Dallas County Warrant Search

A Dallas County warrant search checks for active or outstanding warrants in the region. This record inquiry can be performed for personal or legal reasons—usually to confirm that someone has no outstanding court obligations or is not wanted by the authorities for an illicit act.

In Dallas, Texas, warrant checks are directed to law enforcement and judicial branch departments, as they maintain the bulk of warrant records. Typically, the specific custodian to approach depends on the type of warrant.

Although a Dallas County warrant may bring about a person's arrest, not all warrants necessitate that outcome. Many warrants can be resolved by filing an appearance in court, surrendering to the police, or pleading "no contest" or "guilty" to the warrant charge and paying the complete fine or cost.

To ascertain whether an individual was arrested on a warrant in Dallas or to uncover other circumstances of an arrest, one may review the Dallas County arrest records.

Are Warrants Public Records?

Yes. In Dallas County, warrants are presumed to be "open records". a term that encompasses all government information that can be seen or copied by the general public.

Common law, statutory law (e.g., the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure), and court rules control the public's right to access warrant information in Dallas County. A requester does not have to possess U.S. citizenship or be a resident to seek or obtain this access. However, certain exceptions may apply.

For instance, affidavits of unexecuted search warrants (Crim. Proc. Code art. 18.01(b)) and warrants issued under seal (e.g., juvenile warrants) are confidential to the public. Furthermore, a warrant subject's Social Security number (SSN) and a confidential informant's identifying information are not available to the public.

Types of Warrants in Dallas County

Warrants are a special type of authorization that courts release to permit specific law enforcement actions, such as arresting a person or seizing personal property. Courts in Dallas County can issue different warrants, each serving a unique purpose. However, search, bench, and arrest warrants are the most common types.

Do I Have a Warrant in Dallas County?

Members of the public have several ways to find active or outstanding warrants in Dallas County, including by:

• Accessing court case information databases
• Checking law enforcement warrant lists
• Leveraging third-party public records systems (also called third-party aggregator websites)
• Engaging bail bonding companies
• Seeking legal guidance

Active Warrant Search in Dallas

When searching for active warrants in Dallas County, an individual may explore court and police agency resources to allow for a comprehensive search.

Although the county's warrant records custodians maintain different types of warrants, warrants are, first and foremost, court-issued documents. For that reason, an inquirer's first stop can be the courthouse where a case is pending. Nevertheless, law enforcement officers are the chief executors of warrants, which means they can provide information about whether someone has a warrant in their name, especially when the inquiry pertains to a warrant of arrest.

In Dallas County, warrant records custodians provide various means to locate or confirm outstanding warrants, some of which are discussed below.

Arrest Warrant Search

When referring to an arrest warrant, it is not uncommon to think of a warrant released due to criminal activity (otherwise referred to as a criminal arrest warrant). However, courts can issue arrest warrants when a defendant fails to pay a final judgment, misses a court hearing, or fails to appear on a citation (sometimes called an alias, Failure to Appear or FTA, Violate Promise to Appear or VPTA, or FTA/VPTA warrant).

To find active arrest warrants in Dallas County, an individual can reach out to the municipal police department that has jurisdiction where a court case is filed. Alternatively, the requester can dial the Dallas County Sheriff's Warrant Information line at (214) 761-9026. In either scenario, the inquirer will need to provide (at least) the search subject's first name, last name, or birth date.

Moreover, the County of Dallas maintains a consolidated Wanted Search database, where members of the public can track down active warrants in any municipality.

Bench Warrant Lookup

Bench warrants are variants of arrest warrants. They are generally issued for judicial non-compliance, such as a failure to appear, failure to satisfy a judgment, or failure to comply with a probation order.

The best approach for finding bench warrants in Dallas County is to look up the presiding court's case records. Record searches can be conducted in person during official courthouse hours, by calling the respective court clerk's office, or by accessing the presiding court's online case search system.

Case in point: Individuals seeking bench warrants from the Dallas District and County Courts can access the County Clerk's Online Case Information System. Meanwhile, those seeking bench warrants from municipal or justice of the peace courts in Dallas County (like a capias/capias pro fine warrant) can check the relevant court's website for an active warrant list. An example is the Desoto Municipal Court's Warrant List.

Free Warrant Search

A warrant search in Dallas County is typically free. Judicial and law enforcement agencies do not assess a fee to confirm a name on their active warrant lists or search their online databases. However, if a requester requires copies of records, they will be liable for any associated charges.

Can You Check Warrants Online?

Yes. In addition to court and law enforcement repositories, members of the public can explore third-party public records websites to find Dallas County warrants online. Similar to an official inquiry, an individual will need a search subject's name or a case number to perform warrant checks through third-party vendors. Users will also not be privy to any information made confidential by law, such as a sealed warrant.

However, third-party websites routinely feature other categories of public records gathered from various sources, and they may charge fees or subscriptions to release extensive results to clients.

Do Warrants Expire?

In some instances, yes. Certain warrants issued in Dallas County—typically search and administrative warrants—expire after a fixed number of days.

Under Crim. Proc. Code art. 18.07, search warrants run for the following periods (which exclude the day of a warrant's issuance and the day of its execution):

• 15 days if the warrant is issued to search for and seize specimens from a particular person for DNA analysis and comparison.
• 10 days if the warrant is issued under Chapter 18B, Article 18B.354 or Subchapter G-1.
• 3 days if the warrant is issued for any other purpose.

A magistrate can also impose a shorter execution timeline for a search warrant.

On the other hand, administrative inspection warrants issued under the Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 556, have a 10-day execution period that begins after issuance, except if a judge allows extra time for a warrant's execution.

However, arrest warrants remain active indefinitely. These warrants are not affected by statutory deadlines or limitations and can follow their subjects for life.

How to Clear a Warrant Without Going to Jail

Individuals with a warrant of arrest in Dallas County have several options to clear the warrant without going to jail. Generally, one may:

• Pay the warrant online using the presiding court's web payment system. They may also pay in person, via mail, or by phone if the court allows. However, this payment is equivalent to a guilty or no contest plea and will result in a guilty conviction.
• Post a cash, surety, or attorney bond for the warrant and receive a new court date (if the defendant never appeared in court).
• Visit the issuing court. Voluntarily appearing at the court is seen as a good-faith effort to resolve the warrant, and the visitor will not be subject to an arrest.

Alternative options for resolving a warrant are typically published on court websites. However, individuals can also contact the court clerk's office, visit the courthouse, or speak with a lawyer to find out what options are available to them.