Find Bench Warrants in Osceola County

Bench warrants in Osceola County are issued by judges in the 9th Judicial Circuit when someone misses a court date or breaks a court order. Kissimmee is the county seat. The Osceola County Clerk of Court and the Sheriff's Office both track and serve these warrants. You can look up active bench warrants through the clerk's court records system, the sheriff's office, or the FDLE statewide database. All bench warrant records in Osceola County are public under Florida law. This page walks through how to search for, check, and deal with bench warrants here.

Osceola County Clerk of Court

The Osceola County Clerk of Court manages all court case files in the county, including bench warrants. The main office is at 2 Courthouse Sq. in Kissimmee, FL 34741. You can call (407) 742-3500 for questions about your case or to ask about a bench warrant. The Osceola County Clerk website has links to court records, case search tools, and forms. The clerk staff can look up warrants by name or case number if you call or visit in person. Osceola County shares the 9th Judicial Circuit with Orange County, so some administrative systems overlap between the two.

The Osceola County Clerk homepage is shown below and gives access to court records and case search tools.

When a judge issues a bench warrant in Osceola County, the clerk's office enters it into the court record system right away. From there, the warrant data gets shared with statewide databases. Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge can issue a bench warrant after finding probable cause. The judge signs the warrant and it is considered issued at that point. Electronic signatures have been allowed since July 2013.

Osceola County Sheriff and Warrants

The Osceola County Sheriff's Office serves bench warrants and arrest warrants across the county. The sheriff's main office is at 2601 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy in Kissimmee, FL 34744. The general phone number is (407) 348-2222. If you need to check whether a bench warrant is active, you can call the sheriff's office during business hours. They can verify by name or date of birth. In-person inquiries at the sheriff's office are also an option, though be aware that if you have an active warrant, you could be arrested on the spot.

Under Florida Statute 901.04, any sheriff in the state can serve a bench warrant from Osceola County. The arrest can happen at any time, on any day, in any Florida county. There are no time limits. If a bench warrant is out for you in Osceola County and you get pulled over in Miami or Jacksonville, law enforcement there can act on it. The warrant shows up in systems used by officers across the state through the FCIC and NCIC databases.

Note: Bench warrants in Osceola County never expire and stay active until the person is arrested, the judge recalls it, or the subject is deceased.

Search Osceola County Bench Warrants Online

The Osceola County Clerk's online records system allows you to search for court cases, which can include bench warrants. You can search by name, case number, or other identifiers. The system shows case details like charges, filing dates, and case status. New warrants may take a short time to appear since the database gets updated on a set schedule. For the fastest info, call the clerk's office directly at (407) 742-3500.

The FDLE statewide database at fdle.state.fl.us is another way to check for Osceola County bench warrants. The FDLE system pulls warrant data from all 67 Florida counties. It updates every 24 hours. You can search by first name, last name, or date of birth. The database covers arrest warrants, bench warrants, capias warrants, probation violation warrants, and fugitive warrants. FDLE warns that the data should not be relied on as confirmation a warrant is active. Always verify through the Osceola County Clerk or Sheriff for current status.

Osceola County Bench Warrant Penalties

Missing court in Osceola County has real consequences. Under Florida Statute 843.15, failure to appear on a felony charge is a third-degree felony. That can mean up to five years in prison. Failure to appear on a misdemeanor is a first-degree misdemeanor, which carries up to one year in jail. These new charges get added on top of the original case. The bench warrant itself is a separate legal issue from what you were in court for originally. You now face two problems instead of one.

Search warrants and bench warrants are not the same. Search warrants expire after 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05. Bench warrants do not have any expiration date. A bench warrant from three years ago in Osceola County is just as active today as when it was first issued. It will come up during traffic stops, when applying for certain licenses, or during any contact with law enforcement. The only way to clear it is to deal with it through the court.

Resolving Warrants in Osceola County

Finding out you have an Osceola County bench warrant means you need to act. Talk to a criminal defense attorney first. They can look at your case, check the charges, and help plan the best approach. An attorney can sometimes file a motion to quash the warrant, especially for old cases or minor charges. Voluntary surrender almost always works out better than getting arrested during a traffic stop. You can turn yourself in at the Osceola County Jail any time, day or night.

Ways to handle an Osceola County bench warrant:

• Hire a lawyer to file a motion to quash or recall the warrant
• Turn yourself in at the Osceola County Jail
• Call the sheriff at (407) 348-2222 for warrant details
• Contact the clerk at (407) 742-3500 for case status info

Scam calls are a problem. Real law enforcement in Osceola County will never ask you to pay money over the phone to clear a bench warrant. They will not ask for gift cards or wire transfers. If someone calls claiming to be from the sheriff and asks for payment, hang up. Call the clerk's office or the sheriff's non-emergency line to verify. Bench warrant records in Osceola County are public under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, the Sunshine Law. Anyone can look them up. Under Florida Statute 88.3051, a court can issue a bench warrant, capias, or writ of bodily attachment when someone does not appear after proper notice.

Osceola County Warrant Records Access

Bench warrants in Osceola County are public records. Florida's Sunshine Law, Chapter 119, makes court records available to anyone who asks. You do not need to be involved in the case. Some limits apply for juvenile records and sealed cases, but the vast majority of bench warrants in Osceola County are open for public review. The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association ties all 67 county clerk offices together, helping share bench warrant data across the state. Under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.730, the clerk or state attorney can prepare a direct capias to bring a defendant before the court.

Cities in Osceola County

Osceola County has several cities and communities. All bench warrants in the county are handled through the 9th Judicial Circuit Court in Kissimmee. Kissimmee is the only city in Osceola County with a population over 75,000.

Other places in Osceola County include St. Cloud, Poinciana, and Campbell. Bench warrants for residents of these areas are handled at the Osceola County courthouse in Kissimmee.

Nearby Counties

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