How to Conduct a County Warrant Search

As per the guidelines set down by the U.S. Constitution, a search or arrest warrant can be issued only if there is tangible evidence of a probable cause. A probable cause is a reasonable belief that a crime has been committed or is being committed and that the suspected individual was or is involved in it.

Why Perform a County Warrant Search

You may need to carry out a county warrant search to serve a variety of purposes: to confirm if any warrant has been issued against you; to run a criminal check on a suspicious person; to safeguard yourself, your family, your property, and your belongings from the malicious intentions of little known persons–your new employee, a movie date who is someone relatively unknown, your new neighbor, or the new butler. Before you give them access to yourself and your possession, it is always safe to check if the person has ever had warrants issued against him/her and determine the severity of the crime.

How to Perform a County Warrant Search

Acquire as much information as you can about the person whom you are searching. Most warrant databases search by multiple parameters and this information will be helpful. The person’s full name and his/her last known address is the least information that you should possess before embarking on your county warrant search.

The Internet is replete with public records sites that offer both fee and subscription-based warrant searches. But it is always a good idea to begin your search at some government or government-authorized website. These websites are reliable and in most cases you can vouch for the veracity and the completeness of the records hosted here. Visit the websites maintained by your local police and the sheriff’s office. Most of these sites offer free warrant checks for records that are considered public. You may also visit the official website of your local law enforcement body to carry out an outstanding warrant search.

The state government’s website is the next best place to carry out a county warrant search. Although you might feel bogged down by the volume of information that is stored here, but you can be rest assured that you are looking at information that is viable. Most of these websites are free and give you the basic warrant information.

You can call up the sheriff’s office and ask to be directed to the Warrants Division, if there is any. This is last option if you didn’t zero in on anything on the websites. If there is a dedicated warrants line in your sheriff’s office, you may be sure to find the information you are looking for. You may also visit the sheriff’s office in person to make a request to access this information.

Most of the information contained in these websites may not be used for legal or commercial purposes.