How to See If You Have a Warrant

How to See If You Have a Warrant: Checking and Resolving the Safe Way

The anxiety of wondering whether there is a warrant out for your arrest is something nobody wants to experience. Maybe you missed a court date months ago and never heard anything. Maybe you got a traffic ticket you forgot about. Maybe someone told you the police were looking for you. Whatever the reason, you need to know whether a warrant exists and what to do about it. The worst approach is ignoring the possibility and hoping it goes away, because warrants do not expire and they only get worse with time.

Most articles about checking for warrants explain the various ways to find out: call the sheriff, check online, contact the court. That information is useful but incomplete. Knowing you have a warrant is only half the problem. The real question is what to do once you discover one exists. Without a plan for resolution, checking for a warrant just confirms your worst fears without giving you a path forward.

This article will explain how to check for outstanding warrants safely, what types of warrants exist and how they differ, and most importantly, how to resolve a warrant on your terms rather than getting arrested unexpectedly. Understanding the full picture helps you make informed decisions about dealing with this stressful situation.

Why You Might Have a Warrant Without Knowing It

Heres something that suprises alot of people. Courts are not required to notify you when a warrant is issued for your arrest. If you missed a court date or failed to pay a fine, the judge can issue a bench warrant and you might never recieve any communication about it. The court figures you knew about your obligation and failed to meet it, so notifying you isnt there problem.

This means warrants can exist for years without the person knowing. Someone moves, forgets about an old traffic ticket, and never recieves the notice that a warrant was issued when they failed to appear. Then one day they get pulled over for a broken taillight and suddenly find themselves handcuffed in the back of a police car. Its a terrifying situation that happens more often then you’d think.

Common reasons warrants get issued without your knowledge include failure to appear at a court date you forgot about or didnt know was scheduled, failure to complete probation requirements like community service or classes, failure to pay fines or restitution, and violations of court orders you didnt realize applied to you. In any of these situations, the warrant can sit in the system indefinatly until you either check for it or get discovered by law enforcement.

Types of Warrants: Bench Warrants vs Arrest Warrants

Not all warrants are the same, and understanding the difference affects how you should respond.

Bench warrants are issued by a judge for court-related failures. The most common is failure to appear, when you miss a scheduled court date. Bench warrants can also be issued for failure to pay fines, failure to complete court ordered programs, or violating probation or parole conditions. The term “bench” refers to the judges bench, the warrant is issued directly from the courtroom.

Arrest warrants are issued when law enforcement presents evidence to a judge showing probable cause that you commited a crime. These are more serious because there based on allegations of new criminal conduct, not just missing a court date. An arrest warrant means the police have activly investigated something and convinced a judge that your likely guilty of an offense.

The distinction matters for resolution strategy. Bench warrants are often easier to resolve because the underlying issue is procedural, you just need to come to court and address whatever you missed. Arrest warrants are more complicated because there tied to criminal charges that need to be defended.

How to Check for a Warrant Safely

Their are several ways to find out if you have an outstanding warrant. Some are safer then others.

The dangerous way: Showing up in person. You can walk into a sheriffs office or courthouse and ask if theirs a warrant for your name. The problem is obvious. If a warrant exists, you might get arrested on the spot. Some people do this when there ready to deal with the warrant anyway, but if your just trying to find out, this approach is risky.

Online warrant searches: Many jurisdictions maintain online databases were you can search for active warrants. County sheriff websites often have warrant search tools. Some states have statewide systems. The limitation is that not all warrants appear in these databases, and the information may not be current. A warrant could exist in a jurisdiction you dont think to check.

Calling the court or sheriffs office: You can call and ask if theirs a warrant in your name. They’ll typicaly need your full name and date of birth. This is safer then showing up in person, but its not completly anonymous. They might ask for your phone number or other identifying information.

The safest way: Have a lawyer check. An attorney can contact law enforcement and courts on your behalf without putting you at risk of immediate arrest. They can also check multiple jurisdictions if your not sure were a warrant might exist. Most importently, if they find a warrant, there allready positioned to help you resolve it.

The Problem With Just Checking

OK so heres the thing most articles dont explain. Finding out you have a warrant is not the end goal. Resolving the warrant is. And if you check, discover a warrant exists, and then dont do anything about it, your actualy worse off then before.

Think about it. Before you checked, you were living your life normaly, maybe with some anxiety about whether a warrant existed. Now you know for certain that one does. What do you do? Some people panic and do nothing, hoping it will somehow go away. It wont. Others turn themselves in without any preparation and end up sitting in jail for days waiting for a bail hearing. Neither outcome is good.

Checking for a warrant without a plan for resolution is only half the answer. The whole point of knowing is so you can address the situation on your terms rather then getting surprised by an arrest at the worst possible moment. If your going to check, you should allready be thinking about what you’ll do if the answer is yes.

How to Resolve a Warrant on Your Terms

This is the part competitors almost completly miss. Their are ways to deal with a warrant that dont involve getting arrested, booked, and sitting in jail. Understanding these options is critcal.

Motion to recall the warrant: For bench warrants, your attorney can often file a motion asking the judge to withdraw the warrant. The motion explains why you missed your court date or failed to comply with whatever requirement triggered the warrant, and asks the court to give you another chance. If granted, the warrant dissapears and you appear in court on a new date without ever being arrested.

Pre-arranged surrender: If you need to turn yourself in, doing it voluntaraly with preparation is much better then getting arrested unexpectadly. Your lawyer can contact the court or prosecutors office to arrange a surrender date, and can often have bail set in advance so you post it immediatly and never spend time in a holding cell. This is called a “walk through” in some jurisdictions, you literaly walk in, get processed, post bail, and walk out.

Attorney appearance on your behalf: For certain types of warrants in some jurisdictions, your attorney may be able to appear in court without you being present to have the warrant addressed. This is less common for arrest warrants but sometimes works for bench warrants related to minor matters.

Quash motion: If the warrant was issued improperly, such as when you actualy did appear at court but the system shows otherwise, your attorney can file a motion to quash challenging the warrants validity. This is different from a recall, your arguing the warrant shouldnt have been issued at all.

What Happens If You Ignore a Warrant

Lets be clear about what happens if you discover a warrant and do nothing about it. The warrant dosnt go away. Warrants do not expire. A bench warrant from ten years ago is still active today unless it was resolved or withdrawn.

Living with an outstanding warrant means living with constant risk. Every interaction with law enforcement becomes potentialy catastrophic. Get pulled over for a routine traffic stop? The officer runs your license, sees the warrant, and arrests you. Get in a fender bender and the police show up to take a report? Same thing. Apply for certain jobs that require fingerprinting? The warrant shows up in the background check.

Theirs also the fact that warrants tend to multiply problems. If you had a bench warrant for missing court on a simple misdemeanor, and then get arrested on that warrant while doing something else, now you have multiple cases to deal with. The original charge, plus whatever new situation you were in when arrested. Its always better to address warrants proactivly rather then waiting for them to catch up with you.

Will a Warrant Show on a Background Check

This is one of the most common questions people have about outstanding warrants. The answer is generaly yes, warrants can and often do appear on background checks.

Different background check services access different databases, so results vary. Some checks only show convictions, while others pull warrant information. Employment background checks typicaly include warrant searches, especialy for jobs involving security clearances, working with children, or government positions. Landlord background checks may also reveal warrants.

Even if a warrant dosnt show up on a particular background check, it remains a ticking time bomb. The warrant exists in law enforcement databases, and any contact with police can result in discovery. Its not worth gambling your career or housing on the hope that a background check wont find what the police definatly will.

Can You Travel With an Outstanding Warrant

Another common question is whether you can fly or travel with an active warrant. The answer depends on the type of warrant and were your going.

Domestic air travel: For most bench warrants and minor warrants, you can technicaly fly domesticaly. TSA screening dosnt automaticaly check warrant databases. However, if you interact with law enforcement for any reason at the airport, the warrant could come up. And some airports have enhanced security that includes warrant checks.

International travel: This is much riskier. Customs and Border Protection does check warrant databases, and leaving or entering the country with certain warrants can result in arrest. Federal warrants are particuarly problematic for international travel.

The bigger question is whether its wise to travel with an outstanding warrant. Even if you can technicaly do it, every airport interaction becomes stressfull. Getting arrested far from home creates additional complications. Generally, resolving the warrant before traveling is the smarter choice.

What to Do Right Now

If your reading this article because your worried about a possible warrant, heres the practical path forward:

Step 1: Dont panic, but dont ignore it either. The worst thing you can do is nothing. Warrants only get worse with time, never better.

Step 2: Contact a criminal defense attorney before checking yourself. Explain your concerns and let them investigate. This protects you from accidental arrest while checking and positions you for resolution if a warrant exists.

Step 3: If a warrant exists, work with your attorney to choose the best resolution strategy. This might be a recall motion, pre-arranged surrender, or another approach depending on the warrant type and your circumstances.

Step 4: Follow through. Once you have a plan, execute it. The relief of resolving a warrant is worth whatever temporary inconveniance the process involves.

The Cost of Waiting

People procrastinate about dealing with warrants for understandable reasons. The situation feels overwhelming, the potential consequences seem scary, and its easier to just hope nothing bad happens. But waiting almost always makes things worse.

From a legal perspective, failure to address a warrant can result in additional charges. Some jurisdictions charge “failure to appear” as a seperate offense on top of whatever the original case involved. So now instead of dealing with one matter, your dealing with two. The longer you wait, the more chances for this kind of escalation.

Theirs also the practical reality that judges dont like it when people ignore there court orders. When you eventualy do appear, whether voluntaraly or after arrest, the judge will look at how long the warrant was outstanding. Someone who had a warrant for two weeks gets treated differently then someone who had one for two years. The longer you wait, the less sympathy youll recieve from the court.

And of course, theirs the constant anxiety of living with an outstanding warrant. Every time you see a police car, every time you get asked for ID, every time you consider applying for a job or apartment that might run a background check. That ongoing stress takes a toll. Resolving the warrant eliminates it completly.

Free Ways to Check for Warrants

Not everyone can afford to hire a lawyer just to check if a warrant exists. Their are free options, though there less comprehensive and less safe then working with an attorney.

County sheriff websites: Many counties post searchable warrant databases online. You can enter your name and see if anything comes up. The limitation is that you need to check each county seperately, and not all jurisdictions participate.

State court websites: Some states have statewide case search systems that include warrant information. These vary widely in what information they provide and how current it is.

Third party warrant search sites: Their are websites that aggregate warrant information from multiple sources. Some are free, others charge fees. Be cautious about providing personal information to these sites, and understand that there results may not be complete or accurate.

Calling the court clerk: You can call the clerks office for any court were you think a case might exist and ask if theirs an active warrant. This is free but requires you to know which courts to call, and some clerks are more helpfull then others.

The fundamental problem with free methods is that a negative result dosnt mean no warrant exists. You might just be looking in the wrong place. If your seriusly concerned about possible warrants, the peace of mind from having an attorney conduct a thorough search is usually worth the cost.

What Happens If You Get Arrested on a Warrant

If your arrested on an outstanding warrant rather then resolving it proactivly, heres what typicaly happens. Understanding this helps motivate taking action before it comes to this.

The arresting officers take you into custody and transport you to jail for booking. This involves fingerprinting, photographing, and entering your information into there system. Depending on the type of warrant and the jurisdiction, you might be held until a judge can see you for a bail hearing, which could be the same day or could be days later if arrested over a weekend.

For bench warrants, bail is often set as part of the warrant itself, so you can post it and be released after processing. But if you dont have cash or a bail bondsman ready, you wait in jail. For arrest warrants, you’ll need to see a judge before bail is determined, which means at least one night in custody in most cases.

This is why pre-arranged surrender is so much better. When you turn yourself in voluntaraly with counsel, you can often have bail arranged in advance, know exactly when your court appearance will be, and avoid the unexpected disruption of a random arrest. Getting arrested on a warrant while driving your kids to school or heading to work creates problems that dont exist when you control the timing.

Common Questions About Warrants

How long do warrants last? Warrants do not expire. A warrant remains active until its either executed through arrest, recalled by the court, or quashed as invalid.

Will police come to my house for a warrant? It depends on the warrant type and how much priority it has. For serious arrest warrants, police may activly search for you. For bench warrants on minor matters, there more likely to wait until you encounter police for some other reason.

Can I resolve a warrant without going to jail? Often yes, especialy for bench warrants. Through recall motions, pre-arranged surrender with bail, or attorney appearances, many warrants can be resolved without any jail time.

What if the warrant is from another state? This complicates things. Some states will extradite for warrants, meaning theyll send officers to bring you back. Others wont bother for minor warrants but will arrest you if you ever enter that state. An attorney can help assess the specific situation.

Getting Help With Your Warrant

Dealing with an outstanding warrant is stressful, but its not insurmountable. The key is acting proactivly rather then waiting for the worst to happen. Every day a warrant exists is another day you risk unexpected arrest, and another day your legal situation potentialy gets worse.

A criminal defense attorney can help you check for warrants safely, understand what your dealing with, and develop a strategy for resolution that minimizes disruption to your life. Most offer consultations were you can discuss your concerns before commiting to anything. Take advantage of that opportunity. The peace of mind that comes from resolving warrant issues is worth the effort of addressing them properly.