To check if you have a warrant in Indiana, start with the state’s free courts portal at mycase.in.gov and search your name; an orange “W” next to a case number means an active warrant is attached to a party on that case. You can also check your county sheriff’s website, call the sheriff’s office directly, request a Limited Criminal History report from the Indiana State Police, or have an attorney search confidentially on your behalf. Which method fits you depends on how much you already suspect and how worried you are about being arrested while you look.
Search Mycase.in.gov First
The Indiana Courts Portal at mycase.in.gov is the fastest, cheapest place to start. It’s free, open around the clock, and pulls from courts across the state that use the Odyssey case management system.1Indiana Judicial Branch. Odyssey Case Management System
- Go to mycase.in.gov and choose “Search by Party.”
- Enter only your last name and first name on the first pass. Adding a middle name or date of birth right away can hide records filed under slight name variations.
- Scan the results for an orange “W” next to any case number. That flag means there’s an active warrant on a party in that case.2IN.gov. Conducting Local Criminal Court Record Checks
- Click into the case to confirm the warrant belongs to you. If your name is common, match the date of birth or other identifiers before assuming it’s yours.
One limitation matters: mycase.in.gov only shows courts on the Odyssey system. Some smaller city and town courts don’t feed into it. If you think a warrant might come out of a specific municipal court, contact that court directly.
County Sheriff’s Offices and Local Police
Many Indiana county sheriff’s offices post active warrant lists on their websites, often under a “warrants” or “most wanted” heading. Some let you search by name on the page itself.
You can also call the sheriff’s office or a local police department and ask. Have your full legal name, date of birth, and any prior names ready. Departments aren’t required to confirm warrant information over the phone, and practices vary — some will tell you, some won’t.
The clerk’s office at your local courthouse can pull case records in person and tell you what’s attached to your name. If you already suspect which court issued the warrant, that’s where to go. The obvious risk of walking in is that if a warrant exists, you can be arrested on the spot. Most people who are genuinely unsure prefer to check online or through an attorney first.
Indiana State Police Limited Criminal History
The Indiana State Police sells a Limited Criminal History report that covers felony and Class A misdemeanor arrests within the state.3Indiana State Police. Get Limited Criminal History It isn’t a dedicated warrant search, but open warrants tied to those cases can show up.
Order it online or by mail. Online costs $16.32 ($7.00 state fee plus a $9.32 processing fee) and comes back faster. Mail costs $7.00 by money order payable to the State of Indiana.4Indiana State Police. ISP Fees You’ll need to give your name, date of birth, race, and gender. Because the search runs on name rather than fingerprints, accuracy of the identifiers matters.
Have an Attorney Check for You
If you’re worried that asking around will draw attention, a criminal defense attorney is the safest option. A lawyer can search court databases, contact the prosecutor’s office, and make inquiries with law enforcement without exposing you to arrest, and those conversations are protected by attorney-client privilege.
The real payoff shows up if a warrant does exist. An attorney can file a motion asking the court to recall the warrant, and if that’s denied, request a combined bond review and surrender hearing so you turn yourself in and see a judge the same day instead of sitting in jail waiting.
Federal Warrants Aren’t in These Systems
Everything above covers Indiana state and local warrants. Federal warrants live in a separate system. The U.S. Marshals Service runs the Warrant Information System, but access is restricted to law enforcement and there is no public portal.5U.S. Marshals Service. Warrant Information System Federal warrants won’t appear on mycase.in.gov or in county sheriff records. If you think one might exist, an attorney can make inquiries through the federal court system on your behalf.
What Kind of Warrant Might Turn Up
The label on the warrant tells you how urgent the situation is.
An arrest warrant is issued by a judge after a prosecutor files criminal charges and the court finds probable cause. It authorizes any officer in the state to take you into custody.6Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-33-2-1 – Grounds; Indictment or Information
A bench warrant comes directly from a judge, usually because you missed a court date, didn’t pay a court-ordered fine, or violated a condition of release. These are the most common warrants people find during a self-search. The underlying case can be anything from an unpaid traffic ticket to a pending criminal matter, and once issued, a bench warrant works like an arrest warrant.
A body attachment warrant comes from a civil case, most often when a debtor ignores repeated orders to appear for asset disclosure. These expire 180 days after issuance.
Do Warrants Expire?
It depends on the charge. A misdemeanor arrest warrant expires 180 days after issuance, but it can be reissued, so expiration alone doesn’t clear you. A felony arrest warrant never expires, and a rearrest warrant for any offense never expires either.7Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-33-2-4 – Expiration; Reissuance An old felony warrant will still be waiting for you.
What to Do If You Find One
Once you confirm a warrant exists, there are three paths, roughly in order of preference.
Motion to Recall
The best outcome is getting the warrant canceled before you’re ever in custody. Your attorney files a motion to recall, and the judge weighs whether you’re a flight risk, whether you’re a danger to the community, and — if the warrant came from a missed court date — whether you had a legitimate reason. Steady employment, family ties, and stable housing help. If the judge grants it, the court sets a new hearing and you stay out of jail.
Combined Bond Review and Surrender
If recall is denied, the next move is a motion for a combined bond review and surrender. You appear in court, turn yourself in on the warrant, and a judge immediately reviews your bond in the same appearance. If bond is set and met, you can leave the same day instead of waiting days in custody for a hearing.
Voluntary Surrender
If both motions are denied, or you’re handling this without a lawyer, you can surrender at the county jail. Some warrants carry a preset bond you can post during booking; others, especially on serious felonies or probation violations, are “no bond” warrants that require a judge to hold a hearing before release. The clerk’s office or an attorney can usually tell you which you’re dealing with before you go in.
What Ignoring a Warrant Costs
Warrants don’t expire away quietly, and the practical costs of ignoring one compound.
The immediate risk is being arrested at the worst possible moment. Officers run names during traffic stops, and an active warrant surfaces right there. A broken tail light can end with you in the back of a cruiser, and because the warrant follows you, an officer in any Indiana jurisdiction can execute it.
Failing to appear in court on a criminal case is also a separate crime. If the original charge was a misdemeanor, failure to appear is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $5,000. If the original charge was a felony, failure to appear is a Level 6 felony carrying six months to two and a half years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. That penalty stacks on top of the underlying case, and it’s no defense that you were never convicted of the original charge.8Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 35-44.1-2-9 – Failure to Appear
An active warrant can also complicate driver’s license renewal, employment and housing background checks, and travel. And the longer a warrant sits, the less patient a judge tends to be when you finally do appear.