Broward County Official Warrant Sources
The Broward Sheriff's Office does not publish a standalone active warrant search. The agency's records page states clearly that warrants can be searched on the Broward County Clerk of the Courts public website. That means warrant-related public information is found through the Clerk's case search, especially the criminal case dockets. Capias and bench warrant entries appear as docket events on the matching case.
Third-party warrant sites should be avoided. The Clerk is the official court records custodian. The Sheriff is the executing agency. Together they hold the only authoritative Broward warrant information. The Sheriff also runs an online public records request portal for non-court records, but warrant lookups for individual cases route to the Clerk.
Broward Warrant Search Fields on the Clerk Portal
The same Broward Clerk case search used for any court record runs the warrant search. The user pulls the case file by party name or case number, then reads the docket for warrant-related entries. The table below maps each field used for a warrant lookup.
| Field | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Defendant Last Name | Text | Yes for party search | Names under 3 characters return exact matches only. |
| Defendant First Name | Text | Yes for party search | Names under 2 characters return exact matches only. |
| Case Number | Text | Optional | Use felony or misdemeanor case prefix when known. |
| Court Type | Dropdown | No | Felony, misdemeanor, criminal traffic, or county criminal. |
| Docket Event | Read on docket | n/a | Look for capias issued, warrant issued, FTA, VOP, bond estreated, or recall entries. |
| Bond Amount | Read on docket | n/a | Shows when set by the court. |
| Issuing Judge | Read on docket | n/a | Shown on the entry that issued or recalled the order. |
How to Search for a Broward Warrant
A Broward warrant search starts at the Clerk. The Sheriff's arrest search confirms current custody but does not return a warrant list. The step list below covers a full Broward warrant lookup.
- Open the Broward Clerk Case Search.
- Choose Party Name search and type the full last and first name.
- Filter by court type if the case is known to be a felony, misdemeanor, or criminal traffic file.
- Add a filing-date range if the person has had prior Broward cases over many years.
- Open each matching case and read the progress docket.
- Look for capias issued, warrant issued, alias capias, bench warrant, FTA, VOP, or bond estreated entries.
- Note any capias recalled or quashed entry that may show the order was withdrawn.
- If the person may be in current custody, also check the BSO Arrest Search for booking status.
- For older traffic and misdemeanor records before 2011, submit a Court Records Request because those cases may have been purged from the main online system.
Types of Broward County Warrants and Orders
Florida uses several names for arrest-related court orders. Each one shows up on the docket with its own label. The list below covers the most common Broward types.
- Arrest warrant - judge-issued order based on probable cause from an investigation.
- Capias - Florida court order commanding arrest. Often used after failure to appear, violation of probation, or post-judgment enforcement.
- Alias capias - replacement or follow-up capias issued when earlier process did not succeed.
- Bench warrant - warrant issued by the judge from the bench during a hearing.
- Search warrant - authorizes search of a place, person, or property. Often not public until executed and may be sealed.
- Violation of probation warrant - issued after an alleged probation violation.
- Civil writ or body attachment - used in limited civil or contempt contexts. Check the case type.
- Fugitive warrant or hold - out-of-county or out-of-state agency warrant that may result in a jail hold and possible extradition.
Sample Broward Warrant Record Fields
A docket entry that involves a warrant or capias usually carries the fields below. The detail varies by court division.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Felony, misdemeanor, or criminal traffic prefix plus year and sequence. |
| Defendant | Legal name of the person named in the order. |
| Charge or Citation | Statute, charge, or citation that led to the order. |
| Docket Entry | Text such as "Capias Issued" or "Warrant Issued." |
| Issue Date | Date the court issued the order. |
| Bond Amount | Amount set by the court, or "No Bond" when applicable. |
| Recall or Quash Date | Date the court withdrew the order, when present. |
| Court Division | The division that issued the order. |
| Judge | The judge who signed the order. |
Failure to Appear and Bond Forfeiture in Broward
A failure to appear, often shown as FTA, can produce a capias and a bond estreated entry. A missed traffic or misdemeanor date can also trigger driver-license consequences through Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. A missed felony date is more serious and usually leads to a no-bond hold until the person is back before the court. A capias may stay visible in one system after the recall paperwork has been signed in another, so a person who believes a warrant has been cleared should keep a certified copy of the recall order.
How to Resolve a Broward Warrant
Outstanding warrants are resolved through the issuing court, not through a website. The Sheriff does not adjust the court's order. The most common Broward outcomes are listed below.
- Appear before the judge at the next scheduled hearing.
- File a motion to recall or quash the capias through counsel.
- Post bond if the order set a money bond.
- Satisfy a missed payment or court condition that caused the order.
- Address a probation violation through the supervising office and the judge.
- Turn oneself in with counsel rather than at a law enforcement front desk without warning.
Note: Warrant clearance is not always immediate across every database, so keep a certified copy of any recall or release order from the Broward court.
Out-of-County and Federal Warrants
Out-of-county Florida warrants may not appear in the Broward Clerk case search unless Broward has a local case or hold. BSO custody records may show a hold from another agency. Federal warrants are handled separately by federal courts and the U.S. Marshals. The Broward Sheriff coordinates with federal agencies when an inmate has a federal detainer, but the federal file lives with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and the federal locator at BOP inmate locator.
Bond, No Bond, and Conditions of Release
Bond on a Broward warrant follows the order set by the issuing judge. A bond amount allows posting through a bonding company or in cash. A no-bond hold means the person must appear before a judge before release. Conditions of release may include no contact with a victim, no firearm possession, GPS monitoring, drug testing, or surrender of a passport. Conditions are listed on the order and on the case docket.
Bond can be revoked or increased after a violation. Filing a motion to revoke bond is one of the State Attorney's tools when a defendant misses a court date or commits a new offense. The court can also impose a no-contact order, expand release conditions, or remove a defendant from pretrial supervision.