Check For Felony Warrants By State
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Check For Felony Warrants By State 🔷
Felony Warrants: What They Are and How to Handle Them
Felony warrants are by far the most serious legal arrest orders issued by the criminal justice system. If a felony warrant exists in your name, it means that law enforcement has a high-priority directive to arrest you at any time. Understanding what a felony warrant is, why it’s issued, how to search for one, and what to do if you have one, can help you in protecting your rights and protecting your constitutional rights.
What Is a Felony Warrant?
An allegation of a felony criminal charge is the most serious criminal offense we have in the United States. These charges range from aggravated assault and grand theft to capital crimes such as murder. These strong criminal charges result in the highest authority warrant, known as a felony warrant. They direct law enforcement to find and apprehend you with haste. If you are charged with a felony and are at large, you will be arrested. This may happen at home, at work, or at any check point, traffic stop, or security check.
Once you are apprehended you will be detained, potentially without bail, until you are arraigned in court. These types of allegations should be taken very seriously, as criminal convictions for these crimes will result in a year or more in a state prison, along with substantial fines and long-term legal consequences. Felony warrants do not expire on their own, and there are no statutes of limitations for a felony criminal charge.
Once issued, a felony warrant remains active until one of the following happens:
The individual of interest is arrested and booked
The warrant is recalled or quashed by a judge
The underlying criminal charges are dropped
What Is a Felony Warrant Issued For?
Felony warrants are only issued when a judge or magistrate finds probable cause that a felony criminal offense has occurred and that a specific person of interest has committed it. The most common reasons for these warrants to be issued include:
Violent crimes (assault with a deadly weapon, robbery, homicide)
Serious drug offenses (trafficking, manufacturing, intent to distribute)
Major property crimes (burglary, grand theft, arson, significant vandalism)
White-collar crimes (fraud, embezzlement, identity theft, insider trading)
Felony or repeat DUI offenses (especially involving injury)
Failure to appear in court on an existing felony charge
Violation of felony probation or parole, such as possession of firearms
In the majority of criminal cases, felony warrants are issued when law enforcement, or a district attorney, submits sworn affidavit or conclusive evidence to the court. It’s important to note that the 4th amendment of the constitution protects civilian’s from unlawful searches and seizures without probable cause.
How to Run a Felony Warrant Search by State and County
Because warrants are issued at the local level, searches are typically done by state and county.
1. County Sheriff or Police Department Websites
The majority of county sheriff departments offer public online online access to warrant search tools. These databases often allow you to search by:
a). Full name: first, last, and middle
b). Date of birth
c). Court case number
d). Request assistance from the county court clerk
2. The Clerk of Court maintains official court records. You can:
a). Search online court dockets, cases and transcripts
b). Call or visit the clerk’s office directly
c). Request case information and warrant status
3. State Court or Judicial Websites
Many states provide public access to centralized portals that aggregate county-level warrant and criminal case data. More tech-savvy judicial websites might also use AI agents to assist you in your inquiries, which can greatly expedite your requests.
4. Third-Party Public Record Search Services
Reputable background check and public record platforms aggregate and compile publicly available warrant data from multiple jurisdictions. Some of the benefits of these services include:
a). Faster than legacy government systems
b). Anonymous and confidentiality
c). Searchable across multiple counties and states
How Does a Felony Arrest Warrant Work?
1. The premise behind issuing a felony arrest warrant is there needs to be sufficient probable cause for a judge to issue an arrest order. This can be through evidence such as witness statements, video footage, police reports, forensics, etc.)
2. Once the warrant is live, this is distributed to the respective law enforcement with a high-priority to apprehend and detain that person.
3. Once that person has been arrested, detained, and booked into county jail, the warrant expires. Then the alleged criminal will be give a court date where they will be formally arraigned for their felony criminal charges.
4. Then comes the trial where the defendant has a chance to plead their case, usually in front of a jury. If that person is convicted, they will be sentenced and given their sentence.
This is the general lifecycle of how a felony, and misdemeanor warrant is issued through the court trial and conviction process.
Frequently Asked Questions About Felony Warrants
How long do felony warrants last?
These do not go away or expire, they are the most serious of court issued arrest warrants that will stay in effect indefinitely. The only way they disappear is if the person of interest is arrested, the criminal charges are dropped, or if a judge quashes or removes it. There is no statute of limitations on these, and will only incur additional fines, penalties, and charges over time.
Is a bench warrant a felony?
No, bench warrants are usually for civil infractions and not criminal charges. Felonies are always considered arrest warrants of the highest priority.
Do felony warrants expire?
They do not expire an will stay in effect as long as it takes to have the individual listed on the warrant arrested. The only way they go away, or expire, is if the person is arrested, the felony charges are dropped, or recalled by the issuing court.
What is a felony warrant recall?
This is when the issuing court withdraws or cancels the active felony arrest warrant, where law enforcement is no longer required to arrest the individual. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean the criminal charges have been dropped. This commonly occurs when the person of interest appears in court voluntarily, addressed the underlying criminal charges, or an attorney’s motion to recall a warrant has been approved.
What is a felony probation violation warrant?
This is where the court issues an arrest order for someone currently on felony probation that violates their terms of probation. This means that if someone has already been convicted of a felony and the courts believe that person has broken one of the probation rules, they will be arrested immediately brought back to jail. This commonly occurs when someone misses a court date, fails a drug test, not following through with restitution orders, or commits another crime.
How do I run a felony warrant search in another state?
Most states operate the same with accessing state felony warrants online. You have a few options to run this search as follows:
1. Contact the county courthouse clerk in the county the warrant was issued
2. Search via the respective county sheriff department website, many have public access to warrant information
3. Use a reputable background check service or public records website to search by county, state, or nationwide.
Can I travel out of the state with a felony arrest warrant?
No, you are not allowed to travel with any type of arrest warrant and can be arrested and extradited back to the issuing state and county immediately. This could also be considered fleeing the state which would result in a felony fugitive warrant which would incur additional charges, fines, penalties, and additional prison time.
Will a felony warrant show up on a background check?
Yes, any type of warrant will show up on a background check as they’re considered public record. They can affect employment opportunities, housing options, academic pursuits, and travel restrictions.
Can you fly with a felony warrant?
While it is possible to fly, it can be super risky and you’re likely to be caught by TSA or security checkpoints.. If the warrant is discovered, you will likely be arrested on the spot, jailed, and refused bail as you’ll be considered a flight risk.
How to find out if I have a felony warrant anonymously?
Using most any background check or public records website, you can search for active warrants anonymously. Since they’re considered public record, you do not need special permission to find out if you, or someone you know has one.