Complete a Free San Diego County Warrant Search on Anybody

Perform a free San Diego County warrant search to see if you or anyone else has an active or outstanding warrant issued in their name.

Warrants can be issued for different reasons and are of various types (based on the nature of the offense). A warrant search can be carried out with the help of several official databases and agencies.

Citizens can also check if there is any kind of warrant issued for them and resolve it to clear their record. This article covers how to effectively and efficiently carry out a free warrant lookup in San Diego County, California.

Understanding the San Diego County Warrant Search Process

In San Diego County, warrants, including their complete details, are available to be viewed by anyone from the general public.

The California Public Records Act (Government Code Section 6250 et seq.) makes this availability possible as this specific statute allows common citizens to have access to government and court records.¹ Since warrants are primarily issued by the court, technically making them court records, they are also available to the general public.

A big reason why warrants are public records is to make citizens aware of the wanted individuals in the community. Law enforcement agencies encourage residents to help them arrest serious offenders and fugitives who have warrants issued for them.

However, in case the court has specifically ordered to seal particular case files that contain warrants, the said records won’t be available to common citizens without special court permission.

Before anyone starts their research, it’s also important to understand that warrants can be of different types, primarily based on the nature of the crime committed by the person. Some of the most common ones include arrest warrants, bench warrants, traffic warrants, search warrants, child support warrants, and child support warrants.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is the main government department that can aid individuals in searching warrants.² The sheriff’s department is responsible for carrying out the warrants, arresting wanted individuals, and presenting them before the court. Thus, it can provide citizens with warrant details.

Before initiating a warrant search in San Diego County, the researchers must know what kind of details are required to carry out a precise search on the subject, whether it is them or someone else. Primarily the searcher must know the full name of the subject individual, which includes the first name, the middle initial, and the last name.

Furthermore, other details such as date of birth, warrant number (if known), the subject’s address, current status, contact information, personal ID number, and case number can help narrow down the search for more precise results.

Look Up San Diego County Outstanding Warrants

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department has an online database that citizens can search to look up warrants in the county.

The online warrant search tool is free and can provide residents with active or outstanding warrants issued for anyone by the county courts. Residents can search for warrants through this tool by simply entering the name (partial or full first, middle, and last) of the subject.^{3, 4}

The search results page will have a complete list of warrants matching the name of the subject entered by the searcher. Primary details being shown on the list will include the full name of the wanted individual, sex, race/ethnicity, and date of birth.

Upon selecting the name, searchers will be able to view more details, including the subject’s physical description (height, weight, hair, and eye color), last known address, primary charge, type of crime, date of birth, issuance date, and the name of the court which issued the warrant.

The sheriff’s department’s database is online 24/7 and available free of cost for anyone who wants to search warrants (note that it is offline every Wednesday at noon for maintenance). Another important thing to note is that the database is updated by the department 4 times daily so that residents can have access to the most up-to-date records.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department also has a “Most Wanted List” displayed on its webpage that can be searched by residents for active warrants of serious offenders.⁵

As another option, interested citizens can choose to contact the San Diego Sheriff’s Department directly and request a warrant search.

San Diego County Sheriff’s Department 
John F. Duffy Administrative Center
9621 Ridgehaven Ct.
San Diego, California 92123

Phone: 858-565-5200

Residents can visit the sheriff’s office during regular office hours (8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday) and request a warrant search by providing primary details of the subject (full name, address, etc.) The Warrant Office can also be called at 858-974-2110 for a thorough search.

In case a written, detailed response is required to a warrant search, the resident will have to fill out a Records Service Request Form and submit it to the department either in person or through mail.⁶

A valid photo ID (driver’s license, passport, military ID, etc) must also be presented when submitting in person, or a copy must be attached if the request is being submitted by mail. The department will take around 3 – 10 business days to process the request and charges a fee of $14 for the service.

Types of Warrants & What They Stand For

As discussed earlier, warrants can be of different types, and these types have different meanings or are issued for different reasons. It is important that while searching for warrants, citizens know what each type means so they can better understand the charges mentioned in them. Also, any of these warrant types can be referred to as “active warrants,” which means that it has not yet been resolved.

Below are some of the most commonly issued warrants in San Diego County, California.

• Probation & Parole Violation Warrants – are passed by the court when a probationer or a parolee on conditional or early release violates the terms of their release.

• Traffic Warrants – are issued in relation to traffic offenses committed by people. For example, the court can issue a traffic warrant in case a citizen fails to pay tickets for too long.

• Arrest Warrants – permit the police or other security agencies to arrest someone based on solid suspicion that they might have committed a crime.

• Capias & Capias Pro Fine Warrants – are issued in matters when a party fails to comply with the court’s given orders or does not pay a fee or a fine that the court had issued.

• Child Support Warrants – are issued for divorced parents who don’t pay child support that the respected court ordered.

• Fugitive Warrants – are issued for runaways who have evaded authorities and escaped to another jurisdiction.

• Bench Warrants – are released for a person when they do not appear on a due court date. Its primary reason for issuance is to allow the police to bring the individual before the court.

• Search Warrants – are not issued for arrest but rather to grant legal permission to law enforcement agencies to search a specific private locality for evidence in relation to a crime.

How To Respond to an Outstanding Warrant in San Diego County California

In San Diego County, there are various ways to deal with an outstanding warrant.

If the warrant does not show “Mandatory Appearance” the person can choose to pay the outstanding fine, fee or bail by money order or in person to the relevant departments or the Clerk of the Court, the specific court location is displayed on the warrant.⁷

In case the warrant shows “Mandatory Appearance” the individual will have to appear before the court and request the warrant to be recalled within 10 days of paying the bail.

An attorney will have to be hired in case of serious charges as they can provide the person with the best legal route. As a last resort the person can also choose to surrender and turn themselves to the authorities voluntarily. To submit an anonymous tip on an individual with an active warrant, residents can call the San Diego Police Department at 858-534-4357.⁸

A thorough overview of how to conduct a San Diego County warrant search at no cost has been outlined in this brief resource; citizens can utilize this article to look up active or outstanding warrants issued for them or someone else.