable in California in most cases. Bail is usually set from your county’s bail schedule, a judge can raise or lower it, and a bail bond lets you pay a percentage of the total to get your loved one out. The rest of this guide covers what the number is likely to be, what drives it, what a bond costs and what to do in the first hours after an arrest.

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TL;DR

Forgery under Penal Code 470 is a “wobbler”: it can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony, and that choice affects bail.
Counties publish bail schedules, and the figure for forgery varies by county. One widely circulated statewide schedule lists $5,000 for forgery, while felony-level amounts are often higher.
The schedule is a starting point. Under the 2026 In re Kowalczyk decision, judges must consider ability to pay and cannot treat unaffordable bail as a way to keep someone in jail.
Our bail bond premium is 10% of the bail amount. We answer the phone 24/7 and you can start the paperwork online.

Is forgery bailable in California?
What counts as forgery, and why the charge level matters
How much is forgery bail in California?
What a bail bond costs for a forgery arrest
How a judge can change the amount
What to do in the first hours
Our perspective
Getting a forgery bond with Armstrong Bail Bonds
After release: obligations that keep the bond safe
FAQ
Sources

Is forgery bailable in California?

Yes, in most cases. The California Constitution says a person arrested for a noncapital offense is entitled to release on bail, with narrow exceptions. The 2026 In re Kowalczyk decision restates that pretrial detention for noncapital cases is limited to the specific offenses in Section 12, subdivisions (b) and © of the Constitution. Forgery is a paper crime, not a violent one, so it does not fall into those categories.

So the real question is rarely whether your family member can get out. It is how much bail will be, and how you pay it.

What counts as forgery, and why the charge level matters

Forgery covers more than someone faking a signature on a check. Penal Code 470 lists several ways to commit it, including signing another person’s name, or a fictitious name, with intent to defraud and without authority. It also covers altering or counterfeiting certain documents and using a forged document. The jury instructions for forgery by false signature and forgery by passing a forged document show what a prosecutor has to prove for each version.

According to Shouse California Law Group, forgery is a wobbler:

Charge level	Maximum jail	Maximum fine
Misdemeanor	Up to 1 year in county jail	$1,000
Felony	Up to 3 years in county jail	$10,000

The same source says felony charges generally apply when the document is not a simple check, money order or similar instrument worth $950 or less.

At booking, the arresting agency usually uses the felony or misdemeanor designation on the booking sheet. Prosecutors can change it later. That is why the amount you are quoted at the jail can differ from the amount at arraignment.

Two things families often misread

First, nobody has to lose money for a forgery conviction. The crime is complete when someone acts with the specific intent to defraud, so a small or failed attempt is still a real charge.

Second, the intent element is where most of the fight happens. Defense lawyers tend to focus on what the person knew and meant, not just on the dollar figure. That is a question for a criminal defense attorney. We handle the release, not the defense.

How much is forgery bail in California?

There is no single number. Each county sets its own bail schedule, and the figure depends on whether the offense is booked as a misdemeanor or felony.

Published figures you may see include:

$5,000 for forgery on one commonly reproduced statewide schedule, listed under Penal Code sections 470 to 485.
Higher amounts, such as $20,000, for felony forgery in some counties and in some law firm summaries. Treat these as examples, not a promise for your county.

Bail also goes up when the charge is combined with others. Forgery often travels with grand theft, identity theft, burglary or check fraud. Each additional count can raise the total, and a prior record or an active warrant can push it up further.

The only reliable way to know the amount is to find the person in the jail’s records and read the bail field. Our free inmate search is built for that, and our agents can read the booking details with you over the phone.

What a bail bond costs for a forgery arrest

With a bond, you do not pay the full bail amount. You pay a premium to a licensed bail agent, who posts the full amount with the court. Our premium is 10% of the bail amount. That fee is non-refundable, which is how the commercial bail system generally works in California.

Here is what that looks like using the example figures above. These are arithmetic on a 10% premium, not quotes:

Bail set at	Premium at 10%
$5,000	$500
$20,000	$2,000
$50,000	$5,000

We also offer 1% bail bonds and 2% bail bonds programs, plus affordable bail bond payment plans for qualifying customers. Eligibility depends on the case and the cosigner, so ask an agent what applies to your situation before you assume a rate.

Collateral and cosigners

Many forgery bonds can be written without putting up a house or car. Whether that works depends on the amount and on the cosigner’s income and history. Read our page on no collateral bail bonds and our guide on what people use as bail collateral if the bail is large.

A cosigner is legally responsible. If the defendant misses court, the cosigner owes the bond. Before you sign, know how to get off a bond as a cosigner.

Illustration of cosigner bond responsibility

How a judge can change the amount

The schedule is where bail starts, not where it has to end. In re Kowalczyk says courts must generally set pretrial bail in an amount the defendant can actually attain, after an individualized look at finances and the full circumstances. It builds on In re Humphrey. Judges are not required to apply the county figure automatically.

In practice, that gives families three moments to push for a change:

Before arraignment. Under Penal Code 1269c, an officer or a judge can be asked to review the amount. Ask a defense attorney or the jail how this works in your county.
At arraignment. The judge decides whether the person stays in custody until the case ends, and a lawyer can argue for a lower amount or release without money bail.
After new facts. A job, a stable address, family ties and no record of missed court dates can all support a motion later.

A lower bail also means a lower premium. If the family is waiting for an attorney to request a reduction, a bond can still get the person out now. The premium is not refunded if the bail is later lowered, so weigh that before you decide. For the mechanics, see our pages on how bail is set and how bail works in California.

What to do in the first hours

Confirm where the person is held. Search the county jail’s inmate locator or use ours. You need the full legal name, and a booking number helps.
Get the bail amount and the charges. Check the number of counts. A forgery arrest with added counts can have a much larger total.
Call a licensed agent. We answer 24/7, and you speak with a licensed agent, not a call center.
Decide who will cosign. The cosigner should be an adult with steady income who understands the obligation and can reach the defendant.
Complete the application. You can apply online or in person. If you are not in California, see our guide to posting bail from out of state.
Pay the premium and sign. We file the bond with the jail. Release time depends on how busy the facility is. Many of our clients are released within about 30 minutes of the bond being posted, but jail processing can take longer.
Line up a defense attorney. Do this before the first court date.

Check anyone you pay. Our short list of checks to run before paying a bondsman is worth reading, especially at 2 a.m. when you are stressed.

Our perspective

We have been writing bonds in Southern California since 1926, and our family has run the business across four generations. Forgery arrests are some of the ones that surprise families most. The charge sounds technical, the dollar amount can look small, and then the booking sheet shows two or three counts and a number nobody expected.

Our advice is plain. Get the facts before you choose a path. Find out the actual bail amount, the charge level and any holds. Then compare the premium with what the family can handle. If an attorney is likely to get bail lowered at arraignment and the person can safely wait a day, that may be worth a conversation. If the person is losing a job or a family needs them home tonight, a bond is a legitimate way to solve that now.

We will tell you the cost before you sign, including the premium and any payment terms. We will also tell you when a bond is not the best step. A signed bond makes you responsible, and nobody should enter that without understanding it.

— Jake

Getting a forgery bond with Armstrong Bail Bonds

We write bonds for felony and misdemeanor charges across Los Angeles County and San Diego County, with bilingual English and Spanish staff. If you have the person’s name and booking location, our agents can look up the bail and give you a clear cost. Start on our home page or apply online at any hour. Our 24-hour line is described on our 24-hour bail bonds page.

After release: obligations that keep the bond safe

Getting out is the start. A bond only works if the defendant shows up to every court date. Missing one can lead to forfeiture of the bail and a warrant, and the cosigner is on the hook. Practical habits help:

Put every court date in two phones and write it on paper.
Keep the same phone number and tell the agent about any move.
Do not discuss the case with the alleged victim or sign documents related to it without your attorney.
Follow every release condition the judge sets.

If you want more background, our blog has straight answers on bail topics, including a post on how county schedules and Humphrey affect burglary bail, which is a charge that often appears alongside forgery.

FAQ

What is the punishment for forgery in California?

Forgery is a wobbler. As a misdemeanor it carries up to one year in county jail and a $1,000 fine. As a felony it carries up to three years in county jail and a fine of up to $10,000, according to Shouse California Law Group. A lawyer can tell you which applies in a particular case.

Is forgery hard to prove?

The prosecution must prove intent to defraud, and that is often the central issue. Someone can be convicted even if no one lost money. If your loved one is charged, ask a criminal defense attorney how the evidence on knowledge and intent looks.

What makes you ineligible for bail in California?

Bail is the rule for noncapital offenses. Denial is limited to specific situations in Section 12 of the California Constitution, such as capital crimes and certain cases involving violence or sexual assault. A simple forgery charge usually does not qualify.

Can bail for forgery be reduced?

Yes. A judge can set an amount different from the schedule and must consider the person’s finances and circumstances. An attorney can request a hearing, and the earlier you ask, the sooner the change can help.