Nevada Warrant Search: How to View Nevada Warrants Online and Offline

Warrants are a valuable part of the legal process, which sometimes results in an arrest. When a warrant is issued against an individual, it means that he/she is suspected of committing a crime. 

Like other legal documents, arrest warrants are maintained by official agencies in every state. If you reside in Nevada and which to perform a Nevada warrant search, here is what you need to know about the process: 

What to Know About Nevada Warrants

Warrants are documents that authorize law enforcement officers to perform ostensibly invasive actions such as arresting and detaining an individual or searching and seizing their property. 

These actions would ordinarily be in violation of a person's constitutional rights, so warrants are neither issued nor executed lightly.

For Nevada warrants to be obtained, the affiant must submit a written affidavit to a competent court in the state. 

The affidavit must state clearly the offense of which the subject is accused, and provide justifiable reasons (known as probable cause) why they can dependably be suspected of committing the offense. 

The petition is to be filed under oath and under penalty of perjury if any part of the affiant's claim is found to be untrue.

Once a warrant is issued in Nevada, it becomes a judicial order that only the arrest of the warrant's subject can fulfill. 

If the committed offense is trivial, however, a judicial officer may issue a summons in lieu of a warrant. 

Peace officers are responsible for the execution of warrants in Nevada, and in some cases, they're permitted to cross county and even state boundaries to execute them.  

Types of Warrants in Nevada

The three types of warrants that are most commonly issued by judges in Nevada are arrest warrants, bench warrants, and search warrants. 

Arrest Warrants in Nevada

In Nevada, law enforcement officers are permitted to arrest offenders immediately if they witnessed them in the act of committing the offense. 

Law enforcement officers who were not at the scene of a crime, but need to take a suspect into custody can only do so with a warrant. Therefore, a warrant is an official document that permits police officers to arrest and detain an offender.

Law enforcement officers requesting the issuance of an arrest warrant from a Nevada court must first establish the existence of probable cause why someone of a sound disposition will come to the conclusion that the subject of the warrant is guilty of the offense of which they're accused.

Only courts that have the jurisdiction to try the crime mentioned in the warrant of arrest petition may issue an arrest warrant for it. 

Nevada Bench Warrants Search 

Bench warrants are issued by courts to compel an offender who has skipped bail, refused to pay court-issued fines, or disobeyed court orders in other ways to appear before the court.

Although subjects of bench warrants are usually not actively pursued by police officers, they may find themselves getting arrested anywhere they encounter law enforcement officers. 

People who have bench warrants issued against them may also have their driver's license suspended by the DMV. 

Search Warrants in Nevada

Nevada search warrants allow law enforcement officers to enter private properties, search the location or property, and seize specific items that may be used as evidence in a future trial. 

Courts in Nevada need to establish the existence of probable cause before a petition for a search warrant is granted. 

That is, law enforcement officers requesting the search warrant need to convince the court that there is justifiable reason to suspect that illegal materials or activity can be traced to that location or property.

Search warrants must specifically state the items to be searched or seized or they may be deemed invalid. However, law enforcement officers may perform warrantless searches in a few cases. 

How to Find Warrants in Nevada

Nevada is a closed records state, so some warrant records (particularly third-party warrant records) can be hard to find through official means. Nevertheless, you can find Nevada warrants in the following places:

Nevada Warrant Search: Nevada Department of Public Safety

You can find out if you have any outstanding warrants against you by carrying out a personal background check from the Department of Public Safety in Nevada. 

To do this, you'll need to fill out the request form on the agency's website, then mail it, along with a $21 check or money order, to the Department of Public Safety at 333 West Nye Lane, Suite 100, Carson City, NV 89706. 

Warrant Search Nevada: County and City Websites

Law enforcement in some cities and counties in Nevada provides warrant search directories and online databases with which residents can find warrant information. 

To use these resources, you'll need to provide your full name and your social security number.

Nevada Warrant Search: Local Law Enforcement

One of the easiest ways to find pending warrants in Nevada is to visit your local law enforcement department and ask about warrant information relating to a specific person. 

Note that you may end up getting arrested immediately if a warrant against you exists. 

Warrant Search Nevada: Local Courts

Local courts in Nevada keep records of warrants issued in them. Residents of Nevada may visit a court nearest to them and inquire about their current warrant status.