Los Angeles County’s 2026 bail schedules, effective January 1, distinguish financial amounts from cite and release (CR), book and release (BR), and magistrate review (MR). Use the exact charging section and subsection. These are pre-arraignment starting rules; enhancements, other holds, warrant terms and an individualized court decision can change the result.
How does the bail system work in Los Angeles?
The county introduced its pre-arraignment release protocol in October 2023. The current 2026 schedules retain these three routes for eligible arrests without a warrant:
- CR (cite and release): a citation and promise to appear, subject to eligibility and the applicable protocol.
- BR (book and release): booking followed by release under the protocol. This is not a guaranteed immediate departure from custody.
- MR (magistrate review): a judicial officer reviews the case and may impose nonfinancial conditions or defer the release decision to arraignment in specified circumstances.
- Some listed offenses have financial amounts and PC 1270.1 hearing restrictions. An offense label such as “assault” is not enough to select a row; the subsection and allegations matter.
At arraignment, the court makes an individualized release decision. In re Kowalczyk (April 30, 2026) explains the limited constitutional grounds for denying bail in noncapital cases and generally requires monetary bail to be reasonably attainable when detention is not authorized. The schedule does not replace that analysis.
Misdemeanor charge lookup
The former fixed-price misdemeanor list has been replaced because it did not reflect the current release protocol. One example is ordinary DUI under VC 23152: the 2026 misdemeanor schedule lists BR, rather than a blanket $5,000 amount. DUI with injury under VC 23153 is MR. Special allegations and the exact charge can change the applicable route.
| Charge | 2026 schedule route |
|---|---|
| VC 23152: ordinary DUI | BR |
| VC 23152 with VC 23578 high BAC or refusal allegation | BR |
| VC 23152 with VC 23580: two or more priors within 10 years | MR |
| VC 23153: DUI causing injury, misdemeanor schedule | MR |
CR, BR and MR ordinarily involve $0 financial bail under the eligible pre-arraignment protocol. They do not mean the charge is dismissed, court attendance is optional, or other warrants and holds disappear. For other misdemeanors, use the official 2026 misdemeanor schedule and match the subsection instead of relying on an old generic price.
Felony charge and bail amount lookup
These selected rows retain the useful amounts from the earlier guide and identify the charge. Financial figures are schedule amounts before any applicable worksheet adjustment or court order.
| Charge | 2026 schedule amount or route |
|---|---|
| PC 187: murder, no special circumstance | $2,000,000 |
| PC 187: murder with special circumstance | Schedule lists ineligible for release; court detention analysis is separate. |
| PC 664/187: attempted murder | $1,000,000 |
| PC 192(a): voluntary manslaughter | $100,000 |
| PC 192(b): involuntary manslaughter | $25,000 |
| PC 191.5(a): gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated | $100,000 |
| PC 191.5(b): vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, without gross negligence | $50,000 |
| PC 192(c)(1): gross-negligence vehicular manslaughter | $50,000 |
| PC 273.5: corporal injury to a specified person | $50,000; qualifying PC 273.5(f) prior: $100,000 |
| PC 459: first-degree burglary, person present | $50,000 |
| PC 459: inhabited dwelling, no person present | MR |
| PC 459: other burglary | BR |
| PC 487(a)/(b): listed grand theft | BR |
| PC 487(c): grand theft from a person | MR |
| PC 487(d)(2): theft of a firearm | $50,000 |
| PC 451(a)/(b): arson causing great bodily injury or of an inhabited structure | $250,000 |
| PC 646.9(a)-(c): stalking | $150,000 |
The official 2026 felony schedule contains additional offenses, special allegations and qualifications. A person charged with multiple counts should not add every displayed figure automatically; the worksheet governs.
Bail Enhancements
The financial worksheet includes adjustments for specified weapons, injuries, priors, supervision status and other allegations. Its selection, addition and exception rules matter. A generic list of enhancements cannot establish the total for a particular booking.
- Gang involvement: +$40,000
- Use of weapon (not firearm): +$20,000
- Firearm possession/use: +$50,000
- Discharge firearm (no injury): +$200,000
- Discharge firearm (causing injury/death): +$1,000,000
- Great bodily injury: +$30,000
- A listed vulnerable-victim allegation: +$25,000 where the schedule criteria apply, including a victim under 15, over 65 or disabled.
- Prior serious/violent felony: +$50,000 per prior
- Multiple strikes with new strike charge: +$1,000,000
- Prior prison term: the worksheet’s +$10,000 rule concerns a qualifying sexually violent offense and its five-year condition, not every earlier prison term.
- Crime while on probation/parole: +$25,000
- Possible life term: the worksheet includes a $1,000,000 rule with qualifications and exclusions; it should not be added automatically to every life-punishable allegation.
What this means for you
Bail depends on the charge, allegations, custody holds and the individualized legal analysis. Counsel should identify the exact schedule row, verify the booking record and review the release order. Ability to pay and appropriate nonfinancial conditions require consideration under current bail law.
Eligible CR/BR/MR cases follow a release protocol, but supervision status, qualifying failures to appear, additional charges or other holds may change the process. Financial bail can apply to listed offenses and at a later court stage.
If you or someone you know has been arrested, the bail amount is just the beginning. You need experienced legal representation to fight your case and potentially get bail reduced.
Contact Helfend Law Group
Call: 800-834-6434
A defense attorney can review the actual charge, release conditions and any request for a different bail or detention decision. Call 800-834-6434 for a free consultation.
Published October 16, 2025.
What information is needed to check the actual release terms?
- The booking number, exact code sections and any special allegations.
- Whether the arrest involved a warrant and what that warrant orders.
- All pending cases, supervision status and other custody holds.
- The current bail or release order and the next court date.
- Records of income, assets, housing, employment and caregiving relevant to an individualized hearing.
Posting money does not guarantee release when another hold remains. A bail bond premium is a contractual cost distinct from direct cash bail; review the licensed agent’s terms before entering an agreement.
Sources and legal standards
- 2026 Los Angeles felony bail schedule
- 2026 Los Angeles misdemeanor bail schedule
- Penal Code 1270.1
- In re Kowalczyk, April 30, 2026
Legal information checked October 10, 2026. The charge, evidence and applicable version of the law control the analysis of an individual case.
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