Hialeah Bench Warrant Search

Bench warrants in Hialeah are handled through the Miami-Dade County court system. The Miami-Dade Clerk of Court and the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office manage all warrant records for Hialeah residents. You can search for active bench warrants in Hialeah through the clerk's criminal justice online case search, the sheriff's records unit, or the FDLE statewide wanted persons database. Hialeah is in the 11th Judicial Circuit and has a population of over 235,000. It is the sixth-largest city in Florida. Miami is the county seat, and all criminal court activity for Hialeah flows through the Miami-Dade County system.

Miami-Dade Clerk and Hialeah Warrants

The Miami-Dade Clerk of Court and Comptroller keeps all court records for Hialeah. Juan Fernandez-Barquin, Esq. serves as clerk. The main office is at 20 NW 1st Avenue, Miami, Florida 33128. The phone number is (305) 275-1155. All bench warrants issued by judges in the 11th Judicial Circuit go through this office. Hialeah does not have its own city criminal court. All felony and misdemeanor matters that result in bench warrants flow through the Miami-Dade County system.

The clerk runs a Criminal Justice Online Case Search at miamidadeclerk.gov/cjis. Search by case number, state case number, citation number, defendant name, or jail number. The system shows charges, case status, and warrant data. It is free to use. For official records by mail, write to Records Management, Miami-Dade County Clerk of Court, P.O Box 14695, Miami, FL 33101. You can also email cocpubreq@miamidadeclerk.gov. Official records search fees are $1.00 per unit.

Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge can issue a bench warrant when probable cause exists and someone has failed to comply with a court order. In Hialeah, the warrant enters the clerk's system right after the judge signs it. Electronic signatures have been valid since 2013. The clerk also processes direct capias warrants under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.730.

Miami-Dade Sheriff and Hialeah Warrants

The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office serves bench warrants across the county, which includes Hialeah. Their main office is at 9105 NW 25th Street, Doral, FL 33172. The phone number is (305) 471-3220. Fax requests go to (305) 471-2072. You can email recordsrequest@mdso.com. The records request counter is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but walk-ins are not accepted. You need to schedule an appointment before you show up.

Under Florida Statute 901.04, bench warrants are directed to all sheriffs in the state. A bench warrant from Hialeah can be served by any sheriff in any Florida county. The arrest can happen at any time, on any day. There are no limits. If you have a bench warrant out of Miami-Dade County, any law enforcement officer in Florida can pick you up.

The Florida Statutes page shown below covers warrant issuance rules that apply to all bench warrants in Hialeah and across the state.

Florida Statute 901.02 lays out the requirements for arrest warrants, including bench warrants. The judge must find probable cause and sign the warrant. Once signed, it is active right away. In Hialeah, the warrant gets entered into both the county system and the statewide FDLE database within 24 hours.

Hialeah Police and Bench Warrants

The Hialeah Police Department is at 5555 E. 25th Ave., Hialeah, FL 33013. The phone number is (305) 687-2525. While the Hialeah PD does not issue bench warrants, officers enforce them during routine policing. If a Hialeah officer runs your name and finds an active bench warrant, you will be arrested. The warrant does not have to come from Hialeah or Miami-Dade County. Any active Florida bench warrant can trigger an arrest during a traffic stop, a call for service, or any other police interaction.

For warrant verification, the Hialeah PD will usually point you to the Miami-Dade Clerk's online case search or the sheriff's office. The city police do not maintain their own warrant database. The FDLE statewide system at fdle.state.fl.us is another way to check. It pulls data from all 67 Florida counties every 24 hours and covers bench warrants, arrest warrants, and capias warrants.

Note: Walk-ins at the Miami-Dade Sheriff's records counter are not allowed, so call (305) 471-3220 to set up an appointment first.

Hialeah Bench Warrant Penalties

Missing court in Hialeah has severe consequences. Under Florida Statute 843.15, failure to appear on a felony charge is a third-degree felony. That carries up to five years in prison. Failure to appear on a misdemeanor is a first-degree misdemeanor, with up to one year in jail. These are new charges that get added on top of the original case. The bench warrant creates its own separate legal issue that you must address.

Bench warrants in Hialeah do not expire. A warrant stays active until the person is arrested, the judge recalls it, or the subject is deceased. This applies whether the warrant is a week old or a decade old. Search warrants are different. They expire after 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05. But bench warrants have no time limit at all. Any contact with law enforcement in Florida can trigger your arrest if you have an outstanding bench warrant from Hialeah.

Resolving Hialeah Bench Warrants

If you have a bench warrant in Hialeah, talk to a criminal defense attorney before you do anything else. A lawyer can look at your case, check the charges, and recommend the best course of action. Some attorneys can file a motion to quash or recall the warrant. This strategy works best with old warrants or minor charges. Voluntary surrender generally leads to better results than an unexpected arrest at a random time and place.

Steps to resolve a bench warrant in Hialeah:

• Hire an attorney to file a motion to quash
• Turn yourself in at the Miami-Dade County Jail
• Call the clerk at (305) 275-1155 for case status
• Contact the sheriff at (305) 471-3220 for warrant info
• Check the clerk's online case search for details

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. Bench warrant records in Hialeah are public under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes. The Sunshine Law makes court records available to anyone. You do not need to be part of the case. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers network ties together all 67 county clerk offices.

Miami-Dade County Bench Warrants

Hialeah is part of Miami-Dade County in the 11th Judicial Circuit. All bench warrants in the city go through the county court system. For more details on the clerk, sheriff, and county resources, visit the Miami-Dade County bench warrants page.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Hialeah. Most are also in Miami-Dade County, but always check which county handles your bench warrant.