Using a Bail Bonding Company to Conduct a Warrant Search

It is estimated that at least five million Americans have open warrants on them issued at the state level. At the Federal level, that number is nearly one million and climbs every day. Considering how many open arrest warrants there are it's understandable that some people want to know whether there might be a warrant out for them related to some long-ago infraction. But how would they find out? The short answer is a warrant search. The slightly longer answer is using a bail bond agent to conduct a warrant search for you.

About Warrants

Arrest warrants are issued by a judge or magistrate and authorize the police or other law enforcement agency to take a person accused of a crime into custody. Warrants can be issued in relation to all manner of infractions from failing to pay a parking ticket to committing murder or failing to appear in court to face charges stemming from a prior arrest.

If you have reason to believe there may be a warrant out for your arrest it’s in your interest to find out before you get unexpectedly pulled out of your car and taken away in cuffs after a minor traffic violation. The best way to do that is to enlist the services of a bonding company to conduct a warrant search for you. There are several reasons why it’s smarter to use a bail company to conduct a warrant search as opposed to doing it yourself, and we’ll get into those now.

You may get arrested when conducting the search yourself

In many cases warrant information will be contained in public records held by local courts. Some of these may be accessible through the Internet, but in other cases, you may have to call the clerk of the court or the county clerk and inquire over the phone. Doing so yourself runs the risk you could slip up and let them know you are the person you're inquiring about, which would of course tip the court off to your presence. A better idea is to have a bail bond agent make any calls for you.

Some courthouses also allow people to check on warrants in person using court computers. This might seem like a very handy tool but by appearing in court to search for outstanding warrants you run the risk of being arrested on the spot and taken into custody.

The bondsman will understand the system better than you

Arrest warrants tend to vary depending on the county that issues them. For instance, an arrest warrant issued in Jefferson County may not be stored in the same way as one issued in Denver County. As a result, you may conduct a search of both county's records in the same manner and come away convinced you do not have any outstanding warrants, when in fact you do. The bail bond agent will be familiar with the vagaries of each county’s process and be able to conduct a more thorough and more accurate search.

The bondsman will be able to explain the warrant to you

Not only will a bail bond company have a better chance of uncovering a warrant, but they will also be able to explain the warrant to you. They’ll break down the charges, tell you if they are misdemeanor or criminal charges, and explain what sort of time you’re looking at if they are criminal charges. In addition, if the warrant is over misdemeanor charges there is a chance the warrant may have expired (warrants related to felonies do not expire). The bondsman can tell you if that is the case.

Also, if the warrant is for more serious charges there’s a chance the statute of limitations has expired on those charges and you may simply be released after turning yourself in. You should still turn yourself in though in order to prevent the kind of ugly situation we described earlier where you get stopped for some minor traffic violation and wind up being dragged away in cuffs.

The bail bondsman can help determine how much bail you’ll be facing

The bondsman will be able to assist you in estimating how much you will need in order to obtain bail after turning yourself in. Given, of course, that the statute of limitations has not nullified the charges. Knowing how much bail you’ll likely have to pay will help you plan your finances in advance, or perhaps secure a co-signer ahead of time. Either way knowing how much your bail will be and planning for it will allow you to minimize the amount of time you’ll spend behind bars after surrendering.

Having a bonding company conduct a warrant search will speed up processing

If the warrant search turns up an outstanding warrant and it seems likely the charges are still valid the bondsman can help you get your ducks in a row prior to turning yourself in so that you are processed and released on bail as quickly as possible. Prior to turning yourself in you can work with the bonding agent to fill out any necessary paperwork in advance, arrange a co-signer for the bond, arrange for legal counsel, and even arrange for the bondsman to go with you when you turn yourself in. Again, having them there will facilitate the process and get you released as quickly as possible.

Get in Touch With Tayler Made Bail Bonds

If you have reason to believe there may be an active arrest warrant with your name on it, resist the urge to research and resolve the issue yourself. Instead, get in touch with the team at Tayler Made Bail Bonds. We can conduct a warrant search for you and determine how much if any, hot water you are actually in. Don’t wait until you are dragged away from your unsuspecting loved ones in handcuffs. Contact us now and start the process of resolving the warrant.

And remember, for 24-hour bail bonds in Denver and elsewhere Tayler Made Bail Bonds are the ones to call.