Hollywood, FL Bench Warrants
Bench warrants in Hollywood, Florida are processed through the Broward County court system under the 17th Judicial Circuit. Hollywood sits in southern Broward County with about 159,000 residents. All bench warrant records for Hollywood cases are kept by the Broward County Clerk of Court in Fort Lauderdale. You can search for warrants through the clerk's free online case search tool, the Broward Sheriff's Office, or the FDLE statewide wanted persons database. This page explains how to find and deal with bench warrants in Hollywood.
Hollywood Quick Facts
Searching Hollywood Bench Warrants
The Broward County Clerk of Court handles all case files for Hollywood. Brenda D. Forman is the clerk. The main office is at 201 SE 6th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301, and you can call (954) 831-6565 with questions. The Broward Clerk website has court record links and forms. To check for a bench warrant from a Hollywood case, start with the clerk's free case search.
The public case search at browardclerk.org/web2 covers all of Broward County. That includes every case filed in Hollywood. Search by party name, case number, or citation number. You need both first and last name for a name search. The system shows case details like charges, filing dates, and whether a bench warrant is active or served. Results are limited to the first 200 entries. For Hollywood residents, this is the quickest free way to check bench warrant status without driving to the courthouse.
You can also buy electronic certified court documents through the clerk's online portal. This is useful if you need official copies of bench warrant documents or case files from Hollywood for a lawyer or another court.
Hollywood Police and Warrant Service
The Hollywood Police Department is at 3250 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, FL 33021. Phone is (954) 967-4636. Hollywood police officers serve bench warrants within city limits as part of their regular duties. If an officer runs your name during a traffic stop or any other encounter and a bench warrant comes up, you can be arrested on the spot. Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge issues a bench warrant when there is probable cause. Under Florida Statute 901.04, any officer in the state can execute that warrant at any time and on any day.
The Broward Sheriff's Office backs up local police with warrant service. BSO is at 2601 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312. Their non-emergency number is (954) 764-4357. The BSO website has an arrest search and you can request records through their online portal. BSO directs most warrant status questions to the Broward Clerk's website for case lookups.
The FDLE homepage below provides access to the statewide wanted persons database that includes Hollywood bench warrants.
The FDLE database updates every 24 hours and pulls data from all 67 Florida counties. Search by first name, last name, or date of birth to check for Hollywood bench warrants in the statewide system.
Hollywood Bench Warrant Penalties
Missing a court date in Hollywood creates new legal problems. Florida Statute 843.15 makes failure to appear a crime on its own. If you skip out on a felony case, that is a third-degree felony with up to five years in prison. Missing a misdemeanor hearing is a first-degree misdemeanor, good for up to one year in jail. These are fresh charges. They do not replace your original case. They get added on top of whatever you were already dealing with in Hollywood.
Bench warrants in Hollywood do not have an expiration date. They are active until the person shows up, a judge takes the warrant back, or the subject dies. This stands apart from search warrants. Search warrants expire after 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05. A bench warrant from Hollywood has no such limit. One from five years ago is still good today. It stays in the system and will flag you during any run-in with law enforcement anywhere in Florida.
Note: Under Florida Statute 88.3051, a court can issue a bench warrant, capias, or writ of bodily attachment when a person fails to show after proper notice in Hollywood.
Resolving Bench Warrants in Hollywood
If you find out you have a bench warrant from Hollywood, the smart move is to call a lawyer. A defense attorney who practices in the 17th Circuit can look at your case and figure out the best approach. Filing a motion to quash the warrant often works for older cases or small charges. Walking in on your own terms is much better than getting picked up at a random stop. The Broward County Jail takes voluntary surrenders 24 hours a day.
Ways to handle a Hollywood bench warrant:
- Get an attorney to file a motion to quash
- Surrender at the Broward County Jail
- Call the Broward Clerk at (954) 831-6565
- Use the online case search at browardclerk.org
Be aware of phone scams in Hollywood. No real law enforcement officer will call and ask for money to make a bench warrant go away. Gift cards, wire transfers, and payment apps are all signs of a scam. Hang up and call the clerk or Hollywood PD at (954) 967-4636 to verify. All bench warrant records in Hollywood are public under Florida's Sunshine Law, Chapter 119. Anyone can search them. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers eWarrants system links all 67 county clerk offices and shares bench warrant data across the state, so a Hollywood warrant shows up everywhere.
Broward County Bench Warrants
Hollywood is in Broward County. All bench warrants go through the Broward County court system and the 17th Judicial Circuit based in Fort Lauderdale. Broward County covers more than 30 cities and towns. For the full county overview, sheriff contact info, and additional bench warrant resources, visit the Broward County page.
Nearby Cities
These cities are close to Hollywood. Most are in Broward County and share the same 17th Circuit court system.