St. Petersburg Bench Warrants

Bench warrants in St. Petersburg are managed through the Pinellas County court system. The Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office handle warrant records for residents of St. Petersburg. You can search for active bench warrants through the clerk's office, the sheriff's warrants page, or the FDLE statewide wanted persons database. St. Petersburg sits in the 6th Judicial Circuit and is the largest city in Pinellas County, with over 267,000 people. Clearwater is the county seat, but St. Petersburg has its own courthouse facilities. All bench warrant records are public under Florida's Sunshine Law.

Pinellas Clerk and St. Petersburg Warrants

The Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court keeps all court records for St. Petersburg. Ken Burke, CPA serves as clerk. The main office is at 315 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756. The phone number is (727) 464-7000. St. Petersburg does not have its own city criminal court. All bench warrants in the city go through the Pinellas County Circuit Court in the 6th Judicial Circuit. The clerk logs every bench warrant as soon as a judge signs it.

You can request records by mail, phone, or fax. The phone number for records search requests is 941-861-7400. The fax is 941-861-7738. For mail requests, write to Public Access Department, P.O. Box 3079, Sarasota, FL. Search fees are $2.00 per name per year. Copies cost $1.00 per page. Certification is $2.00 per document, and exemplification runs $7.00 per document. Credit card payments have a 3.5% processing fee.

Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge can issue a bench warrant when probable cause exists and someone has failed to appear or broken a court order. In St. Petersburg, these warrants are entered into the clerk's system right away. The clerk also handles direct capias warrants prepared under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.730.

Pinellas Sheriff and St. Petersburg Warrants

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office serves bench warrants across the county, including St. Petersburg. Their address is 10750 Ulmerton Rd., Largo, FL 33778. The phone number is (727) 582-5865. You can email prr@pcsonet.com for public records requests. The sheriff's office has a warrants page on their website. It links to the FDLE Wanted Persons search for statewide warrant checks. The sheriff's page does not search local Pinellas County parking ticket warrants specifically, but it covers bench warrants and arrest warrants through the state system.

Under Florida Statute 901.04, bench warrants are directed to all sheriffs in the state. A warrant from St. Petersburg can lead to arrest in any Florida county. The arrest can happen any time of day or night on any day. There are no limits on when law enforcement can act on an active bench warrant.

The St. Petersburg Police Department website is shown below. City officers enforce bench warrants during patrols and police interactions in St. Petersburg.

The St. Petersburg Police Department is at 1300 1st Ave. N, St. Petersburg, FL 33705. Their phone number is (727) 893-7780. While the city PD does not issue bench warrants, officers will arrest anyone with an active warrant during traffic stops, calls for service, or any other encounter. The bench warrant does not need to be from St. Petersburg. Any active Florida bench warrant can trigger an arrest.

Note: Crime Stoppers of Pinellas takes anonymous tips about people with active warrants at TIPS(8477) or through the P3 Tips mobile app.

St. Petersburg Bench Warrant Penalties

Missing court in St. Petersburg brings serious legal trouble. Under Florida Statute 843.15, failure to appear on a felony charge is a third-degree felony, which carries up to five years in prison. Failure to appear on a misdemeanor charge is a first-degree misdemeanor with up to one year in jail. These are brand new charges added on top of whatever case brought you to court in the first place. A bench warrant creates its own separate legal problem.

Bench warrants in St. Petersburg do not expire. They stay active until the person is arrested, the judge recalls the warrant, or the subject is deceased. A bench warrant from several years ago is just as active today as the day it was issued. This is very different from search warrants, which expire after 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05. If you have an active bench warrant in St. Petersburg, it will come up any time you interact with law enforcement in the state.

Resolving St. Petersburg Bench Warrants

If you have a bench warrant in St. Petersburg, talk to a criminal defense lawyer before you do anything else. An attorney can check your case, look at the charges, and advise on your options. Some lawyers can file a motion to quash or recall the warrant. This works best for old warrants or cases involving minor charges. Showing up voluntarily almost always goes better than getting arrested during a random traffic stop or police encounter.

Steps to resolve a bench warrant in St. Petersburg:

• Hire an attorney to file a motion to quash the warrant
• Turn yourself in at the Pinellas County Jail
• Call the sheriff at (727) 582-5865 for warrant information
• Contact the clerk at (727) 464-7000 for case status
• Check the FDLE database for warrant verification

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. All bench warrant records in St. Petersburg are public under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association connects all 67 county clerk offices. The eWarrants system links law enforcement, courts, and clerks across the state.

St. Petersburg Warrant Records Access

All bench warrants in St. Petersburg are public records under Florida's Sunshine Law. Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes makes court records available to anyone who asks. You do not need to be a party to the case. Juvenile records and sealed cases have restrictions, but most bench warrants in St. Petersburg are fully open to the public. The FDLE statewide database at fdle.state.fl.us pulls warrant data from all 67 Florida counties every 24 hours. It includes bench warrants, arrest warrants, capias warrants, and probation violations.

Pinellas County is one of the most densely populated counties in Florida. St. Petersburg is the largest city in the county by far. That means the court system here handles a very high number of cases. If you think you might have a bench warrant in St. Petersburg, check through the clerk, the sheriff, or the FDLE database. Do not ignore it. Bench warrants do not go away on their own.

Pinellas County Bench Warrants

St. Petersburg is part of Pinellas County in the 6th Judicial Circuit. All bench warrants in the city go through the Pinellas County court system. For more on the clerk, sheriff, and county resources, see the full Pinellas County bench warrants page.

Nearby Cities

These cities are near St. Petersburg. Each city's bench warrants go through their own county court system. Make sure you check the right jurisdiction.