Perform a Free Harris County Warrant Search

Run a free Harris County warrant search to verify if you or anyone else is wanted for a crime.

There are many reasons why you might be interested in searching for active warrants; you may be concerned about a court proceeding or crime involving you or how a situation involving a loved one will play out.

This resource provides options to help the public search for warrant information seamlessly; the guidance below also empowers citizens to responsibly handle related legal matters and resolve warrants in Harris County, Texas.

A Synopsis of Checking Free Warrant Information in Harris County Texas

Concerned citizens running a search for warrants in Harris County should know that there are different tools they can use depending on what kind of court order they wish to find. In general, warrants are public records, and information about them is accessible to those who search for it.

The Texas Public Information Act determines that court documents and records that are relevant to the public remain available to be inspected and copied when needed.¹ Even though there are many different types of warrants that can be issued (which will be addressed below in this article), citizens should know they can search and find valuable information about them.

Individuals interested in uncovering warrant information – either for themselves or someone they know – can do so with the assistance of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office when their concern is a class A or B misdemeanor. Warrant searches for felony cases can be accessed with the help of the Harris County District Clerk, while some municipal ones can be found with the Houston Municipal Court.²

How to go about running searches using all of those tools (and more) will be addressed below.

How To Conduct a Harris County Warrant Search

There are a few different tools someone interested in searching for warrants in Harris County can use to be successful in their endeavor.

The first one (which should also be the first tool to use) is the online Warrant Search System provided by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Their page not only allows concerned citizens to find out if there’s an active warrant for themselves or someone they know, but it also provides valuable information about how to perform an effective search.

The Warrant Search System shows information about open warrants related to Class A and B misdemeanors. In Texas, Class A misdemeanors refer to crimes that may lead to up to 1 year in jail and $4,000 in fines. Class B misdemeanors, on the other hand, refer to crimes that carry a sentence of up to 180 days in jail and $2,000 in fines.

After agreeing with the terms of use, searchers are able to access the search page.⁴

There are two ways a proper search can be run using the Warrant Search System.

One alternative is to scroll down the list available on the initial search page. The list includes all active warrants in the county and is updated frequently.

Another way to search is to make inquiries by name or date of birth of someone who might have a warrant open against them. To start a search, users can use only a last name (when the first name isn’t known). The system is quite lenient and free to use.

Whatever form of search is chosen, when the individuals that are being searched are found, it’s possible to click on the “Select” button next to the case number. That will take the searcher to the details page and provide plenty of information regarding that occurrence: the full name of the offender, the reason for the warrant, some bond information (when available), etc.

If contacting the Harris County Sheriff’s Office becomes necessary, it’s important to keep in mind that anyone who contacts law enforcement having an open warrant is subject to being arrested on the spot. This may be avoidable, and that will address some options further in this article.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office contact information can be found below:⁵

Harris County Sheriff’s Office
1200 Baker St
Houston, TX 77002

Phone: 713.221.6000
Email: [email protected]

How To Access Warrant Information via the Harris County District Clerk

There’s a different tool that can be used to search for warrants related to felonies and misdemeanors in Harris County. Concerned individuals can look up warrant information with the Harris County District Clerk under the “Search our Records and Documents” tab on their website.⁷

There are two ways to search for information using the District Clerk’s resource. One option is to create an account to log in to the system.

Another is to search without creating an account. Both searches will yield different results.

When they opt not to create an account, searchers can run anonymous searches and look up the court docket. In that scenario, the search is done by date and case type and not by name.

In other words, it’s a more generic search. For example, individuals can search felony cases for a range of time and go over the results on that list – but they can’t search for a specific name to try and find a person they’re particularly interested in.

The results of those searches will reveal plenty of details about many cases, and searches will have to scroll the list to find their person of interest. On the top of each name, the “Defendant Status” field will show if there’s a warrant open against that person or if they’ve already been arrested or posted bond.

For those who decide to create an account (and it’s a very personal decision, undoubtedly), it’s possible to perform more assertive searches, allowing for more specific, targeted inquiries.

Creating an account is free, and requires that users share some personal information (their address, phone number, email, etc.). It’s also mandatory to create a password. After that, searchers are able to look up cases by name and other criteria that can be quite helpful in uncovering someone’s case status.

It’s possible, for instance, to search for “Warrant or citation issued” or “Warrant recalled”, to retrieve information that’s pertinent to the type of search that’s discussed in this article.

The results will always appear as a list that includes some details about the case: if it’s active (or inactive), what’s the charge, etc. By clicking on the case name, users are able to see more details, such as some of the person of interest’s physical characteristics, details about the case, if a bond amount has been established, and their last known address, among other things.

It’s very important to never attempt to arrest someone who has an active warrant against them, as those individuals may be dangerous and unstable. If anyone has information about them, the best advice is to contact law enforcement.

Still, if reaching out to the District Clerk is needed for support or more clarification on any particular warrant, this is how citizens can contact them:⁸

Harris County District Clerk
201 Caroline – Suite 420
Houston, TX 77002

Phone: 832.927.5800
Email: [email protected]

Last, but not least, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office warrant information page, the Houston Municipal Court also offers information and guidance relating to court orders against local citizens.

There isn’t much information on the best avenue to work with them, but this is their contact information should anyone think they may have a municipal active warrant:

Houston Municipal Court
Central Municipal Courts Building
1400 Lubbock St
Houston, TX 77002

Phone: 713.247.5479

Types of Warrants & What They Stand For

There are many different types of warrants that can be opened against one individual. In Texas, those seem to be the most common ones:

• Arrest Warrant: It is usually issued by a judge, authorizing law enforcement to arrest a person who committed a crime. Their crime can be a simple misdemeanor or a more serious felony. An arrest warrant is frequently the first step in a legal proceeding.
• Bench Warrant: In Texas, it usually refers to a court order to arrest someone. It happens most commonly when someone fails to appear in court on a set date while being tried for a crime they committed. People arrested on a bench warrant may face a second criminal charge, and that can potentially complicate their situation with the court.
• Search Warrants: When a search warrant is issued, the judge authorizes law enforcement to search an individual’s property and to seize it if they have reason to believe those items are connected to an ongoing investigation or court case.
• Blue Warrants: In Texas, when someone living on supervised freedom fails to comply with the conditions of their release, the judge issues a blue warrant. This warrant is for their arrest and may lead to their conditional release to be fully revoked. Someone arrested under a blue warrant must appear in court and explain why they failed to comply with the terms they had previously agreed to.

Readers should remember that an active warrant can be any kind of court order against a person. “Active” doesn’t refer to a particular type of warrant but only to the fact that it remains open and pending execution.

How To Get Rid of an Outstanding Warrant in Harris County Texas

It’s of utmost importance to be smart when dealing with an open warrant, especially if the goal is to try and avoid being arrested and having to wait for bail to be posted to be let out.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office has a Bonding Desk that’s open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to assist people in being released from jail or avoid being arrested altogether. This is their location:

Harris County Sheriff’s Office
Bonding Desk
700 N San Jacinto St
Houston, TX 77002

However, it’s important to always consider that someone with an active warrant against them might be arrested on the spot if they choose to contact law enforcement. There are smarter ways to approach this situation that could potentially avoid being arrested at all.

First of all, citizens should pay their fines. In many cases, it’s possible to conveniently make a payment online, avoiding dealing with law enforcement by phone or in person. Sometimes, setting up a court date and making a commitment to appear also eliminates the risk of being arrested.

Second, it’s always advisable to hire an attorney and seek reasonable counsel from them. Attorneys can, for instance, inquire about warrants with law enforcement without putting their clients at risk.

They also know how to navigate the court system to avoid an arrest. Having a good lawyer is certainly a safety net.

Last, if none of the options above work, people should consider turning themselves in. It’s better to face the situation at hand than try to avoid it and make it worse in the long run.

Turning themselves in is the solution, it’s recommended to communicate with family about what’s going on, have an attorney ready to step in and make arrangements with a bail bondsman. Those steps will make sure the individual being arrested stays in jail for as little time as possible.

Any time a concern arises about someone they care about and a potential court order is issued against them, citizens should feel free to run a Harris County warrant search. No one should ever hesitate to make use of the resources available to them to run searches and obtain valuable information.