Find Gainesville Bench Warrants
Bench warrants in Gainesville are managed through the Alachua County court system and the 8th Judicial Circuit. Gainesville is the county seat, so the main courthouse is right in the city. The Alachua County Clerk of Court and the Sheriff's Office both track and serve bench warrants in Gainesville. You can search for active warrants through the clerk's online records tool, the sheriff's warrants bureau, or the FDLE statewide database. All of these are public records under Florida's Sunshine Law. This page covers how to search, check, and resolve bench warrants in Gainesville.
Gainesville Quick Facts
Alachua County Clerk and Gainesville Cases
The Alachua County Clerk of Court keeps all case files for Gainesville, and that includes bench warrants. J.K. "Jess" Irby serves as the clerk. The office is at 201 East University Avenue, Gainesville, Florida 32601. Call 352-374-3625 for general questions. The Alachua County Clerk website links to court records, forms, and public records request info. If you need details on a specific bench warrant in Gainesville, the clerk staff can look it up by name or case number at the front counter.
The clerk runs an online court records search at alachuaclerk.org/court_records. You can search by name, case number, date filed, or case type. Civil traffic records go back to September 2001. Civil cases start from September 2001 as well. Criminal records are in the system from December 2005 on. The oldest case on file dates to July 23, 1928. This is a free tool and the best way to look up bench warrants for Gainesville cases without a trip to the courthouse.
For public records requests, call (352) 264-6906 or email publicrecordsrequest@alachuacounty.us. This covers bench warrant documents, case files, and other court records held by the clerk for Gainesville and all of Alachua County.
Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge must find probable cause to issue a bench warrant. In Gainesville, once a judge in the 8th Judicial Circuit signs a bench warrant, the clerk enters it right away. Electronic signatures have been allowed since July 2013.
Gainesville Warrant Searches
The Alachua County Sheriff's Office runs a warrants bureau that handles bench warrant service for Gainesville and the rest of the county. The warrants bureau is at 2621 SE Hawthorne Road in Gainesville. Phone is (352) 367-4138. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 3:30 pm. The Alachua County Sheriff website has more details on their work and how to check on warrants. If you think you have a bench warrant in Gainesville, calling the warrants bureau is one of the most direct ways to find out.
The Gainesville Police Department homepage is shown below. GPD operates within city limits and helps serve bench warrants in Gainesville.
The Gainesville Police Department is at 545 NW 8th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32601. Phone is (352) 393-7500. GPD officers arrest people on active bench warrants during traffic stops and other encounters in the city. Under Florida Statute 901.04, any law enforcement officer in the state can serve a bench warrant, so a Gainesville warrant can lead to an arrest in any Florida county.
The FDLE database at fdle.state.fl.us also covers Gainesville bench warrants. The state system pulls warrant data from all 67 counties and updates every 24 hours. Search by first name, last name, or date of birth.
Bench Warrant Penalties in Gainesville
Missing court in Gainesville leads to new charges. Under Florida Statute 843.15, failure to appear on a felony is a third-degree felony. That means up to five years in prison. Failure to appear on a misdemeanor is a first-degree misdemeanor, which carries up to one year in jail. These charges are separate from your original case. The bench warrant adds a new case on top of what brought you to court in Gainesville in the first place.
Bench warrants in Gainesville do not expire. They remain active until the person is arrested, the judge recalls the warrant, or the subject is deceased. Search warrants are different. They expire after 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05. A bench warrant from years ago in Gainesville is still active now. It will show up during a traffic stop, a background check, or any contact with law enforcement in the state.
Resolving Gainesville Bench Warrants
If you discover you have a bench warrant in Gainesville, talk to a lawyer before you take any steps. A criminal defense attorney can look at your case and help plan the best way to handle it. They may file a motion to quash the warrant, especially for older cases or minor charges. Voluntary surrender at the Alachua County Jail often leads to better outcomes than getting arrested during a random encounter. The jail takes surrenders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you have a bench warrant in Gainesville, these are your options:
- Hire a lawyer to file a motion to quash or recall
- Turn yourself in at the Alachua County Jail
- Call the warrants bureau at (352) 367-4138
- Contact the clerk at 352-374-3625 for case details
- Check the FDLE database for warrant info
Watch for scam calls. Real law enforcement in Gainesville will never ask for payment over the phone to clear a bench warrant. No gift cards, no wire transfers, no payment apps. If someone calls about a warrant and asks for money, hang up and call the clerk or sheriff directly. Under Florida's Sunshine Law, Chapter 119, bench warrants in Gainesville are public records. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers eWarrants system connects all 67 county clerk offices and shares warrant data statewide. Under Florida Statute 88.3051, a court can issue a bench warrant, capias, or writ of bodily attachment when someone fails to appear after proper notice.
Note: Criminal summonses in Alachua County must be picked up at the warrants bureau lobby; if not claimed, the clerk issues an arrest capias instead under Florida Rule 3.730.
Alachua County Bench Warrants
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County. All bench warrants go through the Alachua County court system and the 8th Judicial Circuit. The county covers Gainesville and surrounding towns like Alachua, Archer, Hawthorne, High Springs, Newberry, and others. For the full county overview, sheriff info, clerk details, and other bench warrant resources, visit the Alachua County page.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Gainesville. Each one has its own bench warrant page with local court details and search info.