Bay County Jail

The Bay County Jail also houses adult men and women who are arrested on misdemeanor and felony charges by all law enforcement agencies in the county. The inmates are pre-trial and/or sentenced to the jail or Department of Corrections. The Bay County Jail daily population averages approximately 1,100 inmates. 

Inmate Search

To find out if your loved one is being held in Bay County, click here, call the jail at (850) 785-5245, or use VINE. Be prepared to provide the inmate’s full name and date of birth when using the VINE website.

Florida VINE

The Florida VINE system is a service through which victims of crime can search for information regarding the custody status of their offender, and to register to receive phone calls and e-mail notifications when the offender’s custody status changes. 

This service is provided to assist Victims of Crime who have a right to know about their offender's custody status. Click this link to register.

Inmates being held for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC), or charges from other counties will not be found by going to the VINE Link above. You will have to call the jail.

Things To Know About the Bay County Jail

Persons arrested in Bay County are taken to the Jail Facility at 5700 Star Avenue for booking. The booking process includes a search of the person, documentation and storage of personal property, fingerprinting, photographing, medical screening, a shower, issuance of jail clothing and sanitary supplies, telephone calls, classification assessment, and a temporary housing assignment. 

Personal property, valuables, and money are collected and inventoried. Property goes into the property room for storage, and the arrest is permanently recorded. National and state crime information centers are also checked for outstanding warrants in other jurisdictions. 

If the charges are serious and bail cannot be determined from a pre-set bond schedule, then the person is scheduled for a First Appearance Hearing that will occur within 24 hours of booking.

Once an inmate goes to Court or First Appearance, the court paperwork arrives at the Jail Facility between 3:30-5:00 pm (depending on the size of the court docket for the day). Once that paperwork arrives, the inmate will be released or ready to bond out.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting at the Bay County Jail is done both on-site and remotely via video. Scheduled off-site visits are offered seven days per week, between 9am – 9pm. Visits may last no more than 30 minutes. Each inmate is allowed a minimum of four visits per week. 

All visitors are required to present a valid driver's license, photo identification card, or passport.  Visitors must also be appropriately dressed, with good behavior and conduct.  No cell phones, or any type of electronic device, no purse, bags, backpacks, or strollers are allowed in the visiting room.  

There is no food or drinks in the on-site visitation area. Profanity or screaming during the visit will cause it to be canceled.  All minors must be accompanied by an adult.

Creating a Video Visitation Account

Go to www.gettingout.com to set up a visitation account, or download the mobile app from the Apple Store and/or Google Play. Under “Don’t have an Account?” click “Create one here.”

Enter all the required information. You will also need to upload a picture of your driver's license and a profile picture. Then, add your inmate to your contacts list.

You will receive a verification email within 24 hours, and you must complete the verification before visiting. You will also receive a phone or text verification to verify that the phone number provided is correct.

To pay for the video visits ($.25 per minute), you will need to fund your account with a credit or debit card, or if the Inmate you will be video visiting has money on their books, they can pay for the video visit.

To schedule video visits with your Inmate, sign into your account, select the Inmate you would like to visit from your contacts list, and schedule a remote visit. Select the date you’d like to schedule for, then select morning, afternoon, or evening. The available time slots will show. Select the desired time slot for the visit & confirm.

At the time of your scheduled visit, login to your account, in the top right-hand corner of the screen, click My Visits, and then click start to initiate the visit. Please make sure you have good internet connection, a microphone, & camera connected to your device. 

You can also conduct a visit on demand by selecting your inmate contact and choosing the VisitNow option. If there is an available visitation station in the inmate's housing unit, the visit station will ring advising them they have an incoming video visit.

Letters and family pictures are generally accepted at the Bay County Jail via inmate mail. Mail containing any material that is deemed a threat to the facility, staff or other inmates will be rejected. 

Mail that is of a sexual nature, encourages violence, or includes instructions about how to make any item of contraband will be rejected. 

All correspondence including photos is scanned in digitally for inmate access and the original copy is discarded. Do not send important documents or photographs you don't want thrown away!

Photographs will only be accepted if they are deemed not to be offensive, are not of a sexual nature, do not contain any gang references, and do not display guns, drugs, or drug paraphernalia, and intoxicants.

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at the Bay County Jail cannot receive incoming phone calls, however, they have access to phones and can make outgoing calls from the inmate housing area. Phone calls are recorded and may be monitored at any time.

If you want to receive calls from an inmate at Bay County Jail, you will need to call VIA Path Technologies 1-877-650-4249 to set up an account. The facility number is 15773.

Any attempt to “call transfer” or “3-way conference” during the call will cause the call to be disconnected, and your number will be subject to suspension. 

Phone Minutes/Phone Accounts/Messaging/Ecards

Phone minutes are sold by contacting VIA Path Technologies at 1-800-483-8314 and allow Inmates to place calls directly with few restrictions. 

If you would like to pay for the phone calls received from an Inmate, you will need to create an account at ConnectNetwork.com & put funds on the phone number you will be receiving calls at.

You will also be able to message your Inmate from your GettingOut account and they can message you back. Messages are charged at $.25 per message. 

You can send photos to your Incarcerated loved one from your GettingOut account, too, at $.50 per photo sent (no nudity, profanity, paraphernalia, or other Inappropriate Images). Ecards can be sent from your GettingOut account to your Incarcerated loved one for $.25 per ecard.

How to Send Money

Money can be placed on an inmate's books at the Bay County Jail a few different ways.

• Money Orders—Can be delivered in-person or by mail and must be made payable to the Inmate. The Inmate’s name and control identification number is required on the money order, please include purchaser’s name and address.
• Kiosk—A Kiosk machine located in the lobby of the Bay County Jail Facility accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash. (Service fee applies and there are no refunds from the Kiosk).
• Internet—Funds can be posted to an inmate's account at www.touchpaydirect.com
  • To use the Internet option, the user must have the inmate's Control Number and the facility ID number (15733).

The Bay County Jail contracts with ARAMARK, Inc. for commissary items approved for inmate purchase. To see a list of commissary items, please click here. Visit http://Bayfl.ICaregifts.com or call 1-888-439-5020 for further information.

Programs For Inmates

Lifeline Program

The Lifeline Program addresses addictions, substance abuses, and physical limitations. It covers such topics as coping skills, conflict resolution, family relationships, and the recognition of self-worth.

Most inmates enrolled in the Lifeline Program are mandated by the Court as part of their sentencing requirements prior to release. 

Life-skills Pre-Release Program

The Life skills Pre-Release Program concentrates on an inmate's ability to successfully re-enter the job market after serving their jail time. Areas of focus include general job skills, vocational training in the construction trades and specific strategies for re-entering the job market. This program is a requirement for sentenced inmates who are within 75 days of release.

Pictures of Bay County Jail

Careers at Bay County Jail

If you are interested in a career with the Bay County Sheriff's Department and would like more information about the job openings at the Bay County Jail, click here.