Depositing Money, Commissary Spending, and Tablet Costs at Sonoma County Jail
Putting money on someone's books is one of the quickest ways to help—but you'll need to follow the jail's limits and payment rules. Here's how the account cap works, what deposit methods the jail accepts, weekly commissary limits, and current ViaPath tablet and video pricing (effective April 1, 2025).
Sonoma County Jail caps accounts at $1,000. Any deposit that would push the balance over that limit gets rejected - cash or check, doesn't matter. Plan smaller deposits and time them around when your loved one spends down their balance on commissary or communication.
The Cashier accepts several payment types for inmate account deposits: cash, money orders, certified checks, cashier's checks (some banks call these "official checks"), and government checks. Acceptance can vary case by case, so stick to these forms to avoid having your deposit rejected.
Sending a money order, certified check, or cashier's check? Mail it. U.S. mail is the jail's preferred method for these payment types, and sticking with that avoids unnecessary delays.
Commissary orders are placed electronically - either through kiosks in the housing modules or on the tablets. Orders draw from whatever funds are in the account.
Commissary spending is capped at $100 per week, regardless of how much is in the account. Keep that in mind when budgeting deposits - extra funds beyond the weekly limit can go toward messaging or video visits instead.
- ✓ Shower shoes
- ✓ Underwear
- ✓ Sports bras
- ✓ Reading glasses
- ✓ Shave cream
- ✓ Toothpaste
- ✓ Styling gel
- ✓ Mouthwash
- ✓ Deodorant
- ✓ Shampoo
- ✓ Conditioner
- ✓ Bar soap
- ✓ Lotion
- ✓ Contact lens solution
- ✓ Contact lens case
- ✓ Envelopes
- ✓ Paper
- ✓ Pencils
- ✓ Colored pencils
- ✓ Word search
- ✓ Sudoku
- ✓ Bowl
- ✓ Cup
- ✓ Greeting cards
- ✓ Candy
- ✓ Beverages
- ✓ Chips
- ✓ Snacks
ViaPath remote video visits cost $0.12 per minute (effective April 1, 2025). Longer sessions add up fast, especially if you're visiting regularly.
Video messages are charged at flat rates: $1.00 for 30 seconds, $2.50 for 60 seconds (effective April 1, 2025).
ViaPath secure messaging costs $0.25 per written message and $0.25 per photo attachment (effective April 1, 2025). All tablet messages are reviewed and follow the same content rules as physical mail - nudity, threats, gang-related content, or hate speech will get rejected.
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- ✓ Keep the $1,000 account limit in mind - any deposit made after initial booking won’t be accepted if it would put the balance over $1,000.
- ✓ Use deposit types the Cashier may accept: cash, money orders, certified checks, cashier’s checks, and government checks.
- ✓ If you’re sending a money order, certified check, or cashier’s check, use U.S. mail (it’s the preferred and primary method).
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