How to Find Out If Someone Has a Warrant: Your Expert Guid

Lily Evans - September 25, 2024

Knowing if someone has a warrant is important for a lot of reasons. It can help you determine if someone is safe to be around, help you run a proper background check, and much more.

That said, people don’t tend to be forthcoming with information about their previous or active warrants. The good news? We can help you find what you’re looking for – it’s kind of our thing.

This article takes you through how to find out if someone has a warrant. We include a wide range of tools you can use, from a simple criminal records search tool, like the one offered by CheckPeople.com, to more complex processes, such as visiting a courthouse or hiring a private investigator.

Read on to learn more below.

What Is a Warrant?

A warrant is usually written and ordered by a judge or magistrate. Its purpose is to allow a police officer, sheriff, or another legal officer to search someone, someone’s property, or someone’s online presence. Warrants can be issued to individuals, businesses, and even multiple people.

There are also different types of warrants. For example, arrest warrants permit police officers to arrest someone based on evidence that has been collected. While this doesn’t mean the person being arrested is guilty, it does give police permission to take them into custody.

There are also search warrants, which allow the police to search someone’s property for evidence in relation to a case. Civil warrants are also available and are usually issued when people don’t show up to civil court hearings.

Are Warrants Public Records?

In most states, warrants are public records, but you have to check with your state’s laws to be sure. For example, New York has the Freedom of Information Act, which allows government agencies, background checks, and the public to look up information about warrants. While there are limits on what can be searched, most warrants tend to be public records due to this act.

On the other hand, some states might not allow you to view information about warrants, especially during the background check process. For example, states like Hawaii and Michigan don’t allow you to view specific arrest records during a background check unless a conviction has been made.

How to Find Out If Someone Has a Warrant

Several methods can help you find out if someone has a warrant. You can work with an attorney, visit courthouses, or even comb through public databases hosted online. Believe it or not, even your local library or university library can be a great source of information about warrants.

That said, our top choice is to start with a reliable people search tool, like the one we offer at CheckPeople.com.

We cover each method in more detail below.

1. CheckPeople.com

The best way to find out if someone has a warrant is to use a reputable people search tool like CheckPeople.com. While we offer a basic people search tool to help you get started, we also offer a more in-depth background check tool that can help you find information about criminal records.

When you run a search with our instant background check tool, you can get information about someone’s criminal arrest records in just a few minutes. What’s more, we compile information from across the United States, so you don’t have to worry about jumping around to different databases or visiting multiple courthouses.

Furthermore, we don’t just stop at giving you information about someone’s warrant. With our background check tool, you can find the following information:

• Criminal arrest records
• Information about jail sentences
• Criminal court records
• Sex offender status
• Address and contact information
• Relatives
• Marriage records
• Divorce records
• Probation information
• Information about a DUI or other driving records
• Credit information

Due to the amount of information you can find, we recommend starting with our background check tool. Then, if you want to dig deeper you can use some of the additional methods we cover below. For example, you can find out where a warrant was issued with our instant background check tool and use that information to contact the correct courthouse for more details about the warrant.

2. Courthouses

When you want to learn more about criminal arrest records, including information about a warrant, courthouses are your best friend. If you visit the right courthouse the clerk can provide you with information about any case that happened in the court – as long as it’s not sealed.

Many courthouses also have online databases you can search through. You’ll need the case details for the best results, but you can often get by just with someone’s name. While these websites are great resources, make sure you’re prepared to pay. Some databases, like New York’s, for example, will charge you $95 to search for criminal arrest records, which includes warrant information.

Additionally, some states don’t share criminal records, so you might not get the full picture. For these reasons, we recommend running a search with a public records search tool instead to ensure that you’re going to the right courthouse in the right state.

3. Work with Local Law Enforcement

Sometimes, information about a warrant can be found when you work with local law enforcement. Many law enforcement officers have to act on the warrant, so it makes sense for them to maintain records of the warrant. This works best for criminal warrants, but it can also apply to civil warrants.

To access this information with law enforcement you can visit the local police station or sheriff’s office in your area. If you’re looking for information about someone who lives in a different state or region, you’ll have to contact that station. This is where it gets tricky because if you don’t know the station someone is at, you might have trouble finding information about the warrant.

For this reason, we recommend starting with our people search tool first. If it doesn’t show you information about the warrant right away, it can at least point you in the right direction.

4. Work with an Attorney

When you want to find someone’s warrant you can always work with an attorney. In fact, this is likely the best option if you’re involved in a criminal case with a person who has a warrant. Otherwise, it might not be the best method.

Attorneys have access to plenty of database search tools that can help you find information about warrants, arrests, details in court hearings, and much more. That said, make sure you work with a criminal lawyer if it’s a criminal warrant, and a civil lawyer if it’s a warrant for a civil matter.

Also, make sure you consider the cost of working with an attorney. In many cases, you can use a people search tool or search through a database on your own for less than the cost of a lawyer – they tend to charge hundreds of dollars per hour.

5. Hire a Private Investigator

A private investigator, or PI, is another great resource you can use to find information about someone’s warrant. Working with a PI is easy because it comes down to making a call, meeting with them, and letting them do the rest of the work for you. This makes it one of the few hassle-free ways to find information about someone’s warrant.

Working with a private investigator is a great way to find information because many PIs have spent years in law enforcement. This means that they know how to track someone down and that they likely have access to tools you might not.

That said, you can always use a people search tool first, which is similar to what a PI will start with. This can help you save money on the costs because a private investigator, a good one at least, can cost you up to $100 per hour. Plus, you’re likely not their only client, so you might have to wait for the results.

Find Out if Someone Has a Warrant Today

Knowing if someone has a warrant is important. It can help you determine if someone is a good fit for employment, a good neighbor, or someone you want to associate with.

While it used to be hard to find this information in the past, CheckPeople.com and other online resources make finding information about a warrant hassle-free. In fact, all you need is a name and a general idea of where the warrant was issued. From there, you should have no problem finding what you’re searching for.

We always recommend starting with our instant background check tool, but you can also leverage PIs, local law enforcement, courthouses, and even attorneys to find information about someone’s warrant.