Monroe County Bench Warrant Search

Bench warrants in Monroe County are issued by judges in the 16th Judicial Circuit when a person misses a court date or violates a court order. The Clerk of Court in Key West maintains all court records for the county, including active bench warrants and capias warrants. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office handles service and enforcement of these warrants across the Florida Keys. You can search for bench warrants through the clerk's records system, the sheriff's office, or the FDLE statewide warrant database. This page explains how to look up, understand, and resolve bench warrants in Monroe County.

Monroe County Clerk of Court

The Monroe County Clerk of Court is at 500 Whitehead St., Key West, FL 33040. Call (305) 292-3517 for questions about court cases or bench warrants. The clerk's office is the official custodian of all court records in the 16th Judicial Circuit. Every bench warrant signed by a judge in Monroe County goes into the clerk's case management system. These records are open to the public under Florida's Sunshine Law, Chapter 119. You can visit the office in person and ask the staff to look up a warrant by name or case number. There is no charge for basic lookups at the counter.

The Monroe County Clerk website is shown below with links to court records and services.

Monroe County spans the Florida Keys, so the geographic layout is unique. The main courthouse is in Key West, but the clerk has branch offices that serve the upper and middle Keys. All branches connect to the same records system. A bench warrant filed in Key West shows up at every branch location. If you live in Marathon or Key Largo, you can still access Monroe County bench warrant records without driving all the way down to Key West.

Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge must find probable cause before issuing an arrest warrant or bench warrant in Monroe County. Electronic signatures have been valid on Florida warrants since July 1, 2013, which means a Monroe County judge can approve a bench warrant digitally without paper.

Monroe County Sheriff Bench Warrants

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office is at 5525 College Rd., Key West, FL 33040. The phone number is (305) 292-7000. The sheriff handles all warrant service in Monroe County. When a bench warrant comes in from the court, deputies are responsible for finding and arresting the named person. Given that Monroe County is a chain of islands connected by U.S. Route 1, the logistics of serving warrants here differ from most Florida counties. Deputies patrol from Key West up through the upper Keys, and bench warrants can be served at any point along the way.

Under Florida Statute 901.04, a bench warrant from Monroe County can be served by any sheriff in the state. The arrest can happen on any day and at any time. If you leave the Keys and drive up to the mainland, a Monroe County bench warrant will still come up if your name gets run during a traffic stop in Miami-Dade, Broward, or anywhere else. The warrant data feeds into the FCIC system and the national NCIC database, so it follows you across state lines as well.

The sheriff's office is the primary point of contact if you want to turn yourself in on a Monroe County bench warrant. You can do so at the county detention facility in Key West. The jail takes voluntary surrenders 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Warrant Penalties in Monroe County

Failing to appear for court in Monroe County creates additional criminal charges. Florida Statute 843.15 spells it out clearly. If you miss a felony court date, the failure to appear is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Missing a misdemeanor court date is a first-degree misdemeanor with up to one year in jail. These charges are added to your original case. They do not replace anything. The bench warrant brings you back to court, and the failure to appear charge gives the judge another reason to impose a harsher sentence.

Bench warrants do not expire in Florida. Search warrants have a 10-day window under Florida Statute 933.05, but bench warrants and arrest warrants stay active with no time limit. A bench warrant from years ago in Monroe County is still live. It shows up in every database that law enforcement uses. Leaving the Keys does not solve the problem. The warrant will follow you.

Note: Monroe County bench warrants remain active until the person is arrested, the judge recalls the warrant, or the subject is deceased.

Resolving Monroe County Warrants

The best first step is to hire a criminal defense attorney. A lawyer who practices in the 16th Judicial Circuit can pull up your case details and advise you on what to do next. In some situations, the attorney can file a motion to quash the bench warrant. This asks the judge to cancel the warrant and set a new court date. It works best for older cases and minor charges. If the motion is granted, you avoid an arrest. If it is denied, your attorney can still help you plan a voluntary surrender that puts you in the best possible position.

Here is what you can do about a Monroe County bench warrant:

• Contact a criminal defense attorney for advice
• Have your lawyer file a motion to quash or recall
• Turn yourself in at the Monroe County Detention Facility
• Call the clerk at (305) 292-3517 for case information
• Call the sheriff at (305) 292-7000 for warrant questions

Be on guard for scam calls. No real law enforcement officer in Monroe County will call you and demand payment over the phone to clear a bench warrant. Gift cards, wire transfers, and prepaid debit cards are never used by the court system. If someone calls with that kind of demand, hang up. Verify through the clerk's office or the sheriff's non-emergency line.

Monroe County Bench Warrant Records

Bench warrants in Monroe County are public records. Florida's Sunshine Law, Chapter 119, guarantees public access to most court documents. Once the warrant is entered into the clerk's system, anyone can ask to see it. You do not need to be part of the case. Exceptions exist for juvenile cases and sealed records, but the majority of bench warrants in Monroe County are fully accessible. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association links all 67 county clerk offices through the eWarrants platform. A bench warrant from Monroe County shows up in statewide law enforcement databases within hours of being entered.

You can also check the FDLE statewide warrant database for Monroe County bench warrants. The system pulls data from every county and updates once every 24 hours. Search by name or date of birth. Remember that the FDLE database is a reference tool and should not be used as confirmation that a warrant is currently active. For the most current information, contact the Monroe County Clerk or Sheriff directly.

Note: 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 in Monroe County.

Cities in Monroe County

Monroe County includes Key West, Marathon, Key Colony Beach, Islamorada, Key Largo, and Layton. All bench warrants go through the 16th Judicial Circuit Court in Key West. No city in Monroe County has a population over 75,000, so all warrant matters are handled at the county level through the clerk and sheriff offices.

Nearby Counties

These counties are adjacent to Monroe County. Verify your bench warrant is in the right jurisdiction. Each county has its own clerk and sheriff for warrants.