Where is someone taken after arrest in Miami?

All arrests in Miami-Dade County are processed at the Turner Guilford Knight (TGK) Correctional Center at 7000 NW 41st Street, Miami, FL 33166. TGK is the central intake facility for Miami-Dade Corrections. Booking includes fingerprinting, mugshots, medical screening, and charge entry. You can call the TGK information line at 786-263-5550 to confirm an arrest.

How much does bail cost in Miami-Dade County?

Miami-Dade uses the Uniform Statewide Bond Schedule for pre-first appearance release. Third-degree felonies with force: $5,000. Third-degree felonies without force: $2,500. First-degree misdemeanors with force: $1,000. First-degree misdemeanors without force: $500. A judge at first appearance (within 24 hours) can raise or lower these amounts. With a bail bondsman, you pay 10% of whatever the judge sets.

What is an Arthur Hearing in Miami-Dade County?

An Arthur hearing is specific to non-bondable charges like capital felonies and life felonies. Named after State v. Arthur, this hearing is essentially a mini-trial where the defense argues the defendant should be granted bail. The state must prove that 'proof of guilt is evident and the presumption great.' This hearing must be formally requested and scheduled through the assigned judge's Judicial Assistant in the 11th Circuit.

How long does release take from TGK?

After bail is posted at TGK, release typically takes 8 to 12 hours. Miami-Dade processes a high volume of arrests daily, and TGK is one of the busiest intake facilities in Florida. Weekend and holiday arrests can extend this further. The bail bond itself can be posted in minutes through a licensed agent, but the jail's internal processing is what takes time.

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Where Do People Go After Arrest in Miami?

Every arrest in Miami-Dade County funnels through one facility: the Turner Guilford Knight (TGK) Correctional Center at 7000 NW 41st Street, Miami, FL 33166. TGK is the central intake and processing hub for Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation. It does not matter if the arrest happened in Coral Gables, Kendall, Doral, or downtown Miami; the booking happens at TGK.

Once at TGK, the person goes through a multi-step intake process: identity verification, fingerprinting, mugshot photography, a medical and mental health screening, personal property inventory, and charge entry into the county system. This process alone can take several hours depending on how busy intake is that night.

TGK Information Line: 786-263-5550
Call this number to confirm whether someone has been booked. You can also use the Miami-Dade Inmate Search portal, but be aware that it can take 4 to 6 hours after arrest before a person appears in the system.

Miami-Dade Pre-First Appearance Bond Schedule

Miami-Dade County follows the Uniform Statewide Bond Schedule for pre-hearing releases. These are the amounts a booking officer can use to release someone before they see a judge. Once the defendant appears at first appearance (within 24 hours of arrest), the judge has full authority to change these numbers.

Offense Level	Force/Threat Involved	Pre-Hearing Bond	You Pay (10%)
Third-Degree Felony	Yes	$5,000	$500
Third-Degree Felony	No	$2,500	$250
First-Degree Misdemeanor	Yes	$1,000	$100
First-Degree Misdemeanor	No (non-DUI)	$500	$50
Second-Degree Misdemeanor	Yes	$250	$25
Second-Degree Misdemeanor	No	$150	$15
Capital / Life Felony	Any	No Bond	Requires Arthur Hearing

These are starting points, not guarantees. Certain charges in Miami-Dade, like domestic violence with a protection order or offenses designated as "dangerous crimes" under Florida law, carry mandatory first appearance requirements. The judge can increase the bond, add conditions like GPS monitoring or a no-contact order, or deny bail entirely.

How to Post Bail at TGK

There are two ways to post bail at the Turner Guilford Knight facility, and the method you choose depends on what you can afford and when the arrest happened:

Cash bond (full amount) — You pay the entire bail amount directly. At TGK, cash bonds are processed through the Touch-Pay kiosk system. You will need the exact booking number. The full amount is returned (minus court costs) when the case closes, assuming the defendant makes all court appearances.
Surety bond through a bail bondsman (10%) — You pay 10% of the bail to a licensed bail bond agent, and the agent posts the full amount with the court. This is the most common method because most families cannot cover the full bail in cash. The 10% premium is non-refundable. Call (941) 477-6888 and we will connect you with a licensed Miami-Dade bondsman who can start the process immediately.

After-hours arrests (nights, weekends, holidays) essentially require a bail bondsman. The Clerk of Court office at TGK is not staffed around the clock for cash bond processing, but bail bond agents work 24/7.

First Appearance and Arthur Hearings in the 11th Circuit

Miami-Dade County operates under the 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida. Under Florida law, every arrested person must be brought before a judge within 24 hours. In Miami-Dade, these first appearance hearings are conducted via video link between the courtroom and TGK.

At first appearance, the judge does four things: confirms the charges, verifies probable cause, advises the defendant of their rights, and sets (or adjusts) the bond. If you have already posted bail using the pre-hearing schedule, you may not need to attend this hearing at all. But if the judge raises the bond, you will need to post the difference.

What is an Arthur Hearing?

For non-bondable charges (capital felonies and life felonies), there is no automatic right to bail. The defense must request a special proceeding called an Arthur hearing, named after State v. Arthur. This is essentially a mini-trial. The prosecution must show that "proof of guilt is evident and the presumption great." If they cannot meet that standard, the judge grants bail.

Arthur hearings in Miami-Dade must be formally requested through the assigned judge's Judicial Assistant. This is not something a bail bondsman handles; you need a criminal defense attorney. But once bail is granted after an Arthur hearing, a bondsman can post it immediately.

Release Times at TGK

This is where Miami-Dade differs significantly from smaller counties. TGK processes one of the highest volumes of arrests in Florida. After bail is posted, expect 8 to 12 hours before the person walks out. On busy nights (Friday, Saturday, holidays, large events), it can stretch longer.

The bail bond itself takes minutes to arrange. What takes time is the jail's internal processing: verifying the bond paperwork, running final warrants checks, processing the release through the system, and physically moving the person from their housing unit to the release area. There is nothing a bondsman or attorney can do to speed up this part.

Tip for families: Do not go sit in the TGK parking lot waiting. The release area is separate from the main visitor entrance, and there is no way to track exactly when the person will come out. Give it at least 8 hours from when the bondsman confirms the bond was posted, then call the TGK information line (786-263-5550) to check the status.

Miami-Dade County Jail and Court Resources

TGK Correctional Center Info

7000 NW 41st St, Miami, FL 33166

Miami-Dade Inmate Search

Online lookup portal

Miami-Dade Bail Schedule

Full schedule by charge

Miami-Dade Bail FAQ

15 questions answered

Miami-Dade County

Nearby Cities in Miami-Dade County

All arrests in these cities are processed through the county jail. The booking and bail process described above applies to every one of them.

Florida Bail Bond Laws That Protect You

Florida Statute 903 governs bail bonds statewide, and the 11th Circuit enforces these protections strictly. Key protections for anyone posting bail in Miami-Dade:

Bail Bonds in Miami, Florida