Jefferson County Warrant Search

Warrants are writs or official orders requesting peace officers to search, seize, or arrest a person. In Jefferson County, warrants are usually issued in response to criminal actions, civil suits, parole violations, disregard of court injunctions, and failure to appear in court for a hearing. A Jefferson County warrant search is necessary for various legal and personal purposes. Individuals, corporate entities, or law enforcement agencies may conduct a warrant search to ensure a person is not wanted for illegal actions or flaunting court orders.

A Jefferson County warrant search may be performed with the County Sheriff's Office, local courts, city police departments, and the Office of Court Administration. In addition, one may find certain warrant information by reviewing Jefferson County arrest records. A criminal history record search using resources provided by the Texas Department of Public Safety may also furnish Jefferson County warrant information.

Are Warrants Public Records?

Yes. Per Rule 12.4 of the Texas Rules of Judicial Administration, judicial records, including warrants, are open to public inspection provided they are not sealed or confidential by law. However, certain restrictions may apply to the public inspection of some warrants.

For example, affidavits of search warrants yet to be executed are exempt from public disclosure under Article 18.01 (b), Chapter 18 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure (CCP). Similarly, expunged, sealed, resolved, or quashed warrant information may not be publicly available. In addition, confidential and personal information may be redacted or exempt from public access.

Types of Warrants in Jefferson County

In Jefferson County, various warrants exist in response to different violations of constituted Statutes. Some of the most common warrants issued in Jefferson County, in addition to arrest, bench, and search warrants, include:

• Blue Warrant: issued against parolees who have flouted their parole obligations or conditions.
• Capias: issued after the commencement of a criminal proceeding for bail forfeiture.
• Capias Pro Fine: issued post-verdict to enforce the payment of fines and other fees mandated by the court.

Do I Have a Warrant in Jefferson County?

An individual may find an active or outstanding warrant issued against them by:

• A walk-in visit to the Sheriff's Office or the physical locations of other local police departments.
• Accessing court records maintained by the clerk of a court online or in person
• Searching for warrant information from logs maintained by law enforcement agencies
• Requesting their criminal history record from the State's Department of Safety at $10 per copy
• Search third-party repositories.

Active Warrant Search in Jefferson County

The various record custodians of warrants in Jefferson County prescribe varying processes for searching for active warrants in their custody. Nevertheless, an active warrant search in Jefferson County is generally possible by querying a local court or a law enforcement department.

Warrants form part of court documents; hence, the clerks of the issuing court maintain warrant information. As such, interested persons may submit requests in person or via mail to the clerk of the court of jurisdiction. Most courthouses also provide public access terminals and online resources for public access to warrant information.

Similarly, warrants are issued to law enforcement agencies for execution. Consequently, these enforcement agencies keep records of executed and active warrants. Anyone in search of an active warrant may contact the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and other police departments in the County.

Arrest Warrant Search

To search for Jefferson County arrest warrants, concerned persons may contact the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office at:

1001 Pearl St. #103
Beaumont, TX 77701
Phone: (409) 835-8411

Alternatively, interested persons may request access to court records maintained by the Court Division of the County Clerk's Office. In addition, residents may query the Texas Department of Safety for a copy of their criminal history records at $10 each by submitting a completed request form. In any of these options, requestors will be required to provide at least a first/last name or a birth date.

Bench Warrant Lookup

In Jefferson County, bench warrants are usually issued for court proceedings and violations of court orders, such as failure to appear or default in payment of fines. A bench warrant lookup will primarily be conducted at the court presiding over the case. Requesters may visit the courthouse during regular hours to inspect and copy warrant information. The court may also provide remote options to ease public access to warrant information.

Free Warrant Search

The courts and law enforcement agencies in Jefferson County usually do not charge a fee for the inspection of warrant information in their custody. For instance, the Sheriff's Office provides details of warrants and most wanted person information to the public on its website at no cost. Anyone may freely inspect warrant information in person or online via official repositories provided by the record custodian. However, requesting copies of warrants and their information may not be free of charge.

Can You Check Jefferson County Warrants Online?

Yes. Aside from official sources like the courts and law enforcement agencies, members of the public may search for Jefferson County warrants online via third-party resources. A warrant check may be conducted on these sites by inputting a name, case number, age, birth date, or County. As a rule, confidential and sensitive information contained in warrants is usually redacted from information provided to the public via third-party websites. Hence, users may not find such exempt warrant information from third-party websites.

These third-party online resources are usually subscription-based or require a one-time fee to access the information in their database. Nonetheless, some third-party websites provide low-cost or no-cost access to Jefferson County warrant information.

Do Jefferson County Warrants Expire?

In some cases, yes. Under State laws, Jefferson County search warrants and administrative inspection warrants usually expire after a certain number of days. However, arrest warrants, bench warrants, and other forms of warrants do not expire.

Per Crim. Proc. Code art. 18.07, search warrants may remain valid for the following number of days depending on the purpose for their issuance:

• 15 days for warrants that involve a search or seizure to collect DNA samples such as blood or saliva
• 10 days for warrants issued under Article 18B.354, Chapter 18B, or Subchapter G-1
• 3 days for all other purposes outside those mentioned above.

Administrative inspection warrants, on the other hand, usually last for 10 days unless the magistrate extends the validity period. In the case of arrest or bench warrants, there is no expiration date; they remain valid until executed (an arrest is made). Such warrants may remain on the subject's record forever unless they are expunged, sealed, resolved, or quashed by the issuing court.

How to Clear a Warrant Without Going to Jail

A warrant issued in Jefferson County may be resolved by:

• Visiting the issuing court in person to establish a good standing and request the resolution of the issued Warrant
• Paying the Warrant using the options provided by the issuing court either online, in person, via mail, or telephone
• Posting a surety, cash, or attorney bond in order to secure a new hearing date
• Reviewing the conditions for resolution provided on the official website of the court of jurisdiction
• Filing a motion with the issuing court to recall an issued warrant by providing reasonable explanations for the petition.