How Much Does Bail Cost for Burglary or Breaking and Entering in Dallas?

Southern Bail Bonds is a local Dallas County bail bondsman that helps families get their loved ones out of jail on burglary and trespassing charges, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If someone you care about just got arrested for burglary, breaking into a car, or criminal trespass in Dallas, you need to know what you’re looking at. Based on Dallas County court records, bail for Chapter 30 charges runs anywhere from $500 to $150,000. That range is huge because “burglary” covers everything from walking into a store you were told to stay out of to breaking into someone’s house.

Here’s the important part: burglary of a habitation (someone’s home) is a second degree felony. Burglary of a building (like a store or warehouse) is a state jail felony. Breaking into a car is a Class A misdemeanor. And criminal trespass, the lowest level, is usually a Class B misdemeanor. Those are very different charges with very different bail amounts, but people mix them up all the time.

You don’t need to come up with the full bail amount. You pay around 10% and Southern Bail Bonds puts up the rest with the court. We do payment plans and we don’t check your credit.

Most bail bonds companies will take your money, but getting someone out fast takes experience. Southern Bail Bonds has been working Dallas County courts for over 30 years. We know the judges, we know the process at Lew Sterrett and the city jails, and we know how to move. Most of our clients are out the same day, many within a few hours of the bond being posted.

Burglary and Criminal Trespass Bail Amounts in Dallas County

Here’s what bail looks like depending on the charge. These are sorted from least serious to most serious.

These ranges come from Dallas County court records. Judges have discretion under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 17.15, so individual amounts vary.

How Much Do You Actually Pay a Bail Bondsman?

You don’t pay the full bail amount out of pocket. You pay Southern Bail Bonds a percentage (typically 10%) and we put up the rest with the court. That fee is non-refundable, but it’s a lot better than coming up with the full amount in cash.

For smaller bonds (under $1,000), there’s usually a minimum fee. For larger bonds, Southern Bail Bonds offers payment plans with no credit check. You can start the process with a partial payment and work out the rest over time.

How Much Is Bail for Criminal Trespass in Dallas?

Criminal trespass is the lowest-level charge in Chapter 30 and by far the most common. This is the charge you get when you go somewhere you’re not supposed to be, like entering a store after being told to stay out or refusing to leave someone’s property. Under Texas Penal Code Sec. 30.05(a), the formal charge reads: “A person commits an offense if the person enters or remains on or in property of another without effective consent and the person had notice that the entry was forbidden or received notice to depart but failed to do so.”

The base offense is a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in county jail and a fine up to $2,000. Most criminal trespass arrests are exactly this level.

Most defendants saw bail set at $500 to $2,500. The $1,500 mark was the single most common bail amount. Higher amounts ($5,000 to $20,000) were typically for people with prior convictions or who picked up the trespass charge alongside something more serious.

Criminal trespass is one of the easier charges to bond out on. Most people are out the same day.

How Much Is Bail for Trespassing in a Home, Shelter, or Critical Infrastructure?

If the trespass happens in certain protected locations, the charge gets bumped up. Under Sec. 30.05(d)(3)(A), criminal trespass is a Class A misdemeanor when it involves a habitation, a shelter center, a Superfund site, or critical infrastructure. That’s a step up from the regular Class B. A Class A misdemeanor carries up to 1 year in county jail and a fine up to $4,000.

In plain terms, this covers things like sneaking into someone’s house without permission (but without intent to steal or commit another crime, which would be burglary instead), entering a homeless shelter unlawfully, or trespassing on critical infrastructure like power plants or water treatment facilities.

Most defendants received bail between $1,500 and $10,000. The $10,000 mark was the most common single amount for this charge, which makes sense given it’s a Class A misdemeanor. Higher amounts usually involved defendants who had other charges stacked on top of the trespass.

How Much Is Bail for Breaking Into a Car in Dallas?

Car break-ins are charged as “burglary of vehicles” under Texas Penal Code Sec. 30.04. This is not the same charge as regular burglary. Under Sec. 30.04(a), the formal charge reads: “A person commits an offense if, without the effective consent of the owner, he breaks into or enters a vehicle or any part of a vehicle with intent to commit any felony or theft.”

The base offense is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 1 year in county jail and a fine up to $4,000. That’s significantly less serious than burglary of a building or home.

Most defendants received bail between $1,500 and $10,000. The $10,000 and $5,000 marks were the most common bail amounts. Higher amounts ($20,000 to $30,000) typically involved defendants with prior convictions or multiple car break-ins in the same arrest.

What If There Are Prior Convictions for Vehicle Burglary?

Texas ramps up the penalty if you’ve been convicted of vehicle burglary before. Under Sec. 30.04(d)(2)(A), if the defendant has two or more prior convictions for burglary of vehicles, the charge becomes a state jail felony, punishable by 180 days to 2 years in state jail and a fine up to $10,000.

The jump in bail is significant. Once it’s enhanced to a state jail felony, the median bail triples from $5,000 to $15,000. The $20,000 mark was the most common bail amount for this enhanced charge.

How Much Is Bail for Burglary of a Building in Dallas?

Burglary of a building means breaking into a commercial property, a store, a warehouse, a storage unit, or any structure that isn’t someone’s home. Under Texas Penal Code Sec. 30.02(a), the formal charge reads: “A person commits an offense if, without the effective consent of the owner, the person enters a habitation, or a building (or any portion of a building) not then open to the public, with intent to commit a felony, theft, or an assault.”

When the target is a building (not a habitation), it’s classified under Sec. 30.02(c)(1) as a state jail felony, punishable by 180 days to 2 years in state jail and a fine up to $10,000. That’s the same level as enhanced vehicle burglary, but it’s still one step below burglary of a home.

Most defendants received bail between $10,000 and $20,000. The $10,000 and $15,000 marks were the most common amounts. The cases that hit $50,000 to $100,000 usually involved defendants with extensive criminal history or multiple burglary charges in the same arrest.

Bail was denied in a small number of building burglary cases, typically when the defendant was already out on bond for another felony.

How Much Is Bail for Burglarizing Someone’s Home in Dallas?

This is the big one. Burglary of a habitation is one of the most serious property crimes in Texas. “Habitation” means someone’s home, apartment, or any structure adapted for overnight accommodation. Under Sec. 30.02(c)(2), burglary of a habitation is a 2nd degree felony, punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.

That puts it in the same felony class as aggravated assault. Texas takes home invasion seriously.

The $20,000 mark was by far the most common bail amount for this charge. Most defendants received bail between $10,000 and $25,000. Bail climbed to $50,000 or higher when the defendant had prior felony convictions or when the circumstances were particularly serious (someone was home, a weapon was involved, etc.).

What If They Intended to Commit Another Felony Inside?

It gets worse. Under Sec. 30.02(d), if the defendant entered a habitation with “intent to commit a felony other than felony theft” or committed or attempted to commit such a felony inside, the charge jumps to a 1st degree felony, punishable by 5 to 99 years or life in prison. This covers situations like breaking into a home to assault someone, commit a sexual offense, or kidnap someone.

The $25,000 mark was the most common bail amount for this enhanced charge. Bail can go much higher depending on the nature of the intended felony. If someone was harmed during the burglary, expect bail in the $50,000 to $100,000 range or more.

What’s the Difference Between Burglary and Criminal Trespass?

People confuse these two all the time, and it matters because the bail amounts are completely different. The key difference is intent.

Criminal trespass (Sec. 30.05) means you entered or stayed on someone’s property without permission. That’s it. You were somewhere you weren’t supposed to be. It’s a misdemeanor.

Burglary (Sec. 30.02) means you entered a building or home with the intent to commit a felony, theft, or assault inside. The “intent” part is what makes it a felony. You didn’t just walk in. You went in to steal something, hurt someone, or commit another crime.

Here’s what that looks like in terms of bail:

The difference between a $1,500 trespass bond and a $20,000 home burglary bond is massive. If your family member was arrested and you’re not sure which charge they have, call Southern Bail Bonds at (214) 372-2500 and we can look it up for you.

What About Other Burglary-Related Charges?

Criminal Trespass with a Deadly Weapon (Sec. 30.05(d)(3)(C)): Under this subsection, criminal trespass becomes a Class A misdemeanor when “the person carries a deadly weapon during the commission of the offense.” In the cases we reviewed, bail was set between $1,500 and $10,000. This is still a misdemeanor, but carrying a weapon during a trespass significantly increases the chance of additional charges being filed.

Burglary (Other/Unspecified, Sec. 30.02): A small number of cases were filed under general Sec. 30.02 without a specific subsection. In the cases we reviewed, bail ranged from $10,000 to $20,000. Your amount could be higher or lower depending on the specifics.

Why Is My Bail Amount Different From Someone Else’s?

Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 17.15 requires judges to consider 7 factors when setting bail:

1. The defendant’s ability to pay
2. The nature of the offense and circumstances
3. The defendant’s criminal history
4. Whether the defendant poses a safety risk
5. The defendant’s ties to the community (employment, family, length of residence)
6. Whether the defendant is a U.S. citizen
7. Any prior failures to appear in court

Bail isn’t a fixed number for any burglary charge. Two people arrested for the same type of burglary can get very different bail amounts. Someone with no criminal history and a steady job might get $10,000 bail for burglary of a building, while someone with prior felony convictions could see $50,000 or higher for the same charge. Prior burglary convictions in particular tend to push bail up significantly.

Can They Deny Bail for Burglary in Dallas?

Bail denial for burglary charges is uncommon, but it does happen. In the cases we reviewed, bail was denied in a small number of building burglary cases, typically where the defendant was already out on bond for another felony.

Under Texas Proposition 3 (effective January 1, 2026), judges can deny bail entirely for defendants charged with certain offenses who are already out on bail for another felony. Burglary of a habitation (a 2nd degree felony) and first-degree burglary can trigger this provision when combined with other pending felony cases.

Bail can also be denied for:

• Capital murder cases
• Felony offenses committed while on bail for a prior felony (under Art. I, Sec. 11c of the Texas Constitution)
• Violations of bond conditions on previous felony charges

If bail has been denied, a defense attorney can request a hearing to argue for bail to be set. This is especially common in cases where the defendant has community ties, employment, and no history of failing to appear.

What If Bail Is Too High? Can It Be Lowered?

With burglary of habitation charges carrying bail of $20,000 or more, many families can’t afford even the 10% bond fee without help. A defense attorney can file a motion to reduce bail under Article 17.15. The attorney argues that the bail amount is excessive based on the defendant’s circumstances: income, employment, community ties, and lack of flight risk.

Bail reduction hearings are common in Dallas County. They don’t guarantee a lower amount, but they’re worth pursuing when bail creates an unreasonable financial burden. For a $50,000 burglary charge, getting bail reduced to $25,000 drops your bond fee from around $5,000 to around $2,500.

Source: Dallas County court records

Need Help Posting Bail for Burglary or Criminal Trespass in Dallas?

Southern Bail Bonds posts bail bonds for all burglary and trespassing charges in Dallas County, from misdemeanor criminal trespass to felony burglary of a habitation. Licensed by the Texas Department of Insurance (Dallas County License #258, BBB A+ rated), our agents are available 24/7 and can process your bond by phone.

You don’t need the full bail amount. With a bail bond, you pay a percentage of the bail (typically 10%) and Southern Bail Bonds posts the rest. Flexible payment plans are available with no credit check required.

Call (214) 372-2500 Now – Agents standing by across from Lew Sterrett Justice Center