Fort Myers Bench Warrants
Fort Myers bench warrants go through the Lee County court system in the 20th Judicial Circuit. Fort Myers is the county seat, so the main courthouse is right in the city. When a judge issues a bench warrant for someone who missed court or broke a court order, it gets filed with the Lee County Clerk of Court and entered into the statewide system. The Fort Myers Police Department and the Lee County Sheriff's Office both serve these warrants. You can search for active bench warrants tied to Fort Myers cases through the clerk's online tools or the FDLE database. This page covers how bench warrants work in Fort Myers and what to do if you have one.
Fort Myers Quick Facts
Lee County Clerk and Fort Myers Warrants
The Lee County Clerk of Court handles all bench warrant records for Fort Myers. The clerk's office is at 2115 Second St., Fort Myers, FL 33901. That is downtown, just a short walk from the Lee County Justice Center. Call (239) 533-5000 for case questions. The Lee County Clerk website has online tools for searching court records, ordering copies, and finding case information. Since Fort Myers is the county seat, the main clerk's office and the courthouse are both located right here in the city. You do not need to drive somewhere else.
Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge must find probable cause before signing a bench warrant. Once the warrant is signed, it goes into the clerk's system and becomes part of the public court record for that Fort Myers case. The clerk stores both paper and electronic records. You can request certified copies by mail or in person at the Fort Myers office. Electronic certified documents may also be available through the clerk's online portal.
Note: Fort Myers is the county seat of Lee County, so all major court operations happen within the city limits.
Search Fort Myers Bench Warrants Online
The Lee County Clerk's website at leeclerk.org has a court records search tool. You can look up Fort Myers bench warrants by name or case number. The system shows case type, filing date, charges, and warrant status. It is free and available around the clock. Every case filed in Lee County shows up here, including all Fort Myers matters from traffic cases to felonies. This is the most direct way to check if a bench warrant is active for a Fort Myers case.
The FDLE statewide warrant database at fdle.state.fl.us is another option. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement pulls warrant data from all 67 counties and updates the system every 24 hours. You can search by name or date of birth. The database includes bench warrants, arrest warrants, capias warrants, probation violation warrants, and fugitive warrants. FDLE warns that the data is not real-time proof a Fort Myers warrant is still active. Always verify through the Lee County Clerk for the most current status.
The FDLE homepage shown below is the starting point for statewide warrant searches that include Fort Myers cases.
Both the clerk search and the FDLE tool are free and open to anyone who wants to check for Fort Myers bench warrants.
Fort Myers Police and Sheriff Warrants
The Fort Myers Police Department is at 2210 Widman Way, Fort Myers, FL 33901. Phone is (239) 321-7700. Fort Myers officers serve bench warrants within city limits and can arrest people on active warrants during any type of contact. A traffic stop, a call to your house, or even a random encounter at a store can lead to an arrest if the officer runs your name and finds a bench warrant from Fort Myers.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office also has authority over bench warrant service in Fort Myers and throughout Lee County. Sheriff Carmine Marceno runs the department. The main office is at 14750 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy, Fort Myers, FL 33912. Phone is (239) 477-1000. Under Florida Statute 901.04, any sheriff in the state can serve a Fort Myers bench warrant. So the warrant is not just a Lee County problem. It follows you anywhere in Florida and even connects to the national NCIC database for out-of-state stops.
The sheriff's office coordinates with the Fort Myers Police Department on warrant sweeps, where officers actively go out looking for people with active bench warrants. These happen on a regular basis. The Lee County State Attorney's Office and the Tax Collector also work with the clerk and sheriff on related matters.
Penalties for Fort Myers Bench Warrants
Failure to appear in Fort Myers court leads to new criminal charges. Under Florida Statute 843.15, missing court on a felony case is a third-degree felony. That is up to five years in prison. Missing court on a misdemeanor is a first-degree misdemeanor with up to one year in jail. These charges stack on top of the original case. A bench warrant from Fort Myers means you now face two separate legal matters instead of one.
Bench warrants in Fort Myers never expire. There is no time limit. A warrant from five years ago is just as active as one issued yesterday. Search warrants are different and expire after 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05, but bench warrants stay in the system forever. Many Fort Myers residents do not realize they have an old bench warrant until they get pulled over or have some other contact with law enforcement. The warrant shows up on the computer and leads to an immediate arrest.
Note: Under Florida Statute 88.3051, a court can issue a bench warrant or writ of bodily attachment for failure to appear after proper notice in Lee County.
Resolving Fort Myers Bench Warrants
The smart move is to hire a criminal defense attorney if you have a bench warrant in Fort Myers. A lawyer can look up your Lee County case, check the warrant details, and advise on the best way to handle it. Filing a motion to quash the warrant is one option that works well for older warrants or minor charges. Voluntary surrender at the Lee County jail is another approach and generally leads to better treatment from the court than getting picked up by Fort Myers police during a traffic stop.
Ways to address a Fort Myers bench warrant:
- Hire an attorney to file a motion to quash or recall the warrant
- Turn yourself in at the Lee County jail
- Call the Lee County Clerk at (239) 533-5000 for case information
- Contact Fort Myers Police at (239) 321-7700 about the warrant
- Search the clerk's online system to see what the warrant is for
Phone scams target people with bench warrants. No real officer from Fort Myers or Lee County will call and demand payment over the phone to make your warrant disappear. If someone asks for gift cards or wire transfers, hang up. Call the Fort Myers Police Department to report it. Under Florida's Sunshine Law, Chapter 119, all bench warrant records in Fort Myers are public. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association connects all county clerk systems, and the eWarrants system links law enforcement across the state, including Lee County where Fort Myers cases are handled.
Fort Myers Warrant Records Access
Bench warrants in Fort Myers are public records under Florida law. The Sunshine Law gives everyone the right to access court records, with some exceptions for juvenile cases and sealed files. You do not need to be the person named on the warrant or a party to the case. Walk into the Lee County Clerk's office at 2115 Second St. in Fort Myers, call (239) 533-5000, or use the online tools to look up any bench warrant record. Certified copies cost more than regular copies but carry official weight for legal use.
Under Rule 3.730 of the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, the clerk or state attorney can prepare a direct capias to bring a person before the Lee County court. This is another tool used alongside bench warrants when someone needs to appear for adjudication or sentencing in Fort Myers. The court system in the 20th Judicial Circuit uses the eWarrants platform to share warrant data with law enforcement agencies across Florida.
Lee County Bench Warrants
Fort Myers is the county seat of Lee County. All bench warrants in the area go through the 20th Judicial Circuit. For the full Lee County page with complete clerk details, sheriff office information, and all related resources, visit the county page below.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Fort Myers in Southwest Florida. Each has its own bench warrant page with local details.