California Warrant Search – How to Find Out If You Have One

There are three main ways you can find out if you are the subject of an outstanding warrant. These are by:

1. searching the sheriff’s website or the court’s website for the county that might have issued the warrant,
2. searching the Superior Court of California’s website, or
3. running a criminal background check.

California law says that there are two types of warrants that give law enforcement the authority to arrest you. These are arrest warrants and bench warrants.

Arrest warrants are typically issued when police officers or a district attorney suspects that you have committed a crime.

Bench warrants are issued if you are in “contempt of court.” This might occur if you:

• failed to appear for a court date or court proceeding,
• failed to pay a fine, and/or
• failed to obey any other court order.

The police do not notify you when a warrant is issued for your arrest. In many cases, people have no idea they have a warrant until they are being arrested.

If you learn you are the subject of a warrant, it is critical to contact a California criminal defense attorney.

How can I find out if I have an active warrant in California?

There are three main ways you can search to find out if you are subject to a warrant. The first applies when you know what California county may have issued the warrant. In this case, you can visit that county sheriff’s office website or the superior court’s website for that county and run a warrant search.

For example, in Orange County, you can search the Orange County Sheriff’s Department website.

You can also use the California Arrests website, which will indicate if a warrant was issued by a given county.

For example:

• if you suspect a warrant is active in Los Angeles County, you can search here, and
• if you suspect a warrant is active in San Diego County, you can search here.

The second way to find out information about a warrant is to search the appropriate Superior Court of California’s website and run a warrant search. Here, you will most likely have to enter the following information:

• your full name,
• date of birth,
• driver’s license number, and
• court case number.

Finally, you can always run a criminal background check (“criminal history information”) on yourself to determine if you are the subject of a warrant. You can do this online by searching:

• public records,
• criminal records, and
• government agency records.

You can also pay a local service or a third party to perform a background check.

No matter which path you take, the background check will show if you:

• are subject to a warrant,
• are suspected of criminal activity,
• are exposed to potential criminal liability,
• are wanted by law enforcement agencies or law enforcement officers, or
• have violated a certain California Penal Code section (for example, Penal Code 240 PC, the State’s law on assault).

Note that once a judge issues a warrant, a clerk of the court enters it into the applicable court or law enforcement website. These are accessible via the United States Department of Justice, DOJ’s website. This means any police officer in the nation can access this information and determine if there is an active warrant out on you.

Also note that you can see if you have a warrant by looking at your criminal history record. You can obtain one through the California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General. Depending on whether you are an in-state resident or not, you typically would need to:

• submit a completed form
• submit fingerprints
• pay $25 as a processing fee

Learn more at the California AG’s website.

You may also be able to contact the local police department to see if you have a warrant. Though it is recommended that you do not do this yourself in case your call causes the police to go out searching for you. Ask your attorney to call on your behalf.

What is the difference between an arrest warrant and a bench warrant?

There are two types of warrants in the State of California that give police departments the authority to arrest you. These are:

• arrest warrants, and
• bench warrants.

Arrest warrants

A California arrest warrant authorizes law enforcement officers to arrest and detain you if they suspect you committed a crime outside of an officer’s presence.¹

Judges or magistrates issue arrest warrants by order of the court based on:

• evidence presented to them by a peace officer and/or a District Attorney, or
• following a grand jury indictment.²

In order to be valid in a California court, an arrest warrant must include:

• your name,
• the criminal charges which you are accused of committing based on probable cause,
• the time and date of issuance,
• the city or county of issuance,
• the signature and title of the judge, and
• the name of the court.

Felony warrants can be executed at any time, while misdemeanor warrants must be executed between 6 AM and 10 PM unless either:

• the judge orders otherwise;
• the arrest occurs in public; or
• you are currently in custody.³

Arrest warrants remain active until you are arrested or the court decides to withdraw the warrant (for example, if exonerating evidence comes to light). Some warrants may expire if the statute of limitations for the underlying offense passes.

Once your arrest warrant is recalled, you have the right to a speedy trial. Though depending on your case, your attorney may advise you to waive this right as they try to negotiate a favorable resolution with the prosecutors.

Child support arrest warrants

Being late on child support payments is grounds for a warrant.

If the child’s custodial parent files a civil contempt of court due to your alleged nonpayment – and you (the “payor” or “obligor”) are a no-show at the court hearing – the court can issue a civil warrant (a.k.a. capias). You could then face up to a year in jail and/or a fine plus restitution for arrears.

If you owe a substantial amount in arrearages, the court can instead issue a criminal warrant. Prosecutors could press for more than a year in jail and/or fines plus payment of the back child support.

Bench warrants

Unlike an arrest warrant, a bench warrant (a.k.a. body attachment) is not issued based on suspected criminal activity. A bench warrant is most typically issued if you:

• failed to appear for court or a progress report,
• failed to pay a fine,
• failed to obey any other court order,
• failed to pay a traffic citation/ticket,
• failed to pay alimony or child support,
• failed to appear on a subpoena, and/or
• violated probation

The most common bench warrants are FTA (failure to appear) warrants. If the court believes you missed court intentionally, you could face criminal charges and a driver’s license suspension. (“Willful failure to appear” is not appearing in court within 14 days of the assigned hearing date.)

Violating a written promise to appear is typically a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in jail. If you are released on bail on a misdemeanor case, failing to appear at trial is also a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in jail. Though if you are released on bail on a felony case and fail to appear at trial, you can face either

• a misdemeanor charge carrying up to one year in jail or
• a felony charge carrying up to three years in prison.

Another common bench warrant is the Failure to Pay warrant when you allegedly fail to pay a court fine by the deadline. Willful failure to pay can be a misdemeanor or infraction carrying a $300 civil assessment, a 30-day license suspension, and/or probation. (If you are destitute, the court should not penalize you.)

Note that police should not use deadly weapons to execute a warrant unless necessary. Also note a bench warrant generally does not expire. It will remain in effect until:

• recalled by the judge, or
• you appear in court.

Therefore, bench warrants can remain active indefinitely, and it does not matter how long ago it was issued or where in the world you are currently located.⁴

Search warrants

A search warrant is a third type of warrant in California. It does not give the police authority to arrest you. Rather, the warrant is a writ that allows the police to search:

• a person,
• a residence,
• a vehicle,
• a place of business, or
• any other specified area suspected of containing evidence of illegal activity.

Warrants have to outline the locations and personal property to be searched with reasonable particularity, and they must spell out the factual basis for the search.

Search warrants are usually executed right away and remain valid for a 10 day period. A search warrant may only be executed between 7 AM and 10 PM unless the court finds good cause to do it at any time of the day. If the search warrant expires, the judge can reissue it if there is still probable cause that a search/seizure is reasonable under the circumstances.⁵

There are many potential grounds for search warrants in California, including that the property being sought:

• was stolen, such as merchandise from a store,
• was used to commit a crime, such as firearms, and/or
• is evidence of a crime you allegedly committed, such as child pornography, drugs, or embezzled cash.

There are also many grounds that make search warrants invalid and therefore unenforceable under the Fourth Amendment. These include:

• the police’s affidavit in support of the search warrant is not based on probable cause
• the search warrant fails to describe in particularity the locations or things to be search

Even if the search warrant is facially valid, police sometimes break the law by seizing property not listed in the warrant without a legal justification for doing so. Whenever the police may have conducted an unlawful search and seizure, you can ask the court to suppress all the evidence that the police unlawfully found.

Note that there are “exceptions” that permit courts to consider evidence found outside the bounds of a valid warrant. Some of these include:

• the police acted in good faith and genuinely believed there was a warrant even though judicial error kept it from being issued
• there were exigent circumstances, such as the police wanting to avoid the destruction of evidence or the escape of a suspect
• the evidence was in “plain view” of the police

No-knock warrants

A no-knock search warrant permits police to enter property without having to knock, ring the doorbell, or announce themselves. Judges usually issue no-knock warrants if the police believe that announcing themselves would cause the occupants to:

• destroy evidence;
• flee; and/or
• arm themselves and/or endanger others.

What should I do if I have an active warrant?

If you discover you are named in a warrant, it is critical to immediately contact an experienced criminal defense attorney.

As to an arrest warrant, a defense lawyer can advise you:

1. whether you are truly named in a warrant,
2. what the warrant is for, and
3. the amount of bail.

Sometimes an attorney can even take you directly to court and get the arrest warrant cleared without you having to spend time in jail. This way, you are spared the embarrassing scene of being arrested at home or at work.

With regards to a bench warrant, it typically remains in effect until the court recalls it or quashes it. This is normally done when you appear in court.

You can have your attorney appear in court on your behalf, provided that:

• you failed to appear for a court appearance, or
• you failed to make a payment in connection with a misdemeanor offense.

Please note that if you appear in court in an attempt to clear a warrant, the judge does have the option to place you in custody. Thus, a lawyer is important to help ensure that this does not happen.

Note that if you have an outstanding warrant, it is best to lay low until your attorney can get it recalled or quashed. If you are pulled over for a traffic violation, the officer can arrest you once they run your name and see you have an active warrant.

Also note that having a warrant can be a barrier if you are on the immigration track, looking for a job or housing, or need to renew your license at the DMV. The sooner you get the warrant handled, the better.

Can I still get a job if I have a warrant?

In general, California employers (who have five or more employees) may not run a third-party background check or ask you about your criminal history until they make a conditional offer of employment and you provide written consent. At that point, the employer can make an individualized assessment to determine whether having an active warrant is disqualifying.⁶

We serve clients throughout California, such as Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego, Orange County, and more. Contact us at our telephone number or the contact form on this page.

See our related article on protective orders (a.k.a. restraining orders).

Note that other types of warrants include complaint warrants, capias warrants, execution warrants, escape warrants, and tax warrants.

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