Quick answer: After booking at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center, you’ll be magistrated — probable cause reviewed, bond and conditions set — typically within 12 to 24 hours for a DWI. Release follows by cash bond, surety (bondsman), or personal bond through Pretrial Services for qualifying defendants.
The path: SAPD or the arresting agency books you into the ADC on Comal Street, a magistrate reviews the case and sets bond, and release follows once bond is posted or a personal bond is approved. Bexar County’s Pretrial Services program screens for personal-bond eligibility — first-offense DWI defendants with stable histories are regularly approved, and an attorney’s involvement speeds the process.
Bond conditions matter: interlock is standard on 0.15+ allegations and repeat charges, and violations revoke bonds fast. And the separate 15-day ALR clock on your license starts at arrest — not at release.
Related questions
How long does Bexar County jail release take?
Commonly 12-24 hours from booking through magistration to release on a misdemeanor DWI — longer on busy weekends, shorter with counsel pushing the personal-bond process.
Do I need a bondsman in Bexar County?
Not always — qualifying defendants get personal bonds through Pretrial Services. When a surety bond is the faster path, weigh the bondsman’s nonrefundable fee against time in custody; a lawyer can tell you which route is quicker that day.
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General legal information for Texas, not legal advice about your specific case. Last reviewed July 2026.
