Fort Bend County Warrant Search

A Fort Bend County warrant search is a process of checking for active or outstanding warrants issued in Fort Bend County. It is typically conducted to find information on individuals with warrants for various offenses in the county, including traffic violations, failure to obey court summons, and other criminal offenses.

Fort Bend County warrants are issued by a magistrate or judge authorizing local law enforcement officers to arrest or search an individual or property. To this end, warrant searches in the county are directed to the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office (and other law enforcement agencies within the county) and local courts.

While a Fort Bend County warrant can lead to an arrest, this is not always the case. Search warrants may not result in arrests. Other warrants can be resolved if the subject voluntarily surrenders, appears in court, addresses the underlying issue, or successfully challenges the warrant's validity. In cases where a warrant leads to an arrest, additional information will be available in the related Fort Bend County arrest records.

Are Fort Bend County Warrants Public Records?

Yes. Warrants are presumed public records in Fort Bend County under the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA), which allows the public to review and copy records of official government activities or actions.

However, the law provides limitations and exceptions to the public disclosure of warrants. For instance, per Article 18.01.(b), Chapter 18 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure (CCP), an affidavit for a search warrant is not subject to public disclosure until the warrant is executed.

Under the law, confidential information in warrants may be redacted to protect privacy. Resolved, recalled, or expunged warrants (those sealed or removed alongside arrest or criminal records) are also sequestered from public access.

Types of Warrants in Fort Bend County

Fort Bend County courts issue warrants for different purposes (e.g., arresting a person, searching a person or their property, and seizing material). The most common warrants in Fort Bend County include arrest, bench, and search warrants.

While an arrest warrant authorizes the police to arrest and take a person into custody, a bench warrant orders police to apprehend and bring a person before the court. A search warrant authorizes police officers to search a person or their property, seize any incriminating material, and present it before the court as evidence.

Do I Have a Warrant in Fort Bend County?

Individuals can find information on active or outstanding warrants in Fort Bend County by:

• Contacting the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office or police departments within the county
• Contacting Fort Bend County courthouses
• Checking court warrants or case information databases
• Checking law enforcement warrant lists, if available
• Using third-party public record aggregator websites
• Seeking legal assistance from attorneys

Active Warrant Search in Fort Bend County

To search for active warrants in Fort Bend County, individuals can contact the warrant records custodians in Fort Bend County (i.e., the court and law enforcement agencies). Because courts issue warrants, individuals can check with a Fort Bend County courthouse where a case is pending for active warrant information. This can be done in person, by mail, by phone, or by email requests to the court clerk's office, or online via the court's record database.

Additionally, law enforcement agencies in Fort Bend County enforce warrants issued in the county. Hence, individuals can contact these agencies to confirm whether someone has an active arrest warrant.

Arrest Warrant Search

Per Crim. Proc. Code art. 15.01, an arrest warrant is a judicial order authorizing the police to arrest and take a person into custody. It is mainly issued when individuals are believed to have committed criminal offenses. It may also be issued for other reasons, including disorderly conduct, contempt of court, failure to pay fines or child support, and probation or parole violations.

Interested individuals can search Fort Bend County active arrest warrants by contacting the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office or a municipal police department within the jurisdiction of where a case was filed. They may also contact a constable's office for arrest warrants issued by the Justice Courts in Fort Bend. For example, requesters can dial the Pct. 3 Constable Warrant Unit at (281) 242-4014, Pct. 2 Constable Warrant Division at (281) 403-8080, and Pct. 4 Constable Warrant Unit at (281) 341-4548.

Alternatively, individuals can contact the courthouse where a pending case was filed to confirm active arrest warrant information. To facilitate searches, requesters must provide a warrant subject's first name, last name, or birth date.

Bench Warrant Lookup

A bench warrant is a court order directing law enforcement to arrest and bring a person before the court for judicial non-compliance (i.e., failure to appear in court or comply with a court order, breaching bail or bond conditions, etc.). A bench warrant is a specific type of arrest warrant.

To find bench warrants in Fort Bend County, individuals should contact the court where a case is being heard. They can do this in person at the courthouse, by calling the clerk's office, or by searching the specific Fort Bend County court's online case records database.

Free Warrant Search

Warrant searches through Fort Bend County courts or law enforcement agencies are typically free. These agencies do not charge fees for individuals to query their active warrant lists in person or search their online database. However, if copies of these records are requested, the requesting party must pay any associated cost.

Can You Check Fort Bend County Warrants Online?

Yes. Interested individuals can use third-party aggregator websites (in addition to official sources) to search for Fort Bend County warrants online. Third-party websites compile public records from various government agencies, including law enforcement and courts, and provide these records through databases searchable by subject's name or case number.

However, because these are privately owned and operated, they may not always have the most up-to-date information, and fees may be associated with their services. Additionally, these sites will only provide publicly available information, as sequestered or confidential data will be excluded.

Do Fort Bend County Warrants Expire?

The expiration of warrants in Texas depends on the type of warrant. While some do have expiration dates, others do not. For example, search and administrative warrants expire after a period. Under Crim. Proc. Code art. 18.07, the validity of a search warrant (excluding the day of its issuance and the day of its execution) is as follows:

• 15 days if the warrant is issued to search for and seize specimens from a specific person for DNA analysis and comparison (including blood and saliva samples);
• 10 days if the warrant is issued under Article 18B.354 or Subchapter G-1, Chapter 18B;
• Three days if the warrant is issued for any other purpose.

Similarly, administrative inspection warrants issued under Chapter 556 of the Texas Occupations Code must be executed within 10 days, or they become invalid (unless a judge grants additional time for execution).

However, other types of warrants, including arrest and bench warrants, do not expire. They remain active and valid until the person named in the warrant is arrested or the issuing court recalls it.

How to Clear a Warrant Without Going to Jail

In Fort Bend County, individuals have several options to clear their warrants without going to jail:

• Appear at a Fort Bend County court and plead "Guilty" or "No Contest". Afterward, they must pay their fines, court costs, and fees. They can apply for a payment plan if they can't pay the full fine one time.
• Post a cash bond. The cash bond amount is the same as the "amount due" listed on the warrant. The arrest warrant is removed once the bond is posted, and they will be scheduled for a court appearance.
• Get a bail bondsman to post a surety bond. Posting a surety bond will immediately remove the arrest warrant. However, the warrant subject must appear in court on their scheduled court date.
• Hire an attorney to post an "Attorney Bond" for them and get a new court date.
• Voluntarily attend a "Walk-in Docket" to speak with a judge about their warrant. Appearing at a walk-in docket hearing is seen as a good-faith effort to resolve the warrant, and the warrant subject will not be arrested when they show up. Walk-in dockets are often held multiple times a week. Individuals should contact the issuing court clerk for instructions about when and where to appear.