Before we show you the best ways to perform a Florida outstanding warrant search, we should explain some of the definitions that we will be using and how arrest warrants work in Florida.
What is an arrest warrant?
First, it is important to understand that an arrest warrant, especially an active arrest warrant, is not an indication of guilt. Rather, a Florida active arrest warrant signifies that both law enforcement officials and a court of law have determined that probable cause implicates a known individual in a crime. An active arrest warrant permits law enforcement officials to pursue, apprehend, and place into custody an individual. This process often leads to trial. Once an arrest warrant has been issued, it becomes outstanding until the person named has been brought into Florida law enforcement custody.
Unlike an active or outstanding Warrant, a bench warrant is issued when an individual has been held in contempt of court or for another similar action. These are often the result of people not appearing for scheduled court hearings or for other things, such as evading and failing to pay child support.
How can I find out if I have an arrest warrant in Florida?
Finding out whether or not you have an active, outstanding, or even a bench warrant in Florida is both possible and relatively easy. It would help if you began by visiting the Florida Department of Law Enforcement website, which provides a wide variety of different resources. Their home page is located at http://pas.fdle.state.fl.us/pas/pashome.a. The Wanted Persons Search tool that they provide can be located at http://pas.fdle.state.fl.us/pas/person/displayWantedPersonsSearch.a.
You can also perform Florida warrant checks in person or by telephone. The best way to do this is to visit either the municipal court or the sheriff’s office in the county where you reside and ask them to perform a warrants search. You may be required to provide identification, so be sure to bring these items with you.
The best way to find the address or the contact information of local municipal courts of sheriff’s offices is to search for your county + sheriff’s office/municipal court in a search engine and verifies that the results are from an official source.