Updated on September 29, 2026
Cash only bonds in Tulsa frustrate families faster than almost anything else in the bail process. You call a bondsman, ready to bring your loved one home, and hear that nobody can post this one. That part is true. What most people never hear is that Oklahoma overhauled its rules on fines warrants, and the full cash amount may not be the only way out.
Signature Bail Bonds has helped Tulsa-area families since 2006, and cash only warrants come up all the time. Here is what they are, why a bondsman cannot post them, and the options Oklahoma law now gives you.
What Is a Cash Only Bond?
A cash only bond is a bond that someone must pay in full before the jail releases the defendant. No bondsman, surety company, or payment plan can stand in for the money. Around Tulsa jails, you may also hear staff call it an “execution” or “execution only” bond.
That term shows up in state law. Under 22 O.S. Section 966A, a failure-to-pay warrant lists an “execution bond amount” on its face. That amount covers the unpaid balance plus a warrant fee. In other words, the bond is the debt.
Why Do People End Up With Cash Only Bonds in Tulsa?
Most cash only bonds in Tulsa trace back to money owed on an old case. The most common sources include:
- Unpaid fines and court costs. Missed payments on a past traffic, misdemeanor, or felony case can turn into a failure-to-pay warrant.
- Restitution. Money a court ordered someone to repay a victim falls outside the newer cost hearing rules. Talk to the court clerk or an attorney about options on these.
- Child support. These warrants follow their own process. Our guide to clearing Oklahoma child support warrants covers those.
- Holds from another county or city. A person booked in Tulsa can also carry an unpaid-fines warrant from somewhere else.
Why Can’t a Bondsman Post a Cash Only Bond?
A bondsman cannot post a cash only bond because the two do different jobs. With a surety bond, the bondsman promises the court that the defendant will show up. The cash only version pays off a debt, so the court wants the money itself.
That also means we cannot finance a cash only bond or charge a fee to handle one. What we can do is help you sort out which holds are cash only, which charges qualify for a Tulsa County surety bond, and which options the law gives you.
Bondsman tip: Some people have a new charge and a cash only warrant at the same time. Posting the surety bond on the new charge will not get them out on its own. Ask us to check every hold before anyone pays anything. For the surety side, our 0% financing can help with the premium.
The 72-Hour Rule Most Families Never Hear About
Oklahoma law now sets a limit on how long someone can sit in jail on an unpaid-fines warrant. Under 22 O.S. Section 983, the jail must release a person arrested on a cost arrest warrant after 72 hours in custody.
Release can come even sooner in three situations:
- A $100 payment per court. The family shows proof of a $100 payment to each court where the person owes fines or costs, along with a new cost hearing date.
- Own recognizance release. The court releases the person on their own recognizance and sets a new cost hearing date.
- A hearing in the meantime. The court holds a cost or willfulness hearing and decides the person should go home.
Think about what that means in real dollars. Someone held on a $1,500 Tulsa County fines warrant might get out with a $100 payment and a new court date. That is the difference between scraping together $1,500 overnight and making one manageable payment.
These rules cover court financial obligations, which means fines, costs, fees, and assessments. Restitution and child support fall outside them. Always confirm the details with the court clerk before paying.
Can the Court Lower What You Owe?
Yes, a judge can reduce or waive fines and costs at a cost hearing. This hearing looks at whether the person can actually afford to pay. The court must weigh income, expenses, dependents, assets, child support, and health conditions that limit earning ability.
Oklahoma law presumes a person cannot pay if they:
- Have a total disability designation from a federal, state, or tribal program, such as SSDI or SSI
- Receive TANF, SNAP, WIC, or other federal need-based support
- Get subsidized housing support, such as a Housing Choice Voucher
- Earn less than 150 percent of the federal poverty level
Here is more good news. Once the court sets a cost hearing date, all court financial obligations pause until that hearing happens. If the judge finds the person can pay something, options include installments or community service. Oklahoma credits community service at no less than twice the state minimum wage for every hour worked.
Bondsman tip: Anyone can request a cost hearing through the court clerk, and they can ask again when finances change. Skipping a scheduled cost hearing is a different story. It can bring a new warrant and a collections referral that adds up to 35 percent to the balance.
Can You Still Sit Out Fines in Oklahoma?
Sitting out fines looks very different than it used to. Under the updated law, jail for unpaid fines and costs requires a willfulness hearing first. The judge must find that the person could pay and chose not to. That hearing has to happen on the record, and the person needs a lawyer unless they expressly waive that right.
When a judge does impose jail time, state law lets each day count for up to $100 toward fines and costs. That rate climbs to $200 per day with useful labor. Paying the remaining balance ends the jail sentence at any time.
City cases follow their own local procedures. For City of Tulsa charges, arrests typically go to the Tulsa Municipal Jail at 600 Civic Center, and our Tulsa municipal bonds page explains how that facility works.
Warrant From Another County? Call Them First
A hold from another county does not have to mean a long wait in Tulsa. Call the court clerk in the county that issued the warrant right away. Some courts will take a payment or set a cost hearing before the transfer ever happens. Keep in mind that the $100 option applies to each court owed, so a person who owes two counties would need two payments.
Got an Old Fines Warrant? It May Not Mean Jail Anymore
Older failure-to-pay warrants may have changed without anyone telling you. The same law treats older, unserved warrants for unpaid fines or missed cost hearings as “cite and release” warrants.
With a cite and release warrant, an officer who finds it does not take the person to jail. The officer issues a notice instead, and the person has 10 days to report to the court clerk. When the person reports on time, the clerk schedules a cost hearing and asks the court to recall the warrant. Missing that 10-day window can lead to a cost arrest warrant.
Not sure what is out there? Our free warrant search can check.
5 Mistakes That Keep People Stuck on Cash Only Bonds
- Assuming the full balance is the only way out. On many fines warrants, the 72-hour rule and the $100 option change the math completely.
- Ignoring a cost hearing summons. The summons itself says it is not an arrest warrant, which leads some people to shrug it off. Skipping the hearing can bring a warrant and extra collection fees.
- Letting payments slide without a word. Call the court clerk before a missed payment turns into a warrant, and ask for a new cost hearing if money got tighter.
- Posting a surety bond before checking every hold. A cash only warrant can keep someone in jail even after someone posts bond on the new charge.
- Letting the 10-day window pass. A cite and release notice only helps if the person actually reports to the court clerk on time.
Paying the Full Cash Amount? Start Here
Sometimes paying the full balance is the fastest route home. Our guide on how to pay a cash bond in Oklahoma covers the details. It explains where to pay in Tulsa County and which payment types jails accept.
Talk to a Tulsa Bondsman Who Gives Straight Answers
Signature Bail Bonds serves Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Sapulpa, and surrounding communities around the clock. Even without posting a cash only bond, our agents can help you sort out what is holding your loved one. Call 918-SIGNOUT (918-744-6688) any time, or reach us through our contact page.
