How to Pay an Immigration Bond: CeBONDS, In Person, or Surety

To pay an immigration bond, confirm the detained person is eligible for release on bond, gather their full legal name, Alien Registration Number, and the exact bond amount, then submit payment either online through ICE’s CeBONDS system by Fedwire or ACH transfer, or in person at any ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Bond Acceptance Facility using a cashier’s check, certified check, or postal money order. The federal minimum is $1,500, though most bonds run higher, and the full amount is refundable once the case ends and all conditions have been met.

Before You Pay: Confirm Eligibility and Bond Type

Not everyone in ICE custody can be released on bond. Federal law requires ICE to hold certain people without bond, including those with aggravated felony convictions, most drug offenses, firearms offenses, and certain crimes involving moral turpitude with a sentence of at least one year.¹ The mandatory detention rules are broad enough that a relatively old conviction can disqualify someone. Confirm with the detention facility or an immigration attorney that the person actually qualifies before you start moving money.

Then check which type of bond has been set. A delivery bond secures release so the person can fight their case from outside detention; they must attend every hearing and comply with ICE and judge orders. A voluntary departure bond applies when the person has agreed to leave the United States by a court-set deadline, and the money is forfeited if they don’t leave on time. The obligations are fundamentally different, so know which one you’re posting.

What You Need to Post the Bond

The person posting the bond, called the obligor, must be at least 18 and have legal immigration status in the United States. U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, law firms, and nonprofit organizations can all serve as obligors.²

Gather three pieces of information about the detained person before you begin: their full legal name, their A-number (found on immigration paperwork), and the exact bond amount ICE set. You’ll also need the address where the person will live after release.

Identification Documents

ICE’s list of accepted obligor IDs is more specific than a generic photo ID, and a Social Security card alone is not on it.²

U.S. citizens can present a U.S. passport, birth certificate, certificate of naturalization, citizen-born-abroad document, REAL ID-compliant state driver’s license or ID card, or military identification card.
Lawful permanent residents can present a Permanent Resident Card (green card) or military identification card.

If you’re a U.S. citizen planning to use a state driver’s license, it must be REAL ID-compliant. Look for the star marking in the top corner before you head to your appointment. A standard non-REAL ID license will be rejected.

Paying Online Through CeBONDS

ICE’s primary payment method is its online system, CeBONDS (Cash Electronic Bonds Online), which launched in 2023 and has become the default for most bond payments.³

The workflow: create an account, submit a bond payment request with the detained person’s name and A-number, and wait for ICE to verify and approve the request. Once approved, complete the payment through an electronic bank transfer using one of two options:²

Fedwire, a real-time transfer through the Federal Reserve system, with funds arriving the same day.
ACH, a standard bank-to-bank transfer that processes the next business day.

CeBONDS does not accept checks, money orders, credit cards, or cash. You need access to a bank account capable of initiating a Fedwire or ACH transfer. Posting hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the time zone where the detained person is held, excluding federal holidays. Requests submitted after 3:00 p.m. or not completed during posting hours roll to the next business day.²

Paying in Person at an ICE Facility

ICE has directed its ERO offices to continue accepting in-person bond payments alongside CeBONDS. You can pay at any ICE ERO Bond Acceptance Facility nationwide, not just the one closest to where the person is detained.⁴ Call the facility beforehand to confirm current hours and whether they require an appointment; availability varies by location.

Accepted payment methods for in-person posting are cashier’s checks, certified checks, and postal money orders.⁵ Personal checks, credit cards, cash, and wire services like Western Union or Zelle are not accepted. When you arrive, present your identification, provide the detained person’s information, and complete Form I-352, the immigration bond contract. On successful payment you’ll receive Form I-305 as your receipt. Keep this receipt somewhere safe. You’ll need it later to get the money back.

For anyone paying for the first time, in-person tends to be more straightforward than working through CeBONDS. Arrive early, have your documents in hand, and aim to be finished well before the 3:00 p.m. cutoff.

Using a Surety Bond Company If You Can’t Pay Cash

If you cannot cover the full bond amount, a commercial surety bond company can post it for you. You pay the company a nonrefundable fee, typically around 15 percent of the bond amount. On a $10,000 bond, that’s roughly $1,500 you won’t get back regardless of how the case ends.

The surety must hold a Treasury certificate under Circular 570, which lists companies authorized to write federal bonds.⁶ Federal regulations specifically allow Treasury-certified sureties to post immigration bonds.⁵ You will also need to put up collateral equal to the full bond amount, usually real property with sufficient equity, a cash deposit, or a bank letter of credit. If the released person violates their bond conditions, the surety pays the government and then pursues you for the full amount plus costs.

The tradeoff is straightforward. You lose the fee no matter what, but your family member gets out now rather than months from now while you save the cash.

After Payment: Release and Your Obligations

Once ICE processes the bond and the obligor signs Form I-352, the detention facility receives notification to release the person. ICE states that release typically happens by the end of the day after the bond is approved, though actual processing depends on staffing at each facility.²

Release on bond does not end the immigration case. The person must attend every scheduled hearing and follow every condition set by ICE and the immigration judge. If they don’t, ICE can declare the bond breached. The most common trigger is missing a hearing. A breach creates a claim in favor of the United States for the full bond amount: cash bonds are forfeited, and surety companies pay the government and then come after the person who signed for the collateral.⁵ Make sure the person knows every court date and has reliable transportation to get there.

Getting the Money Back

When the immigration case concludes and all bond conditions have been satisfied, the bond becomes eligible for cancellation and refund. ICE sends Form I-391 (Notice of Immigration Bond Cancelled) to the obligor. That form is your starting point.²

Mail the following to the Debt Management Center:

Form I-391, the cancellation notice ICE sent you.
Form I-305, the original receipt you received when you posted the bond.
Form I-352, a copy of the bond contract (optional but helpful).

If you lost the original I-305, you can substitute Form I-395, a notarized affidavit confirming the loss. Without either the original receipt or the affidavit, ICE cannot process the refund.⁷

Mail everything to: Debt Management Center, P.O. Box 5000, Williston, VT 05495-5000. Expect the refund to take two to four months. The check goes to the address ICE has on file for the obligor.²

Update Your Address If You Move

If you move at any point while the bond is active or the refund is pending, file Form I-333 (Obligor Change of Address) with ICE right away. File a separate form for each bond you’ve posted. You can submit it in person at an ICE office or mail it to the ERO office where you originally posted the bond.⁸ Immigration cases often run for years, and a refund check sent to an old address creates a problem that’s entirely preventable.

Interest and Tax Reporting

Federal law provides for interest to accrue on cash held by the government as security for an immigration bond.⁹ When the bond is refunded, you may receive more than you originally posted. If the interest portion is $10 or more, the government reports it to the IRS on Form 1099-INT, and you’re responsible for including it as income on your tax return.¹⁰ The amounts are usually modest, but don’t let the 1099 surprise you at tax time.

1
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1226 – Apprehension and Detention of Aliens
2
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Post a Bond
3
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE Launches Online CeBONDS Capability to Automate Bond Payments
4
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE ERO Bond Acceptance Facilities
5
eCFR. 8 CFR 103.6 – Immigration Bonds
6
Bureau of the Fiscal Service. Surety Bonds
7
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE Form I-395 – Affidavit in Lieu of Lost Receipt of United States ICE for Collateral Accepted as Security
8
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Obligor Change of Address (Form I-333)
9
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1363 – Deposit of and Interest on Cash Received to Secure Immigration Bonds
10
Internal Revenue Service. About Form 1099-INT, Interest Income