A Nevada judge will issue a warrant for your arrest if law enforcement convinces them that there is probable cause that you committed a crime. Once an arrest warrant is out, the police may hunt you down and apprehend you at any time.
If you know you have an arrest warrant, we may be able to schedule a “walk through” where you show up to the police station and get released right after providing fingerprints and a photograph. This way, you avoid a humiliating arrest scene at home, at work, or out in public.
Sometimes we can fight the validity of the arrest warrant itself or persuade prosecutors to drop the case due to bad evidence or insufficient proof. Though if you are ultimately arrested, you can usually bail out and remain out of custody while we fight the underlying charges.
In this article, our Las Vegas criminal defense attorneys will address the following key issues regarding Nevada arrest warrants (AWs):
- 1. Do I have an AW?
- 2. Contents
- 3. The Arrest
- 4. Bail
- 5. Should I surrender?
- 6. Out-of-State Defendants
- 7. Warrantless Arrests
- 8. Preventing AWs
- 9. Grand Juries
- 10. Fighting AWs
- 11. Do AWs expire?
- 12. Sealing AWs
- 13. Bench Warrants
- 14. Search Warrants
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Additional Resources
1. Do I have an AW?
If you are unsure whether an arrest warrant has issued for you in Nevada, you can conduct a case search on the applicable court’s website. The following table provides links to the courts in Clark County (which includes Las Vegas).
| Clark County Court | Warrant Status Check Information |
| Las Vegas Justice Court |
|
| Las Vegas Municipal Court |
|
| Henderson Municipal Court | |
| North Las Vegas Municipal Court |
|
| Boulder City Municipal Court |
|
| Mesquite Municipal Court |
|
Justice Courts for:
|
|
We do not recommend calling the courts to check if you have a warrant: You do not want to risk being traced. Instead, a criminal defense attorney can check for you.
In practice, most people do not realize they have an arrest warrant until they are being arrested. Courts do not notify you if a warrant issues, so it often comes as a complete surprise.
Arrest warrants must be based on probable cause, which means there is reasonable belief that you committed a crime.
2. Contents
Nevada arrest warrants must contain the following:
- The date of issuance,
- The city/town/county of issuance,
- The magistrate’s signature and name of office,
- The suspect’s name (or description if name is unknown),
- The crimes alleged,
- Authorization for police to arrest the suspect, and
- Whether the warrant is a no-knock warrant (meaning the police can enter the premises without announcing themselves).1
3. The Arrest
The moment a Nevada judge issues an arrest warrant for you, you are vulnerable to being apprehended at any time.
If you resist arrest, the officer may use “necessary force” to carry out the arrest, including violence. Then once the arrest takes place, you must be brought before a judge within 72 hours unless you bail out first.2
Police can use reasonable force to execute an arrest.
4. Bail
After you get arrested and booked in Nevada, the court may release you if you pay the specified bail amount or post bond through a bail bondsman. Bail money gets returned to you once the case concludes as long as you do not miss any court appearances.
In the most serious cases, the judge may refuse to set bail at all in order to keep you in custody throughout the duration of the case. Judges may also deny bail if you are a flight risk or safety risk.
In cases that are more minor, the judge may decide to release you on your own recognizance (O.R.) without having to pay at all. Note that we can always request bail hearings to request that the judge lower bail or grant O.R. release.3
5. Should I surrender?
If you have an outstanding arrest warrant in Nevada, you should never turn yourself in without first retaining counsel. We may be able to minimize the time you spend in custody and to secure you an O.R. release or at least an affordable bail amount.
Nevada can extradite suspects arrested out-of-state.
6. Out-of-State Defendants
If you have an active arrest warrant in Nevada and are arrested out-of-state, you may be extradited to Nevada to face the charges.
You are entitled to a hearing contesting the extradition order. Any jail time you serve in another state awaiting extradition will be credited towards your final sentence.
Extradition is a complicated process with different rules for each jurisdiction. You should hire counsel in both Nevada and the state or country where you are arrested in order to safeguard your rights and expedite the extradition process.4
7. Warrantless Arrests
Warrants are not always necessary to make an arrest in Nevada.
If you allegedly committed a misdemeanor, police may arrest you with no warrant as long as they witnessed the crime.
Meanwhile, if police have reasonable cause to believe you committed a gross misdemeanor or felony, they can arrest you with no warrant even if they have not witnessed the crime.5
Some arrest warrants can be prevented through a pre-file intervention.
8. Preventing AWs
If you know you are under investigation in Nevada, we may be able to persuade the D.A. not to seek a warrant if we can show them that their case is too weak to support a conviction. This is called a “pre-file intervention.”
9. Grand Juries
In Nevada, most arrest warrants issue in response to police submitting a warrant application and affidavit to the judge. Though in some cases, judges issue an arrest warrant following a grand jury indictment.
Whereas trial juries determine whether a defendant is guilty or innocent, grand juries determine whether there is probable cause that a suspect committed a crime. Then if the grand jury determines there is probable cause, the suspect is indicted, and an arrest warrant issues.
Grand juries are rare in state court. Prosecutors tend to reserve them for very serious or unusual cases.6
Arrest warrants must be based on probable cause.
10. Fighting AWs
If an arrest warrant is issued for you in Nevada, we can file a motion with the court asking them to recall the warrant on such grounds as:
- The warrant lacks probable cause, or
- The evidence used to justify probable cause was found through an illegal search and seizure or other police misconduct, or
- The warrant is facially invalid or in breach of proper judicial procedure.
If you have already been arrested and cannot bail out, we could instead file a writ of habeas corpus arguing to the court that your incarceration is unlawful.7
11. Do AWs expire?
No. Arrest warrants never expire until you are apprehended, you turn yourself in, or the judge agrees with your (or your attorney’s) request to recall the warrant. Warrants can remain active indefinitely.
12. Sealing AWs
If your case gets dismissed without any conviction, you can petition the court to seal your Nevada criminal record right away.
Though if you get convicted, there is a one-to-10-year waiting period to get a record seal depending on the case. Some convictions are unsealable.8
Learn more in our article on Nevada record seals.
Peace officers sometimes make arrests based on false warrant information.
13. Bench Warrants
Arrest warrants are entirely separate from bench warrants in five main ways.
One, arrest warrants begin a criminal case. In contrast, judges can issue bench warrants at any time during a case.
Two, arrest warrants issue if you allegedly committed a crime. In contrast, bench warrants issue if you allegedly violated court orders.
Three, arrest warrants must be based on probable cause. In contrast, bench warrants can be based on lesser evidence than probable cause.
Four, arrest warrants usually cannot be recalled without you appearing in court. In contrast, bench warrants can usually be “quashed” without you present as long as your attorney appears for you.
Five, arrest warrants must be requested by law enforcement. In contrast, judges — called “the bench” — may issue bench warrants without the state requesting it first.
14. Search Warrants
In Nevada, search warrants authorize police to search for evidence rather than arrest you. Search warrants are typically required if a search would impinge on your “reasonable expectation of privacy,” such as at your house.
Similar to arrest warrants, courts issue search warrants at the request of police. Also, search warrants have to be based on probable cause.
To be lawful, a search warrant has to include which locales are being searched and which evidence is being sought. If the warrant is too broad or vague – or if law enforcement looks outside the confines of the warrant – we can ask the court to disregard (or “suppress”) any evidence found through the unlawful search.
Law enforcement agencies do not need to have the arrest warrant with them in order to carry out an arrest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find out if I have an arrest warrant in Nevada?
You can check for warrants by searching your local court’s website. Each court has an online case search tool where you can enter your information.
However, we recommend having a criminal defense attorney check for you instead of calling the court directly, as you do not want to risk being traced.
What happens if I turn myself in on a warrant?
Never turn yourself in without hiring a lawyer first. Your attorney may be able to arrange a “walk through” where you go to the police station, get fingerprinted and photographed, then get released quickly.
This avoids a public arrest at home or work. Your lawyer can also work to get you released on your own recognizance or secure affordable bail.
Do arrest warrants in Nevada expire?
No, arrest warrants never expire. They remain active indefinitely until you are arrested, turn yourself in, or a judge agrees to recall the warrant. You cannot simply wait for a warrant to go away on its own.
Can I be arrested in another state for a Nevada warrant?
Yes, Nevada can extradite you if you are arrested in another state on a Nevada warrant. You are entitled to a hearing to contest the extradition, and any jail time you serve while waiting will be credited toward your final sentence if convicted.
What should I do if I think a warrant was issued unlawfully?
Your attorney can file a motion asking the court to recall the warrant. Common grounds include lack of probable cause, evidence obtained through illegal searches, or procedural errors.
If you are already in custody and cannot make bail, your lawyer can file a writ of habeas corpus arguing your imprisonment is unlawful.
Additional Resources
For more information, refer to the following:
- National Crime Information Center – The FBI’s centralized database for accessing criminal justice information, including warrants.
- SearchQuarry.com – Public record provider with warrant searches by name, city or county.
- Vinelink.com – Free site to search for outstanding warrants and criminal records in participating states.
- PeopleFinders.com – Public records site providing warrant searches among other lookup services for a fee.
- CriminalWatchdog.com – Subscription service for continuous monitoring of criminal records and warrants.
Read our related article on types of warrants in Nevada.
Legal References
- NRS 171.106; Woerner v. Justice Court of Reno Tp. ex rel. County of Washoe (2000) 116 Nev. 518, 1 P.3d 377. Gordon v. State (1967) 83 Nev. 177. Beck v. State of Ohio (1964) 379 U.S. 89. Schnepp v. State, (1966) 82 Nev. 257. Nelson v. City of Las Vegas (1983) 99 Nev. 548; NRS 171.108; NRS 179.380. See also Veil v. Bennett (2015) 131 Nev. 179.
- NRS 171.178. Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. NRS 171.122. Ford v. State (2006) 122 Nev. 796. Dumaine v. State (1987) 103 Nev. 121.
- NRS 179.209.
- Nieto v. State (2003) 119 Nev. 229. NRS 179.223.
- NRS 171.124; NRS 453.271.
- NRS 171.100. NRS 172.285.
- An example of an illegal arrest warrant is one that issues after the same matter had already been filed and dismissed: NRS 174.085. Graves v. State (1996) 112 Nev. 118. United States v. Crews, 445 U.S. 463, 474 (1980). See also Torres v. State (2018) 426 P.3d 604. Powell v. State, (1997) 113 Nev. 41. NRS 34. Watson v. Sheriff, Lyon County (1977) 93 Nev. 403.
- NRS 179.255. NRS 179.245.