Lee County Bench Warrants Search

Lee County bench warrants are issued by judges in the 20th Judicial Circuit when a person misses a court date or breaks a court order. Fort Myers serves as the county seat and is where the main courthouse sits. With more than 860,000 residents, Lee County is one of the largest counties in Florida. You can search for active bench warrants through the Lee County Clerk of Court, the Sheriff's Office, or the FDLE statewide database. All bench warrants are public records. This page covers how to look them up, what happens if you have one, and how to resolve the matter in Lee County.

Lee County Clerk of Court

The Lee County Clerk of Court maintains all court case records, including bench warrants. The office is at 2115 Second St. in Fort Myers, FL 33901. Call (239) 533-5000 for case info or warrant questions. The clerk staff can look up any bench warrant by name or case number. They also process bond payments, handle case filings, and fulfill public records requests for Lee County.

Lee County is part of the 20th Judicial Circuit, which also includes Charlotte, Collier, Glades, and Hendry counties. This is a busy circuit that handles a high volume of cases. A bench warrant from Lee County can be served across the entire circuit and, under Florida Statute 901.04, by any sheriff in the state. A bench warrant from Fort Myers is valid in Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, and everywhere else in Florida. There is no geographic limit once a judge signs it.

Public records in Lee County are open under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, the Sunshine Law. Bench warrant records are available to anyone. You do not need to be named in the case. The clerk's office may charge a small copy fee for printed documents.

Search Lee County Bench Warrants Online

You can search for bench warrants in Lee County through several online tools. The Lee County Clerk's website at leeclerk.org provides access to court case records. You can search by name or case number. The results show the charge, filing date, case status, and warrant information. This is a free tool that anyone can use from home.

The FDLE also runs a statewide warrant search. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement database pulls data from all 67 counties, including Lee. It gets updated every 24 hours. You can search by first name, last name, or date of birth. The FDLE system includes bench warrants, arrest warrants, direct capias warrants, violation of probation warrants, and fugitive warrants.

The FDLE homepage provides access to the statewide wanted persons search for Lee County residents.

Not every bench warrant shows up online right away. There can be a delay between when a judge issues a warrant in Lee County and when it appears in the database. Brand new warrants may take a day or two to show up. If you need to check on a very recent case, call the clerk's office directly.

Lee County Sheriff's Office

Sheriff Carmine Marceno runs the Lee County Sheriff's Office. The main office is at 14750 Six Mile Cypress Pkwy in Fort Myers, FL 33912. Call (239) 477-1000 for warrant info. The sheriff's office serves all bench warrants and arrest warrants in Lee County. Deputies can arrest someone on a bench warrant at any time, on any day. There are no limits on when a warrant can be served.

Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge needs probable cause to issue a bench warrant. The warrant must be signed by the judge. Once signed, it goes into the system immediately. A bench warrant in Lee County does not expire. It stays active until the person is arrested, a judge recalls it, or the person is deceased. That can mean years. Plenty of people carry old bench warrants from Lee County without knowing it until a traffic stop or other contact with law enforcement brings it up.

Note: Lee County bench warrants are entered into the FCIC and NCIC databases, making them visible to law enforcement agencies across Florida and the country.

Bench Warrant Penalties in Lee County

Missing court in Lee County is not something you can ignore. Under Florida Statute 843.15, failure to appear on a felony is a third-degree felony. That is up to five years in prison. Failure to appear on a misdemeanor is a first-degree misdemeanor, which is up to one year in jail. These charges are separate from whatever your original case was about. The bench warrant brings you back to court, but the failure to appear charge adds a whole new case.

Bench warrants and search warrants are different. Search warrants expire after 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05. Bench warrants do not. A bench warrant from Lee County stays active with no end date. It shows up any time law enforcement runs your name, whether that is at a traffic stop, a checkpoint, or any other contact. The warrant follows you. Under Florida Statute 88.3051, the court can also issue a writ of bodily attachment for failure to appear, which works the same way.

Resolving Lee County Bench Warrants

If you have a bench warrant in Lee County, your first move should be calling a lawyer. An attorney can look at the case and decide the best approach. Sometimes a motion to quash the warrant works, especially for older cases or minor charges. Other times, turning yourself in at the Lee County Jail is the better path. Voluntary surrender shows the judge you are taking it seriously. Getting arrested at home or during a traffic stop never looks as good.

Options for clearing a Lee County bench warrant:

• Hire an attorney to file a motion to quash or recall
• Turn yourself in at the Lee County Jail in Fort Myers
• Call the sheriff at (239) 477-1000
• Contact the clerk at (239) 533-5000 for case details
• Appear at the courthouse at 2115 Second St. in Fort Myers

Watch out for scam calls. Real law enforcement in Lee County will never call you and demand payment over the phone to clear a bench warrant. Gift cards, wire transfers, prepaid cards, none of that is real. If you get that kind of call, hang up and call the clerk's office or the sheriff's non-emergency line to verify. Under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.730, the clerk or state attorney can prepare a direct capias, but that process is handled through the court system, not a phone call.

Lee County Warrant Records Access

Bench warrants in Lee County are public records. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association connects all 67 county clerk offices. The eWarrants system links police, prosecutors, clerks, judges, and sheriffs across the state. When a bench warrant gets entered in Lee County, it shows up in databases used by law enforcement everywhere in Florida. The State Attorney's Office and the Tax Collector are among the related agencies that may interact with bench warrant data in Lee County.

You can request bench warrant records from the Lee County Clerk by phone, in person, or through a written public records request. Digital court records through the online search are free to view. Printed copies may have a small fee attached.

Cities in Lee County

Lee County has several cities and communities. All bench warrants in the county go through the 20th Judicial Circuit Court in Fort Myers. Cape Coral and Fort Myers are the two largest cities.

Other places in Lee County include Bonita Springs, Estero, Fort Myers Beach, Lehigh Acres, and Sanibel. Bench warrants for people in these areas are handled at the Lee County courthouse in Fort Myers.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Lee County. Make sure your bench warrant is in the right county before you take action. Each county has its own clerk and sheriff handling warrants.