How to Check for a Warrant

There is no single place to search for warrants. Arrest warrants and bench warrants are issued by individual judges, entered into local and state law-enforcement databases that are not public, and recorded in the court file of the case that generated them. Checking means going court by court and agency by agency, and, if you are the subject, doing it in a way that does not lead to an immediate arrest.

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Types of warrants

• Arrest warrant: issued when a judge finds probable cause that a person committed a crime. Usually the start of a criminal case.
• Bench warrant (capias): issued when a person fails to appear for a hearing, violates probation, or ignores a court order. By far the most common kind for ordinary people, and the usual result of an unpaid traffic ticket.
• Search warrant: authorizes a search of a place; not something you "have."
• Civil warrants: in some states, orders to compel attendance or payment in civil and family cases (for example, for missed child-support hearings).

Where to check

The court

If you have any pending case or unpaid citation, search that court's online index. Warrants appear as docket entries such as "capias issued," "bench warrant," "FTA" (failure to appear), or "warrant ordered." The traffic records guide explains how to find the right court for a ticket, and the criminal records guide covers criminal courts.

Sheriff and police warrant lists

Many county sheriffs and city police departments publish active-warrant lists or search tools. They are usually limited to warrants that agency holds, so a warrant from a neighboring county will not appear. Some large municipal courts run their own warrant lookups for traffic and ordinance cases.

Statewide systems

State police maintain warrant databases that are available to law enforcement but not, in most states, to the public. A handful of states offer limited public warrant searches; check the state guide.

Federal warrants

Federal arrest warrants are sealed until served and do not appear in PACER until then. The U.S. Marshals Service does not publish a searchable list beyond its most-wanted notices.

Checking on yourself safely

1. Use online tools first. Court indexes and published warrant lists can be searched anonymously.
2. Call rather than visit. A clerk can confirm a warrant by phone. Have your full name and date of birth ready. Ask about the underlying case, the bond amount, and whether the judge allows the matter to be resolved by paying a fine or scheduling a new hearing.
3. Consider an attorney. A lawyer can verify a warrant with the court and prosecutor, arrange a voluntary appearance, and sometimes get a bench warrant recalled before you ever set foot in the building. Public defenders and legal aid offices handle this routinely.
4. Do not travel to the courthouse to ask in person unless you are prepared to be taken into custody. Courthouse security screens visitors and some jurisdictions run warrant checks on the spot.

Checking on someone else

Court indexes and published warrant lists are public and can be searched by anyone. Beyond that, agencies will generally not confirm a warrant for a third party. Commercial background-check services often advertise "warrant searches," but they simply scrape the same public lists and are frequently out of date; the affiliate disclosure explains why we label them as unofficial.

Resolving a warrant

• Traffic and minor bench warrants: many courts let you pay the fine, post a bond, or schedule a new court date, which recalls the warrant. Some run periodic "warrant amnesty" or "safe surrender" programs.
• Probation-violation warrants: contact your probation officer or attorney before doing anything else.
• Arrest warrants for new charges: talk to an attorney. A planned surrender at an agreed time, with bond arranged, is far better than an unplanned arrest.

Once the warrant is recalled or served, the court file will show it. Confirm with the clerk that no other warrants remain, because a single missed date can generate more than one.

After the warrant is cleared

Warrant information can persist in background-check databases after the court has recalled it. If a stale warrant shows up on a report, request the court's recall order and send it to the reporting company.