You can check for an active warrant in Arkansas for free in two main ways: call the sheriff’s office or police department in the county where a warrant might have been issued, or search the Arkansas Judiciary’s online case portal. Both are no-cost, and between them they cover most state and county warrants. Neither covers federal warrants, and no single search catches everything, so if you’ve had legal matters in more than one county you’ll need to check each one.
Call the Sheriff or Local Police
The fastest free check is a phone call. Dial the non-emergency line for the sheriff’s office in the county where you think a warrant may exist, or the police department of the city involved. Give your full name and date of birth and ask whether any active warrants appear under your name. Most agencies will tell you over the phone.
Some Arkansas sheriff’s offices also publish active warrant lists on their websites. These usually show the person’s name, date of birth, the type of warrant, and sometimes the underlying charge. Not every county offers this, and the lists aren’t always updated in real time, so a phone call is more reliable than scrolling an online list and assuming your absence from it means you’re clear.
Warrants are jurisdiction-specific. One issued in Pulaski County won’t show up when you call Benton County. If your name could be on a warrant in more than one place, you have to check each county separately. There’s no central phone number that pulls warrants from every Arkansas jurisdiction at once.
Search the Arkansas Judiciary Case Portal
The Arkansas Judiciary runs a free public case search at caseinfo.arcourts.gov.1Arkansas Judiciary. Case Search You can look up court records statewide by name. The portal pulls from circuit court records and will show pending criminal cases, bench warrants tied to missed court dates, and case dispositions.
Results don’t always use the word “warrant” in plain view. Look for entries noting a failure to appear, a missed hearing, or a case status indicating the court has issued a warrant. If something looks ambiguous, note the case number and county.
Call the Circuit Clerk if the Portal Is Unclear
Circuit court clerks are the officials who actually issue warrants, summonses, and writs on behalf of the court.2White County, Arkansas. Circuit Clerk If your portal search leaves you uncertain, call the circuit clerk’s office in the county where the case is pending. They maintain the records of all pending cases and can confirm whether a bench warrant or arrest warrant is attached to a particular name or case number. This call is also free.
Know What a Warrant Is Before You Call
Two types of warrant are what you’re usually trying to find:
- An arrest warrant, which a circuit court judge, district court judge, or magistrate can issue when there are reasonable grounds to believe a person committed a crime. A prosecuting attorney can also file a sworn written information with the court to request one. Any law enforcement officer in Arkansas can execute an arrest warrant once issued.3Justia Law. Arkansas Code 16-81-104 – Warrant of Arrest Generally
- A bench warrant, which a judge issues when someone fails to appear for a scheduled court date, violates probation conditions, or ignores a court order.
Warrants in Arkansas do not expire. One issued five years ago carries the same legal weight as one issued yesterday and will surface any time law enforcement runs your name.
Where Free Searches Won’t Reach
A few situations fall outside the free state and county methods, and it’s worth knowing before you assume a clean search means you have nothing to worry about.
Statewide criminal history. For a broader record search, the Arkansas State Police runs an online criminal background check that costs $22 for a name-based search.4Arkansas State Police. Online Criminal Background Check System You need either a legal mandate or the signed consent of the person being searched to use it.5Arkansas Department of Public Safety. Criminal Background Checks The Arkansas Crime Information Center, despite its name, does not provide background checks directly to the public and will point you back to the State Police system.6Arkansas Department of Public Safety. Criminal History Forms – Arkansas Crime Information Center
Federal warrants. None of the state methods will show a federal warrant. Those are tracked through the U.S. Marshals Service’s Warrant Information System, which is restricted to law enforcement and not open to the public.7United States Marshals Service. Warrant Information System The FBI’s National Crime Information Center is similarly limited to criminal justice agencies.8Federation of American Scientists. National Crime Information Center – FBI Information Systems If you have reason to think a federal warrant exists, the realistic route is a criminal defense attorney, who can contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office or the federal court clerk in the relevant district.
Sealed warrants. Arkansas’s Freedom of Information Act generally makes warrants public, but undisclosed law enforcement investigations of suspected criminal activity are exempt from disclosure.9Justia Law. Arkansas Code 25-19-105 – Examination and Copying of Public Records A warrant tied to an active investigation can exist without appearing in any public search.
Skip the Third-Party “Free Warrant Search” Sites
Dozens of websites promise instant warrant searches by compiling public records. Accuracy is consistently poor. A warrant issued today may not reach a third-party database for weeks or months. A warrant that was recalled or resolved may still show as active. Making a decision as serious as whether to turn yourself in based on one of these results is a real risk.
Many of these sites also ask for your personal information, then push paid reports or subscriptions, and some retain and resell what you enter. The official channels above are both more accurate and genuinely free.
What to Do if You Find a Warrant
Don’t ignore it. Warrants don’t resolve on their own, and the longer one sits, the more likely you are to be arrested at a traffic stop, during a background check for a job, or in any other encounter where an officer runs your name. When an active warrant comes up, you’ll be arrested on the spot regardless of why the officer stopped you in the first place.
Contact a criminal defense attorney before you take any other step. An attorney can confirm what kind of warrant is outstanding, what it relates to, and how serious it is. In many cases they can arrange a voluntary surrender at a scheduled time rather than waiting for an unexpected arrest, which judges and prosecutors generally view favorably and which gives your attorney time to prepare arguments about bail and bond.
For bench warrants, an attorney can file a motion asking the court to recall or quash the warrant. If you missed court because of a genuine misunderstanding or emergency, the court may set a new hearing date without booking you into jail first. That path tends to move faster when a lawyer handles it than when someone walks into the courthouse alone.
Why Waiting Makes It Worse
Missing a court date in Arkansas isn’t just a procedural slip that triggers a bench warrant. Failure to appear is a standalone criminal offense, with penalties that scale to the seriousness of the original charge.10Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-54-120 – Failure to Appear
- Failing to appear on a pending felony case is a Class C felony, carrying up to 10 years in prison.
- Missing a revocation hearing for a felony probation or suspended sentence is a Class D felony.
- Failing to appear on a Class A misdemeanor is itself a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail.
- Failing to appear on a Class B or C misdemeanor is a Class B misdemeanor.
- Even missing court for a minor violation adds a Class C misdemeanor to your record.
The failure-to-appear charge doesn’t replace the original case. It stacks on top. Someone who skipped court on a misdemeanor can end up facing two charges instead of one, which is the single biggest reason to address a bench warrant quickly once your free search turns one up.