Conduct a free San Bernardino County warrant search to check whether or not there’s an outstanding or active summon or arrest order released for you or someone you know.
Such a search can be carried out using various official sources and agencies and can provide the researcher with a great deal of information, including the type that was issued, where and when it was issued, the nature of the offense committed by the subject, and the name of the court that initiated it.
Furthermore, a warrant search can indicate individuals wanted by the courts or law enforcement agencies. This resource gives interested parties an overview of how to execute a search for San Bernardino County, California, warrants without stress or fees.
A Look at What’s Needed To Check Warrants in San Bernardino County for Free
San Bernardino County falls under certain statutes that allow access to warrant records to the general public. Primarily, the California Public Records Act (Government Code Section 6250 et seq.) allows the general public access to court records, including warrant details.1
According to this statute, anyone can search and request warrant details on themselves or a subject from the relevant government departments, and the offices will be obliged to provide said records.
Warrant details are also made available to the public for safety reasons so that they may be aware of wanted individuals in their localities and provide law enforcement agencies with information if they happen to spot them.
In special cases, however, in which the court has specifically ordered to seal the case records for any reason whatsoever, those specific warrant records won’t be available to the public without special permission from the court.
Warrants can be issued for a variety of reasons and allow the police or any other relevant law enforcement agency to arrest the individual. The courts are the basic entities that release warrants for people based on substantial evidence. Other than that, in a few cases, law enforcement agencies can also release warrants for offenders.
Warrants can be of different kinds, based on the circumstances of the case or the type of offense committed by the individual, such as search warrants, arrest warrants, bench warrants, child support warrants, traffic warrants, etc., the details of these types will be discussed later on.
There are two primary agencies that can provide interested residents with warrant details in San Bernardino County. These agencies are the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, and the county’s Superior Court.2
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is the main law enforcement agency that is responsible for putting into action the warrants issued by the courts (arresting named individuals). The department can provide interested residents with active or outstanding warrants issued for them or someone else.
Additionally, the San Bernardino County Superior Court also allows public access to court records, which can contain warrants issued in specific cases.
To look up warrants through the aforementioned agencies, the researching citizen must at least know the full name of the subject. The full name should comprise the first name, last name, and middle initial.
Other details such as the subject’s date of birth, current location, current status, age, contact information, personal ID number, and the name of the court that issued the warrant can help narrow down the search and obtain more precise results.
How To Determine Who’s Wanted via a San Bernardino County Warrant Search
The primary agency that can help residents determine if they or someone they know has an active or outstanding warrant released for them is the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
The department does not provide an online source or database to search warrants in the county (it does have an inmate locator, but that tool does not provide warrant details). However, residents can still contact the sheriff’s department directly and request warrant information; their contact details are as follows:
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
655 E. 3rd Street
San Bernardino, California 92415-0061
Phone: (Desert) 760-956-5001, (Valley) 909-387-8313
Email Address: [email protected]
For in-person visits, the sheriff’s office is open from 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday (note that it is closed during weekends and public holidays). Any person can visit the office during these hours and request warrant records by providing the staff with primary details of the subject. The department can also be contacted for warrant information at the aforementioned phone number.
As another option, interested parties can also search for warrants through the Superior Court of California in San Bernardino County. The court has an online public portal that can be used to search warrants for free.3 Interested citizens can search case records (containing warrants) through a case number, citation number, or party name (the name of the subject).
The case number and citation search are available for everyone; however, to search cases through party names, citizens must register themselves on the tool using a valid email address and phone number.
The tool can provide a wide range of details such as warrant issuance date, the court that issued it, the nature of the offense committed by the individual, as well as other primary details. There is also an FAQ page in case residents face any difficulty in accessing the search tool or have other queries. Furthermore, the superior court locations across the county can also be visited in person for the records.
To look up warrants in San Bernardino City, the most populated city of the county, researchers can contact the City Police Department using the details below:5
San Bernardino City Police Department
710 North D Street
San Bernardino, CA 92401
Phone: (909)384-5742 or (909)383-5311
The department is open for in-person visits from 9 AM – 4 PM Monday through Friday, and residents can visit it during said hours and request a warrant search. Furthermore, warrant details can also be requested by phone by calling the aforementioned phone number and providing primary details of the subject.
Types of Warrants & Their Definitions
Different types of warrants are issued in San Bernardino County on the basis of the nature of the crime committed by the individuals. Some of the most common types of warrants are listed below. Searchers must keep in mind that any of these warrants can be referred to as active warrants which means they have not yet been executed.
Arrest Warrants: Arrest warrants allow law enforcement agencies to arrest a person upon suspicion (which is based on evidence) of committing a crime.
Search Warrants: Search warrants permit the police or other law enforcement agencies to look for evidence of a crime at a particular place.
Traffic Warrants: Traffic warrants are issued by the court in relation to traffic offenses.
Probation & Parole Violation Warrants: These types of warrant are issued for individuals who violate the terms of their probation or parole release. They can either do so by committing a new crime, escaping authorities, or failing to show up on due appointments.
Capias & Capias Pro Fine Warrants: These are issued for individuals who don’t comply with the court’s orders or don’t pay a court-issued fine.
Fugitive Warrants: Released for fugitives who have run away to a different jurisdiction.
Bench Warrants: Issued for individuals who are unable to present themselves before the court on due date and time.
Child Support Warrants: Child support warrants are released for a person when they fail to pay child support.
How To Get Rid of an Outstanding Warrant in San Bernardino County California
There are multiple ways to get rid of an outstanding warrant in San Bernardino County. However, before anything, it is important that the citizen understands the type of warrant issued in their name as well as its meaning.
Primarily – in case of minor demeanors, traffic offenses, and fines – residents can visit the court that issued the warrant in person and pay the fine or ticket or request that it be recalled.6 Furthermore, they can also choose to set up a court date voluntarily.
However, in case of more serious offenses, it is advised that an attorney be hired as they can give the best legal advice and provide the individual with possible options as to what can be done to get rid of the warrant. As a last option, the offender can also, after proper consultation with family and friends, surrender themselves to the authorities.
To submit an anonymous tip for someone with an active warrant in San Bernardino County, give a call to the county police department at 800-782-7463.
This article covers complete details on how to conduct a San Bernardino County warrant search free of charge by using various government-level lookup tools and methods; interested individuals can utilize the steps within this resource to check whether or not they or another person is wanted.
References
1California Tax Credit Allocation Committee. (n.d.). Government Code Section 6250-6270. Retrieved March 7, 2024, from <https://www.treasurer.ca.gov/ctcac/compliance/manual/appendix1/code.pdf>
2San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved March 7, 2024, from <https://wp.sbcounty.gov/sheriff/about-us/>
3San Bernardino County Superior Court. (2024). Court Access Portal. Retrieved March 7, 2024, from <https://cap.sb-court.org/search>
4San Bernardino County Superior Court. (2024). Quick Search. Retrieved March 7, 2024, from <https://cap.sb-court.org/dashboard>
5City of San Bernardino. (n.d.). Police Department. Retrieved March 11, 2024, from <https://www.sbcity.org/City_Hall/Police_Department>
6Judicial Council of California. (n.d.). Find Your Court. Retrieved March 11, 2024, from <https://www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm?query=San%20Bernardino>