Arizona does not operate a single warrant hotline. To check whether you have an active warrant, call the court that would have issued it, call the Arizona Department of Public Safety Public Services Center at (602) 223-2000, or run a free search by name and date of birth at azdps.gov/warrant-search. If your question is how to report someone else’s warrant, that’s a different line: Silent Witness takes anonymous tips 24 hours a day at 480-948-6377.
Numbers to Call to Check Your Own Status
The fastest answer comes from the court where your case was filed. Each county runs its own clerk’s office and its own phone lines, so there is no statewide court number.
- Maricopa County Superior Court: call the Criminal Department Information Desk at (602) 506-8575. The desk handles warrants issued by Superior Court judicial officers and can route you to the division that issued yours.1Maricopa County Superior Courts. Warrant Information
- Other counties: call the Superior Court, Justice Court, or Municipal Court clerk in the county where the case originated.
- Arizona DPS Public Services Center: (602) 223-2000. Choose option 2 for Records to ask about warrant information statewide.2Arizona Department of Public Safety. Public Services Center
Have your full legal name and date of birth ready. If a warrant exists, the person on the line can usually tell you what kind it is (a bench warrant for failure to appear, for example, or a formal arrest warrant), which court issued it, and whether a bond amount is attached. Ask for all three. That information determines what you do next.
The Online Warrant Search
The Arizona Department of Public Safety maintains a free online tool at azdps.gov/warrant-search. It takes a first name, last name, and date of birth and returns warrants reported by courts across the state.3Arizona Department of Public Safety. Warrant Search It’s a good first check, but it has a real limitation: not every court reports to the DPS database in real time. A clean result online does not guarantee you’re clear. If you have reason to believe a warrant exists (you missed a court date, a fine went unpaid, an officer mentioned one), call the specific court anyway.
Maricopa County residents can also use the Superior Court’s online Criminal Court Case Information search to look up a case by name, initials and date of birth, or case number.4Maricopa County Superior Court. Maricopa County Superior Court – Criminal Department The Arizona Judicial Branch’s self-service center also publishes general guidance on warrants and recommends contacting the issuing court directly to discuss options.5Arizona Judicial Branch. Warrants
What to Do If You Have an Active Warrant
Resolving a warrant on your own terms almost always goes better than being arrested on it. Judges tend to give voluntary surrenders more favorable bail treatment, and the right preparation can mean little or no time in custody.
Call an Attorney First
Before you walk into a courthouse or a police station, call a defense attorney who practices in the court that issued the warrant. A local attorney knows the clerks, the judges, and the local procedures. They can negotiate your surrender, line up bail in advance, and in some cases get the warrant resolved without you being booked at all.
An attorney can also file a Motion to Quash, which asks the judge to cancel the warrant. Typical grounds include never receiving notice of the court date, a medical emergency that kept you from appearing, or a procedural defect in how the warrant was issued. In Maricopa County, you or your attorney can file the motion in person by delivering copies to the assigned judge and the County Attorney, or by mail with prepaid return envelopes.6Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. Motion to Quash Warrant Procedures and Form Self-represented defendants can file the same motion, but an attorney measurably improves your odds.
Walk-In Court Appearances
Arizona courts allow walk-in appearances to clear a warrant tied to a failure to appear, but each courthouse sets its own policy on when it accepts them.7AZ Court Help. FAQ – Warrants – What Does It Mean to Quash a Warrant Some designate specific days for warrant resolution; others handle them as they come. Call the court ahead of time and ask. Showing up without checking can mean hours in a holding area or being told to return another day.
Voluntary Surrender With Bond Prepared
If the warrant has a bond attached, your attorney can coordinate the booking so bail is ready. You can post a cash bond for the full amount (refunded, minus fees, after you make your appearances) or use a bail bond agent, who typically charges a non-refundable premium of around 10 percent. Either way, having bond arranged before you surrender is what keeps a quick in-and-out from turning into a night or more in jail waiting for a hearing.
Why You Shouldn’t Wait
Warrants from criminal cases don’t expire on their own. They stay active until you resolve them, through surrender, a motion to quash, or an arrest. The narrow exception is a pre-charge arrest warrant under A.R.S. § 13-3897(A), which expires after 90 days unless a magistrate sets a shorter window.8New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Arizona Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 2.7 – Pre-Charge Arrest Warrants Standard bench warrants and post-charge arrest warrants have no such clock.
Waiting adds charges. If the underlying case was a misdemeanor, the failure to appear is itself a class 1 misdemeanor, carrying up to $2,500 in fines and six months in jail. Failing to honor a written promise to appear is a class 2 misdemeanor, with up to $750 in fines and four months in jail. If the original charge was a felony, the failure to appear is a class 5 felony, so you now face two felony cases instead of one.9Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 13 Criminal Code 13-2506
Waiting also costs you a license. The court can direct the Motor Vehicle Division to suspend your driver’s license immediately for a failure to appear, and driving on that suspension is a separate offense under A.R.S. § 28-3482.10Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 28-3482 – Driving on a License Suspended for Failure to Appear If you posted bail before missing court, the judge can revoke it and order the bond forfeited.
Beyond the legal penalties, an outstanding warrant sits in law enforcement databases. A routine traffic stop can end with an arrest at the roadside. Background checks for jobs that require a security clearance or government contract can flag it as well.
Reporting Someone Else’s Warrant
If you’re looking for a tip line because you know where a wanted person is, that’s Silent Witness. It’s a nonprofit that has worked with Arizona law enforcement since 1979 and takes anonymous tips about fugitives and felony crimes around the clock.11Silent Witness. Silent Witness
- 480-WITNESS (480-948-6377): primary tip line
- 480-TESTIGO (480-837-8446): Spanish-language line
- 1-800-343-TIPS (1-800-343-8477): toll-free statewide line
Tips can also be submitted at silentwitness.org.12Silent Witness. Contact – Silent Witness When you call, you’re given a code number that replaces your name throughout the investigation. No one asks for your identity, and no identifying information is stored. Useful tips include the person’s current location, daily routines, vehicle description, and known associates. Silent Witness pays cash rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to a felony arrest or indictment, and up to $2,000 in homicide cases, collected using your code number.11Silent Witness. Silent Witness