North Carolina Warrant Search: How to Find Warrants in North Carolina

The best time to deal with a North Carolina warrant is immediately after it has been issued against you. Then, you may have full control over your situation, and the repercussions of your offense may be relatively mild. 

On the contrary, letting a warrant fester on your record may result in stiffer punishment when law enforcement agents have an opportunity to discover it. North Carolina warrants do not typically expire.

Having said that, it’s possible to have a warrant on your record without having any knowledge whatsoever of it. That’s why it’s advisable to periodically perform a warrant search to know your warrant information in North Carolina.

If you’re interested in doing just that, we’ve explained how in this guide.

North Carolina Warrants Explained

Warrants are important instruments for the dispensation of justice and the maintenance of law and order in North Carolina. They are court-issued documents that provide legal backing to law enforcement officers to arrest and detain offenders, search properties or residences of people listed on the warrants, and seize items suspected of being used to perpetrate a crime. 

For the most part, law enforcement officers would be unable to perform any of these actions without a warrant.

Courts in North Carolina issue a variety of warrants based on the judicial officer’s reading of the situation and their determination of the appropriate warrant for the situation. An arrest warrant, however, may only be issued to law enforcement, and only law enforcement officers in North Carolina may execute warrants.

Before a judge approves the issuance of a warrant, the requester must submit an affidavit providing the name of the offender, details of the offense, and probable cause of why the offense is a crime and worth arresting the subject for. The court will issue a warrant after probable cause has been established beyond any reasonable doubt.

Warrants in North Carolina take effect right away after being approved by a competent judge. Law enforcement officials have a duty to carry out active warrant executions as soon as feasible, frequently without informing the subjects of the warrants. 

When serving warrants, peace officers occasionally go across county and state lines.

Types of Warrants in North Carolina

Judges in North Carolina may issue search warrants, arrest warrants, or bench warrants, depending on which is most appropriate for the circumstances:

North Carolina Arrest Warrants

The ability to arrest and hold the subject of an arrest warrant is granted through court-issued documents known as arrest warrants. In North Carolina, a judicial officer normally only releases arrest records to law enforcement officers after establishing probable cause. 

Officers must present a sworn affidavit outlining the details of the crime when they ask for an arrest warrant. In North Carolina, an arrest warrant must include both the accused's name and the judge who issued it.

North Carolina Search Warrants

A search warrant enables a law enforcement officer to enter the home or property indicated on the order and seize particular things to be used as evidence in the course of an investigation. 

In North Carolina, the establishing of probable cause and the presenting of a sworn declaration are the foundations upon which judicial officials issue search warrants. North Carolina warrants typically expire after 48 hours.

North Carolina Bench Warrants

Bench warrants are issued by judges in North Carolina to compel their subjects to appear in court. They are often issued against people who hold the court in contempt by either refusing to pay court-mandated fines or failing to show up in court for a scheduled trial.

How to Find Warrants in North Carolina

Warrants in North Carolina can be accessed via the following methods:

North Carolina State Bureau of Information

Performing a personal background check can reveal outstanding warrants and the North Carolina SBI is perfect for this task. To request a personal criminal background check, you must write to the Criminal Information and Identification Section of the SBI.

Next, you’ll need to obtain a complete set of your fingerprints from a law enforcement agency around you. It costs $14 per request to use the SIB database. The SIB accepts payment only via money orders or checks. 

Court Clerks

Warrants are issued in North Dakota courts and these courts store their resolve. So, if you want to verify the presence or absence of warrants against you, you may head straight to the court and make your warrant search request with the court clerk. 

Third-party Websites

If you want to keep your search away from the radar of government authorities, you may check for warrants through third-party websites. 

Since warrant records are considered public records according to state regulations, third-party websites can easily and conveniently access those records and bring them up to you. 

You may be required to pay for access to this service, although a few third-party websites offer their services for free.