Warrant Records Search – Find Active Warrants

Warrant records and how to find them

The ability to perform warrant records search online is an important matter for some. This data lets people know, especially the law enforcement agency’s and personnel, that an active warrant is out for an individual.  Finding warrant records is not as complicated as one might think. We will outline all you need to know about how to search and find these record across the United States.

There must be probable cause in which police feel they have the proper reason to ask for and obtain a warrant for the arrest of a suspected person who could be a criminal.  A criminal warrant is an official document that has been signed by a magistrate or judge that allows and authorizes the police to arrest the person that is named on the warrant.  Without a warrant issued any legal action taken could violate that person rights. There are different types of warrants and we will discuss each one in greater detail below.

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Types of warrants issued

Like stated above, a warrant specifies what type of authorization given to police to arrest someone. Below are the different types of warrants and what they mean

Criminal warrants

A criminal warrant gives the police the authority to arrest the person named on the warrant and bring him or her back to the courts

You can find the following information typically on an criminal warrant

• Name of the person the warrant is for
• The offense
• Order to arrest the person
• Signature of the judge or magistrate that ordered the warrant

Bench warrants

A Bench warrant is when you do not show for a court appearance. Typically, the police will not hunt you down for this, but instead, get caught when a routine traffic stop happens. Your name is run through a database and the bench warrant is found. You will immediately be apprehended and brought back to the courts to attend your court hearing.  Having an open bench warrant will cause you not to be able to renew or get a passport, Renew a driver license, and more. If you have an open warrant it is advised to get this taken care of as quickly as possible.

search warrant

A search warrant gives the police the right to search a person’s vehicle, or location for evidence.  The Fourth Amendment states and is clear that police officers need to a warrant based on probable cause in order to search someone’s property for evidence in order to make a legal arrest.

Fugitive Warrant

When a fugitive flees to another jurisdiction and the arrest order comes from another state for his or her arrest. These two states will work together to bring the suspect back to custody.

Alias warrant

This warrant is exuded when a suspect fails to appear in court for the scheduled court before the plea has been entered. Or if the person fails to respond to the citation by mail or in person.

Civil Capias Warrant

When a defender does not follow a judge’s order a Civil Capias warrant ordered. An example of this would be if the defendant was in contempt. A Civil Capias warrant would be issued to get the defendant to appear in court for the hearing.

Governor’s warrant

Unlike most warrants that are issued by a judge, this warrant is issued by the Governor’s office. It allows police to catch and return the person back to the original state where the warrant was issued.

Statutes of limitations on warrants

There are no statutes of limitation when speaking about an arrest or bench warrants.  When these types of warrants have been issued they will remain regardless of how much time has passed.  The sates will determine that before the warrant was signed that there was sufficient evidence to create an issue the warrant on the defendant making this warrant valid regardless of the amount of time that has gone by.  Because of this, there are millions of Warrant Records to search in a given year.

Why do warrant records check?

Warrant checks are run for many reasons and are not just for law enforcement officers and agencies.  Some of the more frequent reasons to run a warrant records search would be:

• Reviewing and confirming your own criminal data for accuracy
• Confirming if you have a warrant for your arrest.
• Curious about a new person in your life
• Helping a family member who might have a warrant
• Potential renter
• Potential hire

How to check for warrants online

we will show you a few ways you can access warrants directly online and offline.  A great way to find warrants for free is to visit the city county or state websites where you believe the warrant is located.  Official government websites will end the .gov so keep this in mind when searching for official websites.  Most of these websites will have a search for outstanding warrants that can be accessed directly online.  Most of this data is kept up to date within larger cities and websites. Smaller areas may not have an online search function.  If you know the county the warrant will be in then checking the county Sheriff’s office should show you the open warrants for that county

Sheriff’s Websites

Here is how to do it

Go to google and search this term: Your county Sheriff’s website. Replace “Your County with the county your looking for.

These Sheriff’s websites will have a warrant search link or page that you can see all open warrants for that county

County Clerks offices

To find these offices simply type into google the county and clerks office.

It will look like this:

Broward County Clerks office, just changes it to the county your looking for  Once on the website, you should have the ability to search for records directly online.

FBI most wanted

Check the FBI most wanted page for the most wanted people in the United States. This typically won’t show you normal day to day warrants, but it’s still a resource to find warrant records on dangerous individuals.

Using third-party search services

Using a search service is an easy way to find all kinds of warrants records and public records.  You need a first and last name to search records across federal, state, and county sources.  There is a small fee associated with viewing these records, but it’s worth it by saving time.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives wanted record search

Search by state and by a first and last name directly online.

US Marshalls most wanted

Search the most wanted list from the U.S. Marshals Service website

What should I do if there is a warrant out for my arrest?

Fix the issue as soon as possible. You do not want to have an open warrant out for your arrest.  Contact a criminal defense attorney if possible to help you navigate getting the warrant removed.  An attorney specializing in criminal defense can help you in many ways and may even reduce or eliminate jail time altogether.

Warrant records search by state