Sunrise Bench Warrant Search
Bench warrants in Sunrise are issued through the Broward County court system in Florida's 17th Judicial Circuit. When someone in Sunrise misses a court date or breaks a court order, the judge can sign a bench warrant for their arrest. The Broward County Clerk of Court keeps all bench warrant records, and the Sunrise Police Department works with the Broward Sheriff's Office to serve them. You can look up active bench warrants tied to Sunrise cases through the clerk's online portal or the FDLE statewide search. This page walks through how to find and handle bench warrants in Sunrise.
Sunrise Quick Facts
Broward Clerk and Sunrise Warrants
All Sunrise bench warrants are filed with the Broward County Clerk of Court. Brenda D. Forman serves as clerk. The main office sits at 201 SE 6th St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Phone is (954) 831-6565. The Broward County Clerk website has online tools you can use to search court records, check bench warrant status, and order certified copies of documents. If you are in Sunrise and need to check on a warrant, the clerk's office is the main record keeper for all court filings in the county.
When a judge issues a bench warrant for a Sunrise case, it enters the clerk's system right away. Under Florida Statute 901.02, the judge must have probable cause to sign any warrant. Once it is in the system, the bench warrant is a public record. Anyone can ask the clerk for a copy or look it up online. Electronic certified court documents from Sunrise cases are also available for purchase through the clerk's online portal.
How to Search Sunrise Bench Warrants
The Broward County case search is the best place to look up bench warrants from Sunrise. You can search by last name and first name, case number, citation number, or business name. Both fields are needed for a name search. The tool is free to use and pulls up to 200 results per query. Case details show the charges, dates, and whether a bench warrant is active, served, or recalled. Every Sunrise case in Broward County shows up in this system.
The Florida statutes page below shows the law that governs how bench warrants are issued statewide, including for Sunrise cases.
The statute requires probable cause and a judge's signature before any bench warrant takes effect in Sunrise or anywhere else in the state.
You can also check the FDLE public access system at fdle.state.fl.us. This statewide database covers all 67 Florida counties and includes bench warrants, arrest warrants, capias warrants, and violation of probation warrants. It updates every 24 hours. Search by name or date of birth. FDLE notes that the information should not be taken as confirmation that a warrant is active. Use it as a starting point, then verify through the Broward County Clerk for Sunrise cases.
Sunrise Police Warrant Service
The Sunrise Police Department handles warrant service within the city. The station is at 10440 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Sunrise, FL 33351. Call (954) 764-4357 for non-emergency questions. Sunrise officers work closely with the Broward Sheriff's Office on warrant sweeps and enforcement operations across the county. BSO's main office is at 2601 W. Broward Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. The BSO public records unit is available online at their records request page.
Under Florida Statute 901.04, a bench warrant from Sunrise can be served by any sheriff in the state. It is not limited to Broward County. If you have a Sunrise bench warrant and you travel to Orlando or Tampa or anywhere in Florida, any officer who runs your name will see it. The warrant gets entered into the Florida Crime Information Center, which connects to the national NCIC system. You can be picked up on a Sunrise bench warrant in any county at any time of day.
Note: Officers can serve a bench warrant from Sunrise at any hour, including weekends and holidays.
Bench Warrant Penalties in Sunrise
Missing your court date in Sunrise is a criminal act on its own. Florida Statute 843.15 spells it out. If you were released on a felony charge and fail to appear, that FTA is a third-degree felony. Up to five years in prison. If the original charge was a misdemeanor, the FTA becomes a first-degree misdemeanor with up to a year in jail. This new charge gets added on top of whatever you were already dealing with. So a Sunrise bench warrant means you now have two legal problems instead of one.
Bench warrants from Sunrise do not have an expiration date. There is no statute of limitations on them. A warrant from last month or last decade is still valid and enforceable right now. That is different from search warrants, which must be executed within 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05. People in Sunrise sometimes forget about old bench warrants until they get pulled over for a broken tail light or something equally small, and the officer finds the warrant during a routine check.
Resolving Sunrise Bench Warrants
Get a lawyer. That is step one for anyone in Sunrise who has a bench warrant. A criminal defense attorney can pull up your Broward County case, look at the details, and advise you on the best approach. Filing a motion to quash or recall the warrant is often possible, especially if the warrant is old or the charge is minor. Lawyers know which judges in the 17th Circuit are more likely to grant these motions. Turning yourself in voluntarily at the Broward County jail tends to go better than getting arrested by Sunrise police during a traffic stop.
Options for dealing with a Sunrise bench warrant:
- Hire an attorney to file a motion to quash the warrant
- Surrender at the Broward County main jail facility
- Call the Broward Clerk at (954) 831-6565 to check case status
- Use the online case search at browardclerk.org to review the warrant
- Reach out to legal aid if you cannot afford an attorney
Scam warnings apply in Sunrise too. No real police officer or court official will call you demanding payment to make a bench warrant go away. Gift cards and wire transfers are never legitimate forms of court payment. If you get a call like that, hang up. Report it to Sunrise Police at (954) 764-4357. Under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes (the Sunshine Law), bench warrant records in Sunrise are public. The eWarrants system used across Florida connects clerks, police, judges, and sheriffs in Broward County and statewide.
Sunrise Warrant Public Records
Bench warrants in Sunrise are public records. Florida's Sunshine Law, Chapter 119, guarantees public access to court records with limited exceptions. Juvenile cases and sealed records are restricted. Everything else is open. You do not have to be the person named in the warrant or a party to the case. Anyone can request bench warrant records from Sunrise through the Broward County Clerk's office in person, by mail, or online.
Under Rule 3.730 of the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, the clerk or the state attorney can prepare a direct capias to bring someone before the court. This applies in Broward County where Sunrise cases are filed. Under Florida Statute 88.3051, a court can also issue a bench warrant or writ of bodily attachment when someone fails to appear after getting proper notice. Both of these tools are used to bring people with Sunrise bench warrants before a judge in the 17th Judicial Circuit.
Broward County Bench Warrants
Sunrise is in Broward County. All bench warrants go through the 17th Judicial Circuit with the main courthouse in Fort Lauderdale. For the complete Broward County page with clerk details, sheriff office info, and all related bench warrant resources, see the county page below.
Nearby Cities
These cities near Sunrise also have pages with local bench warrant info and resources for residents.