Find Bench Warrants in Sarasota County

Bench warrants in Sarasota County come from judges in the 12th Judicial Circuit when a person misses a court date or violates a court order. The Sarasota County Clerk of Court and the Sheriff's Office both play a part in tracking and serving these warrants. Sarasota is the county seat and home to the main courthouse. You can search for active bench warrants through the clerk's records system, the sheriff's office, or the statewide FDLE database. All bench warrants are public records under Florida law. This page explains where to search, what fees you may face, and how to resolve a bench warrant in Sarasota County.

Sarasota County Clerk of Court

The Clerk of Court in Sarasota County maintains all court case files, including bench warrants. The main office is at 2000 Main Street in Sarasota, Florida 34237. You can call (941) 861-7400 for general questions. The Sarasota County Clerk website has links to court records, forms, and public records request information. If you need to check on a bench warrant, the clerk staff can look it up by name or case number. Walk-in requests are handled during business hours at the main courthouse.

Sarasota County has specific fees for records searches. The search fee is $2.00 per name per year. Copies cost $1.00 per page. Certification is $2.00 per document. You can make public records requests by mail, phone, or fax. The mailing address for the Public Access Department is P.O. Box 3079, Sarasota, FL. You can also fax requests to 941-861-7738. These fees apply to bench warrant document copies and other court records held by the Sarasota County Clerk.

Under Florida Statute 901.02, a judge can issue a bench warrant when probable cause exists. In Sarasota County, warrants get entered into the clerk's system as soon as the judge signs them. Electronic signatures have been permitted on Florida warrants since July 2013.

Search Sarasota County Bench Warrants Online

Sarasota County provides online tools for searching court records and bench warrants. The clerk's court records database lets you look up cases by name, case number, or date. You can check if a bench warrant is active or has been served. The Sarasota County Sheriff also offers criminal history reports. The system gets updated on a regular schedule, so new warrants may take a short time to appear in search results.

The FDLE statewide database at fdle.state.fl.us is another way to check for Sarasota County bench warrants. The state system pulls data from all 67 Florida counties and gets updated every 24 hours. You can search by first name, last name, or date of birth. The FDLE database covers outstanding arrest warrants, failure to appear capias warrants, direct capias warrants, fugitive warrants, and violation of probation warrants. It is free to use and open to the public.

The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers website shows how clerk systems across the state are connected. The statewide Comprehensive Case Information System gives access to clerk case data from Sarasota County and all other Florida counties.

This statewide portal helps connect warrant data from Sarasota County to law enforcement agencies across Florida through the eWarrants system.

Sarasota County Sheriff and Warrants

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office serves bench warrants in the county. They are at 2071 Ringling Boulevard in Sarasota, Florida 34237. You can reach them at (941) 861-4000. The sheriff also provides criminal history reports for background checks. Under Florida Statute 901.04, any sheriff in the state can serve a bench warrant. That means a warrant from Sarasota County can be served in any other Florida county, and the arrest can happen at any time.

If you believe you have a bench warrant in Sarasota County, voluntary surrender is better than waiting to be picked up. You can turn yourself in at the county jail or contact the sheriff's office. The 12th Judicial Circuit covers Sarasota, DeSoto, and Manatee counties, so warrant information is shared across those offices. Sarasota County also has a property fraud alert system, which is separate from bench warrants but shows the range of public record tools the clerk provides.

Note: Bench warrants in Sarasota County do not expire and remain active until the person is arrested, the judge recalls the warrant, or the subject is deceased.

Sarasota County Bench Warrant Penalties

Missing a court date in Sarasota County has real consequences. Under Florida Statute 843.15, failure to appear on a felony charge is a third-degree felony. That carries up to five years in prison. Failure to appear on a misdemeanor charge is a first-degree misdemeanor with up to one year in jail. These charges are added on top of the original case. The bench warrant is a separate legal matter from whatever brought you to court in the first place. Sarasota County judges can also set additional bond conditions when a bench warrant is resolved.

Florida bench warrants do not expire. That sets them apart from search warrants, which must be executed within 10 days under Florida Statute 933.05. A bench warrant from years ago in Sarasota County is still valid today. It will show up during a traffic stop, at an airport, or during any law enforcement encounter. The warrant stays in the FCIC and NCIC databases until it is resolved. Under Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.730, the clerk or state attorney can prepare a direct capias to bring a person before the court.

Resolving Bench Warrants in Sarasota County

Finding out about a bench warrant in Sarasota County means you need to act. Talk to a criminal defense attorney first. A lawyer can review your case and help you decide the best path forward. They may file a motion to quash the warrant, especially for old or minor cases. Going to court on your own terms is almost always better than getting arrested without warning.

Steps to resolve a Sarasota County bench warrant:

• Hire an attorney to file a motion to quash or recall the warrant
• Turn yourself in at the Sarasota County Jail
• Contact the sheriff's office at (941) 861-4000
• Call the clerk's office at (941) 861-7400 for case status
• Check the FDLE database for warrant details

Beware of phone scams. Real law enforcement in Sarasota County will never ask you to pay over the phone to clear a bench warrant. Under Florida Statute 88.3051, a court can issue a bench warrant, capias, or writ of bodily attachment when a person does not appear after proper notice. All bench warrant records in Sarasota County are public under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, the Sunshine Law.

Cities in Sarasota County

Sarasota County has several cities and towns. All bench warrants in the county are handled through the 12th Judicial Circuit Court in Sarasota. North Port is the only city in Sarasota County with a population over 75,000.

Other places in Sarasota County include Sarasota, Venice, Englewood, Osprey, and Nokomis. Bench warrants for residents of these areas are handled at the Sarasota County courthouse.

Nearby Counties

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