Access Leon County Bench Warrants

Leon County bench warrants are public records issued by judges in the 2nd Judicial Circuit. Tallahassee is the county seat and Florida's capital city, which means Leon County handles a large volume of court cases. You can search for active bench warrants through the Leon County Clerk of Court, the Sheriff's Office warrants unit, the Tallahassee Police Department, or the FDLE statewide database. The clerk offers both civil and criminal name searches online at no charge. This page covers where to look for bench warrants in Leon County, what the penalties are, and how to get the matter resolved.

Leon County Clerk of Court

The Leon County Clerk of Court manages all court case files, including bench warrants. The main office is at 301 S. Monroe Street, Suite 100, in Tallahassee, FL 32301. Call 850.606.4000 for case questions. The clerk has a case search system that is free to use. You can do both civil and criminal name searches. Results show whether a warrant is outstanding or has been executed.

Leon County has multiple clerk locations. The Northeast Branch is at 1276 Metropolitan Blvd., Room 101 in Tallahassee, FL 32312. The Government Annex is at 315 Calhoun St., 7th Floor in Tallahassee, FL 32301. Both branches can help with bench warrant inquiries and court record requests. This gives people in different parts of Tallahassee more than one option for handling their court business in Leon County.

Under Florida's Sunshine Law, Chapter 119, bench warrants in Leon County are public records. Anyone can ask to see them. You do not need to be a party to the case. The clerk can search by name or case number. Some limits apply for juvenile records and sealed cases, but most bench warrant files are open to the public.

Leon County Sheriff Warrants Unit

The Leon County Sheriff's Office has a dedicated warrants unit that handles bench warrant service. The main sheriff's office is at 2825 Major James Morgan Jr. Way in Tallahassee, FL 32304. Call (850) 606-3300 for general questions.

The Leon County Sheriff's Office homepage is shown below.

The sheriff's office runs a dedicated warrants unit that focuses on locating and arresting people with active warrants in Leon County and throughout the 2nd Judicial Circuit.

The warrants unit is at 535 Appleyard Dr. in Tallahassee, FL 32304. Call (850) 606-3500 for warrant-specific questions. This unit handles all warrant service for Leon County. They list open warrants for first and second-degree felonies on their website. You can search for warrants directly through their system.

The Leon County Sheriff's warrants unit page provides details on active warrants and contact information.

Under Florida Statute 901.04, any sheriff in the state can serve a bench warrant from Leon County. That means a warrant from Tallahassee can be executed in any Florida county. Deputies can arrest someone on a bench warrant at any time, any day.

Note: The Tallahassee Police Department at 234 E 7th Ave, phone 850.691.4221, also handles some warrant service within the city limits of Tallahassee.

Search Leon County Warrants Online

Leon County offers multiple ways to search for bench warrants online. The clerk's case search system shows if a warrant is outstanding or has been served. It covers both civil and criminal cases. The sheriff's warrants unit also posts open warrants on their website. Between these two tools, you have good coverage for checking bench warrant status in Leon County.

The FDLE statewide database is another option. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement collects warrant data from all 67 counties, including Leon. The database gets updated every 24 hours. Search by name or date of birth. Results show the charge type, warrant status, and issuing agency. The FDLE system includes bench warrants, arrest warrants, capias warrants, violation of probation warrants, and fugitive warrants from Leon County.

The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association connects all clerk offices through the eWarrants system. A bench warrant entered in Leon County goes into databases used by law enforcement across Florida. Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge must find probable cause to issue a bench warrant. Once signed, it stays active indefinitely in Leon County.

Leon County Bench Warrant Penalties

Failure to appear in Leon County carries criminal penalties under Florida Statute 843.15. If you were out on a felony charge and missed court, that failure to appear is a third-degree felony. Up to five years in prison. For a misdemeanor charge, failure to appear is a first-degree misdemeanor. Up to one year in jail. These new charges get added on top of whatever you were in court for originally. The bench warrant itself is just the mechanism the court uses to bring you back in Leon County.

A bench warrant from Leon County never expires. This is different from search warrants, which expire after 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05. A bench warrant stays active until the person is arrested, the judge recalls the warrant, or the subject dies. Years can pass. The warrant just sits there in the system. It shows up during traffic stops, background checks, and any time your name gets run through law enforcement databases.

Resolving Bench Warrants in Leon County

If you have a bench warrant in Leon County, talk to a criminal defense attorney before you do anything. A lawyer can look at your case, check the charges, and decide whether filing a motion to quash is a good option. Some judges in the 2nd Judicial Circuit will recall bench warrants when the person has a valid reason for missing court. Voluntary surrender at the Leon County Jail often works in your favor. It shows the judge you are taking the matter seriously.

Ways to resolve a Leon County bench warrant:

• Hire a lawyer to file a motion to quash or recall the warrant
• Turn yourself in at the Leon County Jail in Tallahassee
• Contact the warrants unit at (850) 606-3500
• Call the clerk at 850.606.4000 for case status
• Visit the Northeast Branch at 1276 Metropolitan Blvd.

Scam calls happen in Leon County just like everywhere else. No real officer will call you and ask for money to clear a bench warrant. No gift cards, no wire transfers. If you get a call like that, hang up. Call the clerk or the sheriff's non-emergency line to verify. Under Florida Statute 88.3051, the court can issue a bench warrant, capias, or writ of bodily attachment for failure to appear. Under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.730, the clerk or state attorney can prepare a direct capias. But none of these involve a phone call demanding money.

Cities in Leon County

Leon County is home to Tallahassee, the state capital of Florida. All bench warrants in the county go through the 2nd Judicial Circuit Court. Tallahassee is the only city in Leon County with a population over 75,000.

Other communities in Leon County include Woodville and several unincorporated areas. Bench warrants for residents of these areas are handled at the Leon County courthouse in Tallahassee.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Leon County. Verify your bench warrant is in the right county before taking action. Each county has its own clerk and sheriff that handle warrants.