How to Check if You Have a Warrant Online

This article was co-authored by Clinton M. Sandvick, JD, PhD. Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. He received his JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and his PhD in American History from the University of Oregon in 2013.

There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.

This article has been viewed 107,790 times.

If you are wanted by the police, you may be taken in to custody at any time, at home, at work, or during a routine traffic stop. To avoid further complications, fines, or penalties, you should try to resolve your warrant as quickly as possible. You may be able to find your county's arrest warrant information online through a government website. If not, there are third-party websites that offer that information, though the information may be incomplete or inaccurate.

Searching For a Warrant

• In additional to state courts, there are also federal district courts, which deal with violations of federal law. Federal courts can issue federal arrest warrants. However, federal courts do not offer public warrant databases. To find out about a federal warrant, you will have to call a court clerk and ask for more information.

• Some searchable databases allow you to refine your search by nickname, date of birth, and other identifying characteristics.
• Some counties do not have publicly available warrant information. You may need to contact the sheriff's department or court clerk directly.
• If you cannot locate warrant information on the sheriff's department website, visit the website for your local court or police station. You can also use your search engine to search for, for example, "Placer County arrest warrant search."

Consider an online third-party service. Some non-government websites purport to provide warrant searches. Some are free, such as GotWarrants.org, but most others require you to pay a fee or sign up for a subscription service. [3] X Research source Be aware that these sites are not run by or accountable to the government, so the information they provide may not be complete or accurate. For instance, they may return address, property, and birth records, but miss a person's criminal history. [4] X Research source

Finding Additional Information

• In sensitive cases, such as family, juvenile delinquency, and domestic violence matters, the clerk may not be able to give you specific information about the case, due to the privacy interests of the other parties. You should still be able to get any related warrant information.

Review public records at the courthouse. Courts usually have computers available for public use. You can use a public computer to search the court’s records for warrant information. You can have someone else search on your behalf if you are concerned about being taken into custody while visiting the court.

• When was the warrant issued? You may discover a warrant you did not know existed. Learning when it was issued can help you remember or figure out what incident in the past led to a warrant being issued for your arrest.
• Have fines accumulated? Warrants sometimes have fines associated with them, which can accumulate for as long as the fines go unpaid. Ask if there are any unpaid fines related to the warrant, and whether more fines are still accumulating.
• What are the charges? If the charges are serious, you should consider hiring an attorney to start preparing your defense.
• What is the bail amount? If you know the bail amount, you can decide how much money to bring with you when you turn yourself in, or arrange for your bail to be paid by someone else.

Responding to a Warrant

Do not delay. Having an outstanding warrant can lead to the accumulation of fees, fines, and criminal charges. In addition, proactively resolving the warrant will alleviate the stress of wondering if and when you will be arrested.

• Ask friends and family for attorney referrals. You can also consult your state and local bar association websites for attorney referral services, or just search online.
• If you cannot afford to hire a private criminal defense attorney, contact your local public defender's office about your warrant before turning yourself in.

• If you are not eligible for bail, or if you cannot afford to post bail, you may be taken into custody until your arraignment. Avoid turning yourself in on a Friday or before a holiday, since it might then be necessary to hold you in jail over the weekend.

Expert Q&A

Tips

This article is intended as legal information and does not provide legal advice. If you need legal advice, contact a licensed attorney.

You Might Also Like

How to Find Federal or Local Criminal Records

Proving Residency: Acceptable Documents You Can Get Today

How to Do Free Public Records Searches Online

How to Look Up Divorce Records: Your Questions Answered

Find Out if You Have a Warrant in Any State