Find Lakeland Bench Warrants

Bench warrants in Lakeland are issued by judges in the 10th Judicial Circuit when someone skips a court date or breaks a court order. Lakeland sits in Polk County, and the county seat is in Bartow where the main courthouse is located. The Polk County Clerk of Courts keeps all bench warrant records, and the Polk County Sheriff's Office handles warrant service. You can search for active bench warrants tied to Lakeland through the sheriff's online warrant inquiry, the clerk's court records, or the FDLE statewide warrant database. This page explains how to find, check, and deal with bench warrants in Lakeland.

Polk County Clerk of Courts

The Polk County Clerk of Courts and Comptroller handles all court records for Lakeland. The clerk's main office is at 255 N. Broadway Ave., Bartow, FL 33830. You can call (863) 534-4000 for general questions. Since Bartow is the county seat, Lakeland residents go there for in-person courthouse visits. The clerk keeps all case files including bench warrants, criminal cases, and civil matters for the 10th Judicial Circuit.

When a judge in the 10th Judicial Circuit issues a bench warrant for a Lakeland resident, the clerk records it in the court system right away. Under Florida Statute 901.02, the judge must find probable cause before signing any warrant. Electronic signatures have been allowed since July 2013, so the process moves fast. Once the bench warrant is in the system, it stays active until the person shows up in court, the judge cancels it, or the person is deceased.

The Lakeland Police Department is at 219 N. Massachusetts Ave., Lakeland, FL 33801. You can reach them at (863) 834-6900. The police department website is shown below.

Lakeland police can serve bench warrants within the city, but the Polk County Sheriff is the main agency for warrant service across the county.

Search Lakeland Bench Warrants Online

The Polk County Sheriff's Office runs an online warrant inquiry tool. Go to polksheriff.org/detention/warrants-inquiry to search for active warrants. You can search by last name, city, zip code, or gender. Results show the warrant number, issue date, PCSO number, personal info, address, and the alleged offense. This is one of the better warrant search tools in Florida because it gives you specific details about each warrant for Lakeland and all of Polk County.

The sheriff's office warns that you should verify any name you find on the site. Contact the Warrants Unit at (863) 298-6499 or email Wanted@polksheriff.org to confirm that a warrant is still active. The Warrants Unit is open during regular business hours. Not every bench warrant from Lakeland may show up in the online tool right away since the system updates on a schedule.

You can also check for Lakeland bench warrants through the FDLE statewide database. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains a wanted persons search that pulls data from all 67 Florida counties, including Polk. It gets updated every 24 hours. Search by first name, last name, or date of birth. FDLE notes that the data should not be taken as proof that a warrant is still active.

Note: The Polk County Sheriff's warrant inquiry is one of the few county tools in Florida that shows full warrant details including the alleged offense.

Polk County Sheriff Warrants

The Polk County Sheriff's Office is at 1891 Jim Keene Blvd., Winter Haven, FL 33880. The main number is (863) 298-6200. The sheriff's office handles all warrant service in Polk County, including bench warrants for Lakeland residents. Under Florida Statute 901.04, any sheriff in the state can serve a bench warrant. A warrant from Lakeland can be served in any Florida county at any time of day.

If you have a bench warrant in Lakeland, turning yourself in is better than waiting to get picked up. You can surrender at the Polk County Jail. Talk to a lawyer first if you can. A criminal defense attorney who knows the 10th Judicial Circuit can review your case and sometimes file a motion to quash the warrant. This brings you before the judge without the arrest process. It works best for older warrants or minor charges out of Lakeland.

Lakeland Bench Warrant Penalties

Missing court in Lakeland carries stiff penalties. Under Florida Statute 843.15, failure to appear on a felony charge 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 can bring up to one year in jail. These are new charges stacked on top of whatever case brought you to court in Lakeland in the first place. The bench warrant itself is separate from the original charge.

Bench warrants in Lakeland do not expire. They stay in the system until resolved. This is different from search warrants. Under Florida Statute 933.05, search warrants expire after 10 days if not served. Bench warrants have no such time limit. A bench warrant from five or ten years ago in Lakeland is still active right now. It will come up if you get pulled over, try to board a plane, or have any run-in with law enforcement in Florida.

Resolving Bench Warrants in Lakeland

The best way to deal with a bench warrant in Lakeland is to get ahead of it. Hire a criminal defense attorney who works in Polk County. They can file a motion to quash or recall the warrant. This asks the judge to bring you back before the court without an arrest. The attorney can also negotiate on your behalf and explain what happened. Voluntary surrender at the Polk County Jail is another option if you want to resolve things quickly.

To resolve a bench warrant in Lakeland, your options include:

• Hire an attorney to file a motion to quash the warrant
• Turn yourself in at the Polk County Jail
• Call the Warrants Unit at (863) 298-6499
• Contact the clerk at (863) 534-4000 for case status
• Check the sheriff's online warrant inquiry first

Be careful of scams. Real law enforcement in Lakeland will never call and ask you to pay money over the phone to clear a bench warrant. No gift cards. No wire transfers. If someone calls demanding payment, hang up and call the Polk County Sheriff directly. Bench warrant records in Lakeland are public records under Florida's Sunshine Law, Chapter 119. Anyone can search for them. Under Florida Statute 88.3051, the court can issue a bench warrant, capias, or writ of bodily attachment when someone fails to show up after proper notice.

Lakeland Warrant Records Access

All bench warrants in Lakeland are public records. Florida's Sunshine Law makes that clear. Once a warrant is issued and filed with the clerk, it is part of the court record. Anyone can ask to see it. You do not need to be part of the case. Juvenile cases and sealed records have limits, but most bench warrants in Lakeland are open to the public. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association connects all 67 county clerk offices. Their systems help share bench warrant data across the state.

The eWarrants system links police, state attorneys, clerks, judges, and sheriffs across Florida. A bench warrant from Lakeland shows up in law enforcement databases statewide. 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. This tool is used in Polk County to handle cases where someone misses sentencing or adjudication in Lakeland.

Polk County Bench Warrants

Lakeland is in Polk County, and all bench warrants go through the 10th Judicial Circuit Court based in Bartow. Polk County has over 850,000 residents and is one of the larger counties in central Florida. For more on the county court system, warrant search tools, fees, and sheriff resources, visit the Polk County bench warrants page.

View Polk County Bench Warrants

Nearby Cities

These cities are near Lakeland and have their own bench warrant search pages with local courthouse details and resources.