Access Miramar Bench Warrants
Bench warrants in Miramar are filed through the Broward County court system under the 17th Judicial Circuit. Miramar is in the southern part of Broward County with about 143,000 residents. The Broward County Clerk of Court in Fort Lauderdale keeps all bench warrant records for Miramar cases. You can search for warrants through the clerk's free case search tool, the Broward Sheriff's Office, or the FDLE statewide wanted persons database. All of these records are public under Florida's Sunshine Law. This page breaks down how to search for and handle bench warrants in Miramar.
Miramar Quick Facts
Broward Clerk and Miramar Warrants
Miramar does not have its own courthouse. All bench warrants for Miramar go through the Broward County Clerk of Court. The clerk's main office is at 201 SE 6th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. Call (954) 831-6565 for questions. Brenda D. Forman serves as the Broward County Clerk. The Broward Clerk website has links to case search tools, court forms, and public records request options. To ask about a bench warrant from a Miramar case, call the clerk or use the online search.
The free public case search at browardclerk.org/web2 covers every case in the county, including all Miramar matters. You need a first and last name to search by party name. You can also search by case number or citation number. The results show case type, charges, filing date, and whether a bench warrant is active or served. The system is limited to 200 results per search. For Miramar residents, this is the fastest free way to check bench warrant status from home.
Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge has to find probable cause before issuing any bench warrant. When a 17th Circuit judge signs a warrant for a Miramar case, the clerk logs it into the system right away. Electronic signatures have been valid since July 2013. Bench warrant records for Miramar cases stay in the Broward clerk database for years.
Miramar Police and Warrant Service
The Miramar Police Department is at 3064 SW 69th Ave., Miramar, FL 33023. Phone is (954) 602-4000. Miramar officers carry out bench warrant arrests during their daily patrol work. A traffic stop, a call for service, or any contact with police can end in an arrest if there is an active bench warrant in the system. Under Florida Statute 901.04, any law enforcement officer in Florida can serve a bench warrant from any county. That means a Miramar bench warrant can lead to an arrest in Orlando, Jacksonville, or any city in the state.
The Broward Sheriff's Office also handles warrant service across the county. BSO is at 2601 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312. The non-emergency number is (954) 764-4357. The Broward Sheriff website has an arrest search tool. You can request records through their online records portal. BSO sends most bench warrant status questions to the Broward Clerk's website.
The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers page below shows how all 67 county clerk offices are connected through the statewide system.
The eWarrants system ties police, state attorneys, clerks, judges, and sheriffs together. A bench warrant from Miramar appears in law enforcement databases used across all of Florida.
Miramar Bench Warrant Penalties
Skipping a court date in Miramar brings extra charges. Under Florida Statute 843.15, failure to appear on a felony charge is a third-degree felony with up to five years in prison. Failure to appear on a misdemeanor is a first-degree misdemeanor, carrying up to one year in jail. These charges get piled on top of the original case. The bench warrant is a new problem that stands apart from what you were in court for in Miramar.
Bench warrants in Miramar never expire. They stay active until the person is arrested, the judge recalls the warrant, or the subject dies. This is the key difference from search warrants. Search warrants expire after 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05. A bench warrant has no clock on it. One from three years ago or ten years ago in Miramar is still valid today. It stays in the FDLE system and will come up during any law enforcement check in any county.
Note: Under Florida Statute 88.3051, a court can issue a bench warrant, capias, or writ of bodily attachment for anyone who does not appear after proper notice in Miramar.
How to Handle Miramar Bench Warrants
If you have a bench warrant from Miramar, get a lawyer before doing anything else. A criminal defense attorney in the 17th Circuit can review your case and come up with a plan. They can file a motion to quash or recall the bench warrant. This approach works especially well for old cases or minor charges. Turning yourself in is usually better than waiting to get arrested during a routine stop. The Broward County Jail takes voluntary surrenders at all hours.
Your options for a Miramar bench warrant:
- Get a lawyer to file a motion to quash
- Surrender at the Broward County Jail
- Call Miramar PD at (954) 602-4000
- Contact the Broward Clerk at (954) 831-6565
- Search browardclerk.org for your case status
Do not trust phone scams. No real officer in Miramar will call and ask for payment to clear a bench warrant. Gift cards and wire transfers are not how the court system works. If you get a call like that, hang up and call the clerk or police to check. Under Florida's Sunshine Law, Chapter 119, all bench warrant records in Miramar are public. Anyone can look them up. The FDLE database updates every 24 hours and pulls warrant data from all 67 counties. Under Rule 3.730, the clerk or state attorney can prepare a direct capias to bring someone before the court in Broward County for sentencing.
Broward County Bench Warrants
Miramar is in Broward County. All bench warrants go through the Broward County court system and the 17th Judicial Circuit in Fort Lauderdale. Broward County has over 2 million residents and covers more than 30 cities. For the full county court system, sheriff details, and more bench warrant resources, see the Broward County page.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Miramar. Most share the Broward County court system and the 17th Judicial Circuit.