Access Clearwater Bench Warrants
Bench warrants in Clearwater are issued by judges in the 6th Judicial Circuit when someone misses a court date or violates a court order. Clearwater is the county seat of Pinellas County, and the main courthouse is located right in the city. The Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court keeps all bench warrant records. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office handles warrant service. You can search for active bench warrants in Clearwater through the clerk's records, the sheriff's warrant page, or the FDLE statewide database. This page breaks down how to search for, understand, and resolve bench warrants in Clearwater.
Clearwater Quick Facts
Pinellas County Clerk of Court
The Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court handles all court records for Clearwater. Ken Burke, CPA serves as the clerk. The main office is at 315 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756. Call (727) 464-7000 for general questions. The Pinellas County Clerk website has court records search tools, forms, and public records request info. Since Clearwater is the county seat, the main clerk's office is right here in the city. You can walk in and ask staff about a bench warrant by name or case number.
When a judge in the 6th Judicial Circuit issues a bench warrant for a Clearwater resident, the clerk files it in the system immediately. Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge needs probable cause to sign a warrant. Electronic signatures have been legal since 2013. The warrant stays active in the clerk's system and does not go away on its own. Someone with a bench warrant in Clearwater must deal with it or it will follow them.
For public records requests, the Pinellas County Clerk charges $2.00 per name per year for searches. Copies cost $1.00 per page. Certification is $2.00 per document. Exemplification costs $7.00 per document. Credit card payments have a 3.5% processing fee. You can make requests by mail, phone at 941-861-7400, or fax at 941-861-7738.
Note: Clearwater is the county seat of Pinellas County, so the main courthouse and clerk's office are both in the city.
Search Clearwater Bench Warrants Online
The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers portal is shown below and connects to clerk systems across the state, including Pinellas County where Clearwater bench warrants are filed.
The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association links all 67 county clerk offices. Their systems help share court data, including bench warrants from Clearwater.
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has a warrants page at pinellassheriff.gov/warrants. This page links to the FDLE Wanted Persons search tool. The sheriff's office notes that the page does not search local Pinellas County warrants like parking ticket warrants. It searches statewide warrants through the FDLE system. For Clearwater bench warrants specifically, the clerk's case search is your best tool.
The Clearwater Police Department is at 645 Pierce St., Clearwater, FL 33756. Call (727) 562-4242. Local police can serve bench warrants within Clearwater, but the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office at 10750 Ulmerton Rd., Largo, FL 33778 handles most warrant service countywide. You can reach the sheriff at (727) 582-5865 or email prr@pcsonet.com for public records requests.
Pinellas County Sheriff Warrants
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office serves bench warrants in Clearwater and across the county. Under Florida Statute 901.04, any sheriff in the state can serve a Florida bench warrant. A warrant from Clearwater can be served in any other county, and an officer can act on it any day at any time. There are no restrictions on when a bench warrant can be served.
If you have a bench warrant in Clearwater, you should get a lawyer involved. A criminal defense attorney who works in Pinellas County can review the facts and may file a motion to quash the warrant. This brings you before the judge to resolve the matter without an arrest. It is a better path than waiting to get picked up. You can also turn yourself in at the Pinellas County Jail. Voluntary surrender often leads to more favorable treatment from the court in Clearwater.
The Pinellas County Sheriff also works with Crime Stoppers of Pinellas. If you have information about someone with an active bench warrant in Clearwater, you can call TIPS(8477), use the P3 Tips Mobile App, or visit www.crimestoppersofpinellas.org. Tips can be made anonymously.
Clearwater Bench Warrant Penalties
Missing court in Clearwater creates new legal problems. Under Florida Statute 843.15, failing to appear on a felony case is a third-degree felony. That carries up to five years in prison. Failing to appear on a misdemeanor is a first-degree misdemeanor with up to one year in jail. These are brand new charges added to the original case. The bench warrant is an extra layer of trouble on top of whatever brought you to court in Clearwater.
Bench warrants in Clearwater do not expire. They last forever or until something resolves them. The person gets arrested, the judge recalls the warrant, or the person dies. Those are the only ways a bench warrant ends. This is a key difference from search warrants, which expire after 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05. A bench warrant from any year is still live in the system. It will come up during traffic stops, license checks, and any law enforcement contact in Clearwater or anywhere in Florida.
Resolving Clearwater Bench Warrants
There are several ways to handle a bench warrant in Clearwater. Getting a lawyer is the strongest first move. An attorney who knows the 6th Judicial Circuit can file a motion to quash or recall the warrant. The motion asks the judge to cancel the warrant and reset your court date. Courts in Clearwater are more likely to grant this when you show up voluntarily and have legal representation. Under Florida Statute 88.3051, the court has the power to issue bench warrants, capias warrants, or writs of bodily attachment when someone fails to appear.
Steps to resolve a Clearwater bench warrant:
- Hire a criminal defense attorney in Pinellas County
- Have your attorney file a motion to quash the warrant
- Turn yourself in at the Pinellas County Jail
- Contact the clerk at (727) 464-7000 to check case status
- Call the sheriff at (727) 582-5865 for warrant questions
Be aware of phone scams. No one from the Clearwater Police or Pinellas County Sheriff will call and demand payment to clear a bench warrant. Gift cards and wire transfers are never used by real law enforcement. If you get a call like that, hang up. Verify through the clerk's office or the sheriff's non-emergency line. All bench warrant records in Clearwater are public under Florida's Sunshine Law, Chapter 119. Anyone can look them up without being a party to the case.
Clearwater Warrant Records Access
All bench warrants in Clearwater are public records. Florida's Sunshine Law, Chapter 119, ensures that court records are open to the public. Once the clerk files a warrant, anyone can ask to see it. Juvenile cases and sealed records have limits, but the vast majority of bench warrants in Clearwater are open for public search. The eWarrants system links police, clerks, judges, and sheriffs statewide. A bench warrant from Clearwater shows up in law enforcement databases across all of Florida.
Under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.730, the clerk or the state attorney can prepare a direct capias to bring a person before the court for sentencing or adjudication in Clearwater. This is another warrant tool judges and prosecutors use when someone skips an important court proceeding. The FDLE database at fdle.state.fl.us pulls bench warrant data from all 67 counties and updates every 24 hours. It is a good secondary check for Clearwater warrants along with the local clerk and sheriff resources.
Pinellas County Bench Warrants
Clearwater is in Pinellas County, and all bench warrants go through the 6th Judicial Circuit Court. Pinellas County has about 966,000 residents and is one of the most densely populated counties in Florida. For more details on the county court system, warrant search tools, fees, and sheriff resources, visit the Pinellas County bench warrants page.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Clearwater. Each has its own bench warrant search page with local details and resources.