Access Pinellas County Bench Warrants

Bench warrants in Pinellas County are issued by judges in the 6th Judicial Circuit when a person fails to appear in court or breaks a court order. Clearwater is the county seat. The Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office both track and serve these warrants. You can search for active bench warrants through the clerk's records system, the sheriff's warrants page, or the statewide FDLE database. Pinellas County is one of the most densely populated counties in Florida, and the courts process a very high volume of cases. This page lays out the main ways to find and address bench warrants here.

Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court

The Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court manages all court records in the county. Ken Burke, CPA, serves as the clerk. The main office is at 315 Court St. in Clearwater, FL 33756. You can call (727) 464-7000 for case questions or to ask about a bench warrant. The Pinellas County Clerk website has court record search tools and forms. The clerk staff can search for bench warrants by name or case number if you call or go in person. Pinellas County shares the 6th Judicial Circuit with Pasco County, so some systems and procedures overlap between the two counties.

For public records requests, the clerk offers access by mail, phone, or fax. The search fee is $2.00 per name per year searched. Copies cost $1.00 per page. Certification is $2.00 per document, and exemplification runs $7.00 per document. Credit card payments carry a 3.5% processing fee. These fees apply to bench warrant documents and other court records held by the Pinellas County Clerk.

Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge issues a bench warrant when probable cause exists and someone has failed to appear. In Pinellas County, the signed warrant goes into the clerk's system immediately. From there it feeds into the FCIC and NCIC databases, making it visible to law enforcement across Florida and beyond.

Pinellas County Sheriff Warrants

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office handles serving bench warrants and arrest warrants throughout the county. The main office is at 10750 Ulmerton Rd. in Largo, FL 33778. You can reach them at (727) 582-5865 or by email at prr@pcsonet.com. The Pinellas County Sheriff website has a warrants page that links to the FDLE Wanted Persons search. One thing to know is that the sheriff's warrants page does not search local Pinellas County warrants like parking ticket warrants. It searches statewide warrants through FDLE.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's warrants page is shown below.

If you need to check local Pinellas County warrants specifically, call the sheriff at (727) 582-5865 during business hours or contact the clerk's office. Under Florida Statute 901.04, bench warrants from Pinellas County are directed to all sheriffs in Florida. Any law enforcement officer in the state can serve one. The arrest can happen on any day, at any hour. There is no expiration and no time limit on execution.

Crime Stoppers of Pinellas also works with the sheriff on warrant-related tips. You can call TIPS (8477), go to crimestoppersofpinellas.org, or use the P3 Tips mobile app to share information.

Search Pinellas County Bench Warrants Online

The Pinellas County Clerk's website provides court records search tools where you can look up criminal cases that may include bench warrants. Search by name, case number, or filing date. Case details show charges, warrant status, and other relevant info. The system covers criminal, civil, traffic, and family court divisions. Keep in mind that brand new warrants may take a short time to appear since the database does not update in real time.

The Pinellas County Sheriff warrants page links directly to the FDLE Wanted Persons search for statewide warrant data. The FDLE database at fdle.state.fl.us pulls from all 67 Florida counties, including Pinellas. It updates every 24 hours. You can search by name or date of birth. The system covers arrest warrants, bench warrants, capias warrants, probation violation warrants, and fugitive warrants. FDLE warns the data should not be used as confirmation that a warrant is active. For the most current status, verify through the Pinellas County Clerk or Sheriff directly.

Note: The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association connects all 67 county clerks and shares bench warrant data through the eWarrants system across the state.

Bench Warrant Penalties in Pinellas County

Skipping court in Pinellas County leads to serious legal trouble. Florida Statute 843.15 makes failure to appear on a felony charge a third-degree felony. That means up to five years in prison. Missing a misdemeanor court date is a first-degree misdemeanor with up to one year in jail. These new charges stack on top of whatever case brought you to court in the first place. The bench warrant is a separate legal matter from the original charge. Now you have two problems.

Florida law treats bench warrants and search warrants very differently. Search warrants expire after 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05. Bench warrants never expire. A bench warrant from years ago in Pinellas County is still active. It shows up during traffic stops, license applications, and any run-in with law enforcement. Under Florida Statute 88.3051, a court can also issue a capias or writ of bodily attachment when someone fails to appear after proper notice in Pinellas County.

Resolving Pinellas County Bench Warrants

If you have a bench warrant in Pinellas County, get a lawyer involved before you do anything else. A criminal defense attorney can review the case, assess the charges, and figure out the best path forward. In many situations, an attorney can file a motion to quash the warrant. This works especially well for old cases or minor offenses. Turning yourself in voluntarily almost always produces better results than getting arrested on a traffic stop or at your door. You can surrender at the Pinellas County Jail 24 hours a day.

Steps you can take for a Pinellas County bench warrant:

• Hire an attorney to file a motion to quash or recall
• Turn yourself in at the Pinellas County Jail
• Call the sheriff at (727) 582-5865 for warrant info
• Contact the clerk at (727) 464-7000 for case status
• Use Crime Stoppers to submit tips about wanted persons

Watch for phone scams. Real law enforcement in Pinellas County will never call and demand money to make a bench warrant go away. No gift cards, no wire transfers, no phone payments. If someone calls with that kind of demand, hang up. Call the clerk's office or the sheriff to verify. All bench warrant records in Pinellas County are public under Florida's Sunshine Law, Chapter 119. 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 for sentencing or adjudication.

Cities in Pinellas County

Pinellas County has many cities and towns. All bench warrants in the county go through the 6th Judicial Circuit Court in Clearwater. Several cities in Pinellas County have populations over 75,000.

Other places in Pinellas County include Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Safety Harbor, and Seminole. Bench warrants for residents of these areas are processed through the Pinellas County courthouse in Clearwater.

Nearby Counties

These counties are near Pinellas County. Confirm your bench warrant is in the right county before taking action. Each county handles warrants through its own clerk and sheriff.