Find Bench Warrants in Liberty County

Liberty County bench warrants are issued by judges in the 2nd Judicial Circuit when someone fails to appear in court or breaks a court order. Bristol is the county seat and where the courthouse sits. Liberty County has just under 8,000 people, making it one of the smallest counties in Florida. But bench warrants here carry the same legal weight as any other county. You can search for active warrants through the Clerk of Court, the Sheriff's Office, or the FDLE statewide database. This page covers how bench warrants work in Liberty County, where to search for them, and what to do if you have one.

Liberty County Clerk of Court

The Liberty County Clerk of Court handles all court records in the county. That includes bench warrants. The office is at 10818 NW SR 20 in Bristol, Florida 32321. You can call (850) 643-2215 for case info or questions about warrants. The clerk staff can look up a bench warrant by name or case number. They also handle bond payments, case filings, and public records requests. In a county this small, you can expect to get direct help from the staff.

Liberty County is part of the 2nd Judicial Circuit, along with Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, and Wakulla counties. The circuit is based in Tallahassee. A bench warrant from Liberty County can be served across the entire circuit and beyond. Under Florida Statute 901.04, any sheriff in Florida can serve a bench warrant from Liberty County. The warrant is valid everywhere in the state. It does not matter if you leave Bristol or move to another part of Florida entirely.

Note: All bench warrant records in Liberty County are public under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, the Sunshine Law.

Search Liberty County Warrants Online

Liberty County does not have its own online court records portal. That is normal for a county this size. Most warrant checks happen by phone or in person at the clerk's office. But you can still search online through the FDLE statewide warrant database. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement collects warrant data from all 67 counties, including Liberty. The database gets updated every 24 hours. You search by first name, last name, or date of birth.

The FDLE database covers all types of warrants from Liberty County. Bench warrants for failure to appear, arrest warrants, direct capias warrants, violation of probation warrants, and fugitive warrants all show up. Each type has a different origin but they all result in an arrest order. Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge must find probable cause before issuing any of these warrants. Once a bench warrant is signed, it goes into the system and stays active with no end date.

The FDLE homepage gives you access to the statewide wanted persons search for Liberty County and all other Florida counties.

The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association connects all 67 clerk offices through the eWarrants system. A bench warrant entered in Liberty County goes into shared databases that law enforcement uses across the state. Even in a small, rural county like Liberty, the warrants carry the same force and show up in the same systems as warrants from large metro areas.

Liberty County Sheriff's Office

The Liberty County Sheriff's Office serves all warrants in the county. The office shares the same address as the clerk at 10818 NW SR 20 in Bristol, FL 32321. Call (850) 643-2235 for warrant questions. Deputies handle bench warrants, arrest warrants, and capias warrants. When someone gets picked up on a bench warrant in Liberty County, they go to the county jail and wait to see a judge.

Deputies can serve a bench warrant in Liberty County at any time. Day or night, weekdays or weekends, holidays included. There are no restrictions. A bench warrant from Liberty County never expires. It stays in the system until the person is arrested, a judge recalls the warrant, or the subject is deceased. That could be years. Many people carry bench warrants without knowing it until they have contact with law enforcement.

Liberty County Bench Warrant Penalties

Missing court in Liberty County leads to additional criminal 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 with up to one year in jail. These charges are new and separate from whatever brought you to court in the first place. The bench warrant is the tool used to bring you back, and the failure to appear charge is the penalty for not showing up.

Bench warrants are different from search warrants. Do not get them mixed up. Search warrants expire after 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05. Bench warrants never expire. One from years ago in Liberty County is still active and will come up during traffic stops, license applications, and any law enforcement contact. Under Florida Statute 88.3051, the court can also issue a writ of bodily attachment when someone fails to appear after proper notice in Liberty County.

Resolving Bench Warrants in Liberty County

If you find out you have a bench warrant in Liberty County, talk to a lawyer. A criminal defense attorney can check the case details and help you figure out the best way to handle it. Filing a motion to quash is one option, especially for old cases or minor charges. Turning yourself in at the Liberty County Jail in Bristol is another way to deal with it. Voluntary surrender usually gets a better response from the judge than getting arrested during a routine traffic stop.

Steps to clear a Liberty County bench warrant:

• Hire a lawyer to file a motion to quash or recall the warrant
• Turn yourself in at the Liberty County Jail in Bristol
• Call the sheriff at (850) 643-2235
• Contact the clerk at (850) 643-2215 for case details
• Go to the courthouse during regular business hours

Be alert for scam calls. No real law enforcement in Liberty County will call you and ask for money to clear a bench warrant. No gift cards, no wire transfers, no prepaid debit cards. If someone calls demanding payment, hang up. Call the clerk or the sheriff to check on your case directly. Under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.730, the clerk or state attorney can prepare a direct capias to bring someone before the court. That process goes through the courthouse, not through a phone call.

Cities in Liberty County

Liberty County includes Bristol and several small unincorporated communities. All bench warrants in the county go through the 2nd Judicial Circuit Court. No cities in Liberty County meet the population threshold for a dedicated page. All court matters are handled at the courthouse in Bristol.

Nearby Counties

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