Anaheim Warrant Records

Active warrants in Anaheim are issued by Orange County Superior Court and served by the Anaheim Police Department. Warrant records include arrest warrants from criminal cases and bench warrants for missed court dates or unpaid fines. Orange County offers an online warrant search system that covers Anaheim and all other cities in the county. You can use this tool to check if you have a warrant. If you prefer to check in person, you can visit the Anaheim Police Department during business hours. The police can search the county database and tell you if any warrants show up in your name. Bring valid ID when you go.

Orange County Online Warrant Search

Orange County runs a public online warrant search at ws.ocsd.org/ArrestWarrants. This system covers all cities in Orange County, including Anaheim. The Central Warrant Repository houses about 125,000 outstanding warrants for the county. The search tool is free and easy to use. You enter a last name and first name. The system shows any active warrants that match.

The warrant search shows the charge, the case number, and the bail amount. It also lists the issuing court. Most warrants in Anaheim come from the North Justice Center in Fullerton or the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana. Use the case number to look up more details at the court. Keep in mind that this search may not include very recent warrants. It can take a day or two for a new warrant to appear in the database after a judge signs it.

The system warns you not to try to make an arrest based on this info. Only sworn law enforcement can serve warrants. If you see a warrant in someone else's name, do not confront them. Call the police or sheriff instead. Misuse of warrant info can lead to civil or criminal liability under California law.

For more info on how Orange County handles warrants, see the Orange County warrant records page. That page has details on the Central Warrant Repository, how to turn yourself in, and how to post bail on a warrant.

Anaheim Police Department Warrant Checks

The Anaheim Police Department is at 425 South Harbor Boulevard. The station is open seven days a week from 6:00 AM to 6:30 PM. This is one of the few police departments in California that keeps lobby hours on weekends. You can walk in on a Saturday or Sunday to ask about warrants or request police reports. The Records Bureau handles all public records requests, including warrant checks.

When you visit for a warrant check, bring a valid photo ID like a driver's license or state ID card. The staff will search the Orange County Sheriff system. This is the same database you can search online. If a warrant comes up, the officer may arrest you on the spot. Whether they do depends on the type of warrant and the bail amount. For minor bench warrants, they might let you go and tell you to go to court. For serious felony warrants, you will be taken into custody right away.

If you want to turn yourself in on a warrant, call ahead to ask what time is best. Some stations have a warrant desk that handles surrenders during specific hours. The Anaheim PD can tell you if you need to go to the county jail instead. For high bail warrants, the jail in Santa Ana may be a better place to turn yourself in because they can process bail payments faster.

The Anaheim Police Records Bureau also handles requests for arrest reports and booking records. If you were arrested in Anaheim, you can get a copy of the report here. The fee depends on what you need and how many pages the report has. Ask at the counter for a fee schedule.

How Warrants Work in Anaheim

When a judge in Orange County Superior Court issues a warrant for someone in Anaheim, the warrant goes to the Orange County Sheriff. The sheriff runs the Central Warrant Repository at 320 North Flower Street in Santa Ana. This office stores all active warrants for the county. Local police in Anaheim can access this system any time. When they run your name during a traffic stop or other contact, the warrant will show up. At that point, they must arrest you.

Bench warrants are the most common type in Anaheim. They happen when you miss a court date or fail to pay a fine. Traffic court is a big source of bench warrants. California Vehicle Code section 40508 makes it a crime to willfully fail to appear on a traffic citation. If you do not show up, the court can issue a bench warrant within 20 days under Vehicle Code section 40515. Once the warrant is active, you can be arrested any time.

Arrest warrants come from criminal cases. Police ask a judge to sign an arrest warrant when they have proof you committed a crime but you are not in custody yet. The judge reviews the facts and signs the warrant if there is probable cause. California Penal Code sections 813 through 829 cover the rules for arrest warrants. The warrant must say what crime you are charged with and how much bail is set. Police can serve the warrant at your home, your job, or anywhere they find you.

Both types of warrants stay active until you deal with them. They do not expire. Even old warrants from years ago are still valid. If you think you might have an old warrant from Anaheim, use the online search to check. Then contact the court to find out how to clear it.

Clearing Warrants in Anaheim

To clear a warrant in Anaheim, you need to handle it through Orange County Superior Court. The court has several locations. Cases in Anaheim usually go to the North Justice Center in Fullerton or the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana. Call the court at the number on your paperwork to find out which branch has your case. If you do not have paperwork, use the online warrant search to get the case number. Then call the court and give them that number.

For bench warrants, you can often schedule a court date without being arrested. Call the criminal clerk at the court. Tell them you have a bench warrant and want to surrender. They will give you a date and time to appear. Show up on that date and check in with the clerk. The judge will call your case and decide what happens next. You may have to post bail or you may be released on your own promise to come back.

For arrest warrants with high bail, you might need to turn yourself in at the Orange County Jail. The main jail is at 550 North Flower Street in Santa Ana. Bring ID and be ready to be booked. You will be fingerprinted and photographed. Then you can post bail if the amount is not too high. Bail can be paid with cash, a credit card, or a bail bond. If you use a bond, you pay a bondsman about ten percent of the bail amount. They post the full amount for you.

Some warrants say "no bail." This means you must stay in custody until you see a judge. The jail will schedule a court date for you, usually within a few days. At that hearing, the judge will set bail or release you on your own. If you have a no bail warrant, talk to a lawyer before you turn yourself in so you know what to expect.

Note: Turning yourself in is better than being arrested at a bad time, like at work or in front of your family.

Orange County Courts Serving Anaheim

Anaheim residents use Orange County Superior Court for all criminal and traffic cases. The county has four main courthouses. The North Justice Center in Fullerton handles many Anaheim cases. The Central Justice Center in Santa Ana is the main courthouse for the county. The West Justice Center in Westminster and Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach serve other parts of the county.

The North Justice Center is closest to Anaheim. The address is 1275 North Berkeley Avenue in Fullerton. Phone is (657) 622-7000. This courthouse has criminal, traffic, and civil divisions. If your warrant is from a traffic case, this is likely where you need to go. Call the traffic division to ask about your case.

The Central Justice Center in Santa Ana is the biggest courthouse in the county. Address is 700 Civic Center Drive West. Phone is (657) 622-8440. Felony cases and serious crimes are handled here. If your warrant is for a felony, you will probably have to appear at this location. The court has a criminal clerk window where you can ask about your case and find out what steps to take.

Both courts have online case search tools. You can look up your case by name or case number. This helps you find out what charges you face and when your next court date is. The case info may not show the warrant itself, but it will show if you have a failure to appear or a missed date.

Legal Help for Anaheim Warrants

If you cannot afford a lawyer, you may qualify for a public defender. Orange County Public Defender has offices at the main courthouses. When you first appear in court on a warrant, tell the judge you need a public defender. You will fill out a form about your income and assets. If you qualify, the judge will appoint a public defender to your case. This lawyer will represent you for free.

Legal Aid Society of Orange County offers help for civil cases, not criminal defense. They focus on housing, family law, and consumer issues. If your warrant is tied to a civil matter, like contempt of court in a family case, they might be able to help. Call them at (800) 834-5001 to see if your case fits their programs.

The California Courts Self-Help website has guides for understanding warrants and court procedures. Visit selfhelp.courts.ca.gov to read about how to look up cases and what to do if you have a warrant. The site has step-by-step instructions for many court processes. It is a good place to start if you want to learn before you go to court.

Nearby Orange County Cities

Other cities near Anaheim in Orange County also use the county warrant system and Superior Court. If you need to check warrants in multiple cities, the same online search works for all of them.

• Santa Ana - County seat with the main courthouse and Central Warrant Repository
• Fullerton - North of Anaheim, home to North Justice Center
• Irvine - South of Anaheim with its own police department
• Huntington Beach - Coastal city west of Anaheim

All these cities use the Orange County online warrant search. You can check all of them in one place by searching your name on the county system.