Embezzlement Bail in California: Costs, Process, Release

Family member completing bail bond paperwork

Yes, a person arrested for embezzlement in California can usually be released on bail. The amount depends on the county, the value of the money or property involved, and whether the charge is a misdemeanor or a felony. A bail bond typically costs 10% of the bail amount, so a $20,000 bail means a $2,000 premium. This guide explains how the number is set, what you will pay, what can slow release, and what to do in the first hours.

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TL;DR

Bail is available for embezzlement arrests in California. A court or magistrate orders release once bail is posted.
The amount comes from your county’s bail schedule before the first court appearance, and a judge can raise or lower it afterward.
A bond premium is most commonly 10% of the bail amount, and licensed agents must charge the rates their insurer has filed with the state.
A judge can hold release if there is probable cause that the bail money was feloniously obtained, so the source of funds matters.
Call early, have the booking name and date of birth ready, and ask for the exact bail amount before you decide anything.

Can you get bail after an embezzlement arrest in California?
Misdemeanor or felony: why the classification drives bail
How bail is set for embezzlement
What embezzlement bail can look like in real schedules
What a bail bond costs
From arrest to release: the steps
What can delay release or change the bail
Our perspective: what families get wrong with white-collar charges
Start the bond with Armstrong Bail Bonds
Practical steps for the first 24 hours
FAQ
Sources

Can you get bail after an embezzlement arrest in California?

Yes. California law treats bail as a normal form of pretrial release. Under the Penal Code, admission to bail is a court or magistrate’s order discharging a defendant from custody upon bail, and bail is an undertaking that secures the defendant’s appearance. In plain terms: someone puts up a guarantee that the accused person will show up to every court date, and in return the person goes home while the case moves forward.

Embezzlement is a theft-type offense. It happens when someone who was trusted with money or property, such as an employee, bookkeeper, agent or caretaker, keeps it or uses it for something other than its purpose. It is not a violent crime, and that is why bail for it is often set in a range that families can plan around. That said, “often” is not “always.” A large alleged loss, a prior record, or a missed court date in another case can change the picture.

Misdemeanor or felony: why the classification drives bail

Bail is tied to how the charge is classified, so it helps to understand the difference.

California Penal Code section 514 says that embezzlement is punished in the manner prescribed for theft of the property or value embezzled. The same section makes embezzlement of United States, state, county or municipal public funds a felony. So the value of what was taken, and whose money it was, decides much of the rest.

A California defense practitioner summarizes the usual dividing line this way: embezzlement of property worth $950 or less is petty theft and a misdemeanor, while more than $950, an automobile or a firearm is grand theft. Grand theft can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony. Prosecutors make that choice, often looking at the amount, the victim and the defendant’s history.

Why this matters to a family:

Misdemeanor charges generally carry lower scheduled bail and lower premiums.
Felony charges carry higher scheduled bail, and the judge has more to weigh at arraignment.
A “wobbler” charge can be booked one way and changed later, which can change the bail conversation too.

If the dollar thresholds are confusing, our explainer on California’s $950 theft rule walks through how the numbers work.

How bail is set for embezzlement

There are two ways a bail amount gets set.

1. The county bail schedule. Right after booking, jail staff look up the charge on a schedule. Each of California’s 58 superior courts adopts its own, which is why amounts vary from county to county. The same alleged offense can have a different number in Los Angeles, San Diego or the Bay Area.

2. A judge at a court appearance. Santa Clara County’s 2025 schedule states plainly that it applies to release before the court appearance, and that bail afterward is within the judicial officer’s discretion and may be higher or lower. That is true across the state. The schedule is a starting point, not a ceiling.

County schedule compared with judge discretion

To see how bail is calculated in more detail, read our pages on how bail is set and how bail is calculated.

What embezzlement bail can look like in real schedules

We do not want to hand you a single “typical” number, because there is none. Two published schedules show how different the logic can be:

County schedule	Offense listed	Scheduled bail
San Francisco, effective July 1, 2025	PC 424, embezzlement or falsification of accounts by a public officer	$25,000
Marin, January 2025 felony schedule	PC 503, 504, 504a, 505 and 506 embezzlement offenses	$10,000 or the amount stolen, whichever is higher

The Marin approach is worth pausing on. If the alleged amount is $8,000, the schedule figure is $10,000. If the alleged amount is $85,000, the figure follows the loss. So in some counties, the size of the alleged theft sets the bail almost directly.

Schedules are revised, usually yearly. The county’s current schedule, posted on the superior court’s website, is the final word. When you call us, we can look up the booking and tell you the figure actually attached to your loved one’s name.

What embezzlement bail can look like in real schedules — overview diagram

What a bail bond costs

The California Department of Insurance explains that bail bonds most commonly cost 10% of the bond amount, plus actual, necessary and reasonable expenses, and that agents representing a surety must charge the rates it has filed. Our standard premium is 10%, which is the legally set rate.

Here is what that looks like:

Bail amount	Premium at 10%
$10,000	$1,000
$25,000	$2,500
$50,000	$5,000
$85,000	$8,500

The premium is the fee for the bond and is not refunded when the case ends, even if charges are dropped. That is the trade-off against posting the full bail in cash with the court, which is usually returned at the end of the case but ties up the whole amount. Our page on posting your own bail and the one on reasons to get a bond even if you can pay your own bail lay out that choice.

Payment plans and collateral

Most families do not have several thousand dollars sitting ready at 2 a.m. We offer flexible payment plans for qualifying customers, including 2% bail bonds and 1% bail bonds. Our affordable bail bonds page explains the options, and no collateral bail bonds covers when you can avoid pledging property. Eligibility is reviewed case by case, so ask an agent what applies to your situation.

Before signing any bond, ask these questions:

What is the total premium, in dollars?
What is the down payment, and what are the installment dates?
Is any collateral required, and what happens to it afterward?
What other expenses, if any, will be added?
Who is the cosigner, and what exactly are they responsible for?

A straight answer to each, in writing, is what you should expect. If you cannot afford the whole amount, read what happens if you can’t afford to pay your bond before you commit.

From arrest to release: the steps

The sequence is short, even if the hours feel long.

Booking. The person is held while jail staff record the arrest, fingerprints and charges. Release cannot happen until this is done.
Finding the bail amount. Call us with the full name and date of birth. Our free inmate search can help locate the person and the booking details.
Arranging the bond. A licensed agent explains the cost, and the cosigner, usually a family member or friend, completes paperwork. You can start online or in person.
Posting bail. Under Penal Code section 1269b, the process involves a person being held, an authorized official accepting the bail, and the person being discharged from custody upon posting.
Release. Timing depends on the facility and how busy it is. In many cases clients are out within hours, and we have often seen releases in as little as 30 minutes, but no bondsman controls the jail’s processing speed.
Court dates. The defendant must attend every one. A missed date can lead to a forfeited bond and a warrant.

We work around the clock, so a late-night arrest does not have to wait for morning. See our pages on 24-hour bail bonds and weekend availability.

What can delay release or change the bail

Embezzlement cases have a few wrinkles that violent or drug cases usually do not.

The source of the money

Because embezzlement is about money, courts pay attention to where bail money comes from. Penal Code section 1275.1 allows a judge or magistrate to hold release when there is probable cause to believe the bail funds were feloniously obtained. The defendant keeps the right to apply for release on bail, and if the declaration is not acted on within 24 hours, release must occur once the set bail is posted.

Practically: do not use money that came from the alleged theft, and do not move cash around in ways that look like hiding it. If the alleged victim is an employer and the family suspects the accused used personal accounts, tell the agent honestly so you can plan a clean source of funds. Our guide to the 1275 hold in California explains what families should do if one is requested.

Arraignment changes

If the person is still in custody at the first court appearance, the judge can set a different amount. California law also directs that cash bail be considered only where nonfinancial conditions cannot assure public safety and court appearance. So expect that a judge might impose conditions such as no contact with the alleged victim, restrictions on working with money or accounts, or travel limits. Follow every one. A violation can send the person back into custody.

Other holds

A warrant in another county, a probation or parole hold, or an immigration detainer can keep someone in custody even after bail is posted on the embezzlement charge. Tell your agent everything you know up front.

Our perspective: what families get wrong with white-collar charges

We have been writing bonds since 1926, and four generations of our family have worked these counters and phone lines. Embezzlement calls feel different from most. The person arrested is often a bookkeeper, office manager or longtime employee who has never been inside a jail, and the family is stunned, embarrassed and unsure whom to trust.

Three things we tell every family:

Get the exact number first. Do not guess from an internet article, including this one. Schedules differ by county and a charge can be booked under one section and amended later.
Be straightforward about where the money is coming from. A bond that is built on clean funds goes smoothly. One that raises a question about the source can stall for a day or more.
Bail is not a verdict. It is a promise to come back to court. The best use of the days after release is hiring a criminal defense attorney, gathering records, and not discussing the case with the employer or the alleged victim.

Our commitment is simple: you speak with a licensed agent, not a call center, and you hear the cost, timing and eligibility plainly before you sign anything. The rate is set by law, and we do not pad it.

— Jake

Start the bond with Armstrong Bail Bonds

If someone you love has been booked on an embezzlement charge in Los Angeles, San Diego or elsewhere in Southern California, we can look up the booking, explain the bail and start the paperwork right away. Our staff are bilingual in English and Spanish, and you can begin online or by phone at any hour.

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Our standard premium is 10% of the bail amount, with payment plans for qualifying customers. Contact Armstrong Bail Bonds to get the bail amount and your options, or see our San Diego County bail bonds page if the arrest happened there.

Practical steps for the first 24 hours

Here is a checklist we give families:

Write down the full legal name, date of birth, arrest location and the jail holding the person.
Call a bail agent to confirm the bail amount and ask for the premium in dollars.
Decide who will cosign. The cosigner takes on responsibility if the defendant misses court, so pick someone who is ready for that.
Gather ID and proof of income or employment for the cosigner.
Do not use funds that might be linked to the alleged theft.
Contact a criminal defense attorney, and let that person do the talking about the facts. Our agents handle the bond, not legal advice.
Put every court date in a calendar, with a reminder days ahead.

If you want more background on the types of bonds, our guide to different types of bail bonds and overview of what a bail bond is are good next reads. For general figures, see how much bail is in California and how much bail is for a felony.

FAQ

Is bail always available for embezzlement in California?

In most cases, yes. State law provides for release on bail, and embezzlement is a nonviolent property crime. A judge can still set conditions, change the amount at a court appearance or, in particular situations, hold release, so confirm the details for the specific booking.

How much is bail for embezzlement?

It depends on the county and the alleged amount. Published schedules range widely: San Francisco lists $25,000 for one public-officer embezzlement offense, while Marin lists $10,000 or the amount stolen, whichever is higher for several embezzlement offenses. A call with the booking name gives you the real figure.

What does a bail bond cost for an embezzlement charge?

Our premium is 10% of the bail amount, so $30,000 bail means a $3,000 premium. Payment plans are available to qualifying customers, and the premium is not refunded after the case ends.

Can a judge refuse to release someone because of where the bail money came from?

A judge can hold release if there is probable cause the funds were feloniously obtained. The defendant still has the right to apply for release, and the hold has a 24-hour limit if the court does not act on it. Use only legitimate funds and tell your agent about any concern at the start.

Is embezzlement a misdemeanor or a felony?

It can be either. Punishment follows the theft rules for the value taken, so amounts over $950, or a car or firearm, can be charged as grand theft, and embezzling public funds is a felony. A defense attorney can tell you how your case is likely to be charged.