Posting Bail Online
Paying a Defendant's Bail Online
A person other than the defendant, such as a friend or family member can post bail online with the Alaska Court System by paying with a credit card. An active email address is required to post bail online.
Processing of the bail is only available during the following hours:
- Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- No online bail processing available on these holidays.
Each credit card transaction will be assessed a 3% convenience fee. If/when bail is later returned (exonerated) to the payer, the fee will not be returned.
Online bail payments can be made with a VISA or MasterCard credit card or debit card. Note: You cannot pay with an American Express or Discover card.
If bail is more than $97,000, the person posting bail must make more than one payment until the total amount paid equals the total of bail. For example, if bail is $250,000, make three payments: Payment 1 = $95,000 + 3% fee, Payment 2 = $95,000 + 3% fee, and Payment 3= $60,000 + 3% fee. A single payment cannot exceed $99,999 including the 3% convenience fee.
NOTE: In order to reduce community transmission of Covid-19, please use the online payment method instead of posting bail in person at a courthouse unless you are unable to pay bail with a credit or debit card.
How to Post Bail Online?
- Call the DOC Facility where the defendant is located. DOC Facility Phone Numbers.
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DOC will confirm whether the defendant is eligible to be released on bail. Some reasons a defendant may be ineligible for bail:
- The defendant has not yet appeared before a judge to set bail;
- The defendant has a bail condition requiring a third party custodian;
- The defendant is being held on more than one case;
- The defendant is not charged with a criminal offense or the defendant’s case is not in the jurisdiction of the Alaska Court System.
- If DOC confirms that the defendant can be bailed out online, a person from the facility where the defendant is located will collect your email address and contact information.
- You will receive an email from the Alaska Court System. The email from the court will tell you the amount of the defendant’s bail. There will also be questions you must answer and important information about paying bail for another person. You must reply to the email from the court as soon as possible.
- After the court receives your emailed responses, the court will send you a second email that includes instructions and a bail payment link. When you have paid the full amount of the defendant’s bail, the court will notify the facility that bail has been posted and the facility will begin the process of releasing the defendant. NOTE: this may take several hours.
Important!
How can I check on the status of an online bail transaction?
If you are wondering about the status of your request to post online bail for an individual, you can send an email inquiry to onlinebailposting@akcourts.gov. Please keep in mind that we can only reply to the emails during our processing hours listed above. We reply to all emails as quickly as possible and appreciate your patience.
Can I post bail online if the defendant is not in custody?
In some situations, yes. Instead of contacting the jail, contact the trial court to find out if this is an option. If the court indicates that it is an option, the trial court will collect your email address and contact information. This process is generally not available on the weekends for cases where the defendant is not in custody.
Receiving a Refund
The funds you pay toward a defendant's bail will be returned to you (exonerated) when the defendant’s criminal case ends, regardless of whether the defendant is convicted or acquitted. However, bail can be forfeited, which means you will not get it back, if the defendant violates his or her conditions of bail.
When bail is returned, it will be returned to the person who posted the bail and provided their name and contact information to the court in the email described in step #4 above. If one person posts bail, but uses another person’s credit card, the refund will go to the bail poster, not the holder of the credit card. The 3% convenience fee will not be returned.