How to Find Out if You Have a Bench Warrant
If you skipped a court session that you were supposed to attend or have other grounds to think that a warrant has been issued against you, you should see an attorney right away and . The most common reasons for bench warrants include refusal/ failure to appear, unpaid debts, misdemeanors, and disobedience of court injunctions. If you have an outstanding bench warrant, it will remain active until you clear it or die.
Even for out-of-state bench warrants, you could get arrested at any moment. Traffic inspections, airport security checkpoints, immigration inspections, accidents, and even tip-offs are all affected by bench warrants. You must be concerned about getting arrested and detained at any time.
While several websites provide online subpoena searches, the content they provide is frequently incorrect. The only way to accurately determine if you or your loved ones have an outstanding bench warrant is to use government websites or DoNotPay, which provides a faster and more convenient approach to determining if you have an outstanding bench warrant.
Reasons Why You Should Do a Bench Warrant Search
Here are some reasons why you should do a warrant search:
| Background Checks | Magistrates in city, regional, county, and federal courts issue bench warrants. Each state maintains a warrant registry that police officers scan for outstanding bench warrants at traffic stops. Checking for outstanding bench warrants is a common aspect of vetting for jobs and checking on persons related to you. Before employing an aide, for example, a manager might check for outstanding bench warrants. If you are uncertain whether or not you have a warrant against you, it is better to check and sort it out before it becomes more serious. |
| DMV Suspension of Your Driver's License | The DMV in most states can withhold or revoke your driver's license renewal until a bench warrant is resolved. |
| Air Travel Challenges | The FBI database, which contains "Wanted Persons" bench warrant data for all jurisdictions, is accessed by US Immigration and Customs enforcement who examine international flight manifests for matches with the FBI database, rendering you a subject for apprehension at any US border checkpoint. |
| Immigration Issues | If you are a non-U.S. citizen attempting to enter the United States or applying for immigration permits, you may face difficulties if you have outstanding bench warrants. The FBI database is also accessed by embassies and the State Department, who can see outstanding bench warrants. |
How to Find Out if You Have a Bench Warrant by Yourself
You can in five ways:
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Using US Government Database
Court and Sheriff's offices provide public lookups online or over the phone. However, the Sheriff's office may keep bench warrants in domestic violence, family court, and minor cases from public database searches.
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Hiring an Attorney
A warrant lawyer can check if you have an outstanding bench warrant in any justice system and settle the warrant's issue while reducing charges and helping you not go to jail; thus, this is a convenient approach to finding out if you have one.
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Contacting Your District Court
Check the Warrant Data System with the U.S. Marshals for a Federal warrant search.
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Contacting a Bail Bondsman
Most bench warrants will necessitate a bond, and bondsmen can typically do a bench warrant search.
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Contacting your Nearest Police Station
You can check for bench warrants for free from a police station, but you run the danger of being arrested.
Finding out if you have a bench warrant using this way, however, can be time-consuming, but you need not worry since DoNotPay will take care of the issue for you.
What Is a Bench Warrant?
A bench warrant is an arrest warrant granted by the court in a civil or criminal case for failing to show up in court, probation violations, or failing to comply with any judicial order, such as paying a fee. If a jury indicts you, a bench warrant could be issued.
Contempt of court violations, including failing to respect court orders and failing to appear in court, can result in a bench warrant and other fines such as:
- Violation of probation
- Driver's license suspension
- Forfeited bail
When a bench warrant is issued, your name is entered into a nationwide computer system used by law enforcers. When you have a bench warrant, the police typically don't come looking for you right away. If you have an outstanding bench warrant during any traffic stop, you may be detained and placed in jail until you can appear in court.
How to Find Out if You Have a Bench Warrant With the Help of DoNotPay
As finding out can cost you your much-needed time and peace of mind, DoNotPay will do it for you in four easy steps:
- Go to the Check for Warrants product on DoNotPay.
- Choose whether you want to search for yourself or someone else, and answer a few questions to help us narrow down the search results, including current and previous addresses, age, the names of parents/relatives, and any known aliases.
- Select how you would like to receive the results in the case where we have to contact the police station on your behalf (by mail or email).
- Enter your contact information, including email, address, and phone number.
Why Use DoNotPay to Find Out if You Have a Bench Warrant
- Successful - You can rest easy knowing that we will do the best for you.
- Fast - We will save you the time you need to do other things.
- Easy - You don't have to struggle to fill out tedious forms or keep track of all the steps involved in finding out if you have a bench warrant.
DoNotPay Works Across All Companies/Entities/Groups With the Click of a Button
DoNotpay will not only help you search for a warrant in your state but we can also search for a warrant for a loved one in a different state like:
What Else Can DoNotPay do?
Finding out if you have a bench warrant is just one thing that DoNotPay can do for you. We can also:
- Notarize documents.
- File complaints.
- Do sex offenders search.
- File defamation demand letters.
- Help you connect with an inmate.
- Help you sue in a small claims court.
- Help victims of crime get compensated.
Reach out to us at DoNotPay today. We have you covered!