Run a Free King County Warrant Search: Check Anyone’s Status

Conduct a free King County warrant search today. There are many ways to look up warrant information as long as you know who hosts these records.

Warrants are legal orders that grant the government the authority to issue arrests and perform searches; details of these orders can be found through state and local courts and law enforcement agencies. Information about warrants can also be viewed via searchable online databases at no cost.

Check out this streamlined article for tips on how to perform a warrant search in King County, Washington.

A Review of Tracking Down King County Warrants for Free

When tracking down King County warrants, you should understand the laws that surround obtaining public records. The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) section 42.56.070 obligates government agencies to make public records available for public inspection and copying unless an exemption applies.¹

RCW 42.56.010 defines public records to include writings prepared in the performance of a government agency’s function.² A warrant would fall under this definition, as a warrant is only created in the normal course of performance of a court or law enforcement’s function.

However, RCW 42.56.240 establishes an exemption for law enforcement records.³ The law essentially states that a record will be exempt from disclosure if it contains specific intelligence or investigative information, reveals the identity of witnesses or victims, information that would violate privacy rights, and certain information about specific crimes.

This exception relates to warrants as they are often created by law enforcement for investigative purposes, and may contain the identity of witnesses and victims.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of warrants – arrest and search. An arrest warrant is the basis for criminal cases and is the document courts use when creating a case file, and what prosecutors use when drafting an indictment. When an arrest warrant is served on a person, that individual is physically placed into custody and formally charged with committing a crime.

This information can be searched by checking with state and local courts or law enforcement agencies. When a person has not been served with an arrest warrant or is actively avoiding service, they can be placed on a public wanted list. Otherwise, the only way to obtain this information is to contact one of the record custodians, courts, and law enforcement agencies, to make a request for inspection and copying.

If the warrant does not contain exempt information you should be able to obtain it. If the warrant contains exempt information the court has the authority to redact the information and give you the remainder that is public record.

Search warrants are generally never revealed to the public until after it is executed. This is to prevent individuals from obstructing a criminal investigation. Nonetheless, some search warrant information is public in Washington state. More on that below.

As you begin your warrant search in King County it is important to have some information at the ready. You should know the full name of the person you are searching for. You should also know where they live or what county the warrant was served in.

This will help you narrow your search and ensure you find the right person. Find out how you can search for active warrants in the section below.

How To Conduct a King County Warrant Search: Find Anyone Wanted

It is important to know a little about the criminal court system in Washington as you move forward with your warrant search. All warrants are not created equally, as some pertain to more serious charges than others.

When a charge on a warrant is for a felony, meaning it carries a prison sentence of a year or more, it will be heard in a Washington Superior Court. When a charge on a warrant is for a misdemeanor, it will be heard in a district court or municipal court.

The King County Superior Court has jurisdiction over all felony criminal cases. If a felony warrant has been executed then the corresponding criminal case will be filed in this court. The King County Superior Court Clerk’s Office is the custodian for criminal court records, and they provide the public with a free court case search.

Select ‘Criminal’ in the ‘Case Type’ section and then enter a last name for the search to provide results. For more information, click on the case number, which will reveal a summary of the case, the charges, the parties, a list of documents filed, the court history of events, and judgments. Interested parties may also be able to purchase and view photocopies of the records by creating an account.

The King County Superior Court Clerk’s Office also provides a search warrant search tool. It displays a list of search warrants filed with the court after November 11, 2018. You must enter a date range of when the search warrant was executed or the database will not provide results.

After the results are generated you may click on the case number to see the search warrant details. It will show the person or place that was the subject of the search. It will also provide the date the search was executed.

Almost every search warrant is labeled ‘Sealed’. However, there is an option to ‘Request Access to Sealed Documents’. It is unclear if the court will release this information to you, but you must create an account to request access.

King County Superior Court Clerk (Courthouse)
516 3rd Ave
Seattle, Washington 98104

Phone: 806.296.9300
Email: [email protected]

The King County Sheriff’s Office enforces the service of felony warrants on behalf of the Superior Court. The sheriff’s office will not provide information pertaining to a warrant over the phone or by email. If you want to inquire about a warrant you must visit the sheriff’s office in person.

If you have an active warrant, you will be arrested. You may also contact the Superior Court to reschedule a hearing if the active warrant is for missing a court date.

King County Sheriff’s Office
Attn: Criminal Warrants Unit
Regional Justice Center
401 Fourth Avenue N.
Kent, Washington 98032

Phone: 206.477.3113

The King County District Court has jurisdiction over misdemeanor cases that carry a prison sentence of less than one year. If the misdemeanor carries only a fine, you can view the offense in the Pay Citation or Ticket search.⁶

Otherwise, if you discover that a bench warrant has been issued for your arrest, you may appear at a district court location and sign up for a recall hearing. You may also call the King County District Court to inquire.

King County District Court
Office of the Presiding Judge
516 3rd Ave, W-1034
Seattle, Washington 98104

Phone: 206.477.1720
Fax: 206.296.0596
Email: [email protected]

If a warrant is for a low level misdemeanor with no prison exposure, it will be heard in a municipal court. The Seattle Municipal Court offers a free case search tool where members of the public can look up their current charges, including active warrants.⁷

Select ‘Case Information’ and perform a name-based search by clicking on ‘Search for Defendant’. You must enter a complete last name and at least the first two letters of a first name. After you locate a person, click on their name to see a list of cases in which they have been a defendant.

The only cases not listed are those that have been expunged or sealed.

Click on a case to see additional information, including charges, and whether or not a case involved a bench warrant. Contact the Municipal Court to inquire about a bench warrant and how you can have it quashed.

Seattle Municipal Court
600 Fifth Ave.
Seattle, Washington 98104

Phone: 206.684.5600
Email: [email protected]

The Bothell Municipal Court does not offer a free case search, but they inform concerned parties that they may contact the court clerk to inquire about active warrants. They also post a weekly bench warrant report.

Bothell Municipal Court Clerk
11016 NE 183rd St.
Bothell, Washington 98011

Phone: 425.487.5587
Fax: 425.487.5580
Email: [email protected]

How Do You Conduct a Statewide Warrant Lookup in Washington?

You may find yourself in a situation when a county and city warrant search is not yielding the results you need. This may be due to a warrant being executed in a county other than King. In these situations, a broader statewide search will be beneficial.

The Washington State Department of Corrections provides a free online warrant search.^{8, 9} This tool allows anyone to look up outstanding arrest warrants for people in every county in Washington. At the bottom of the page is a complete list, organized by date, with the newest listed first.

To use the name-based search you only need to enter a single letter in either the first or last name bar. Click on the name of a person in the list of results to see their mugshot, charges, and physical characteristics. There is also an option to submit an anonymous tip online.

In addition, you may search Washington most wanted’s.¹⁰ The Washington Department of Corrections provides resources for interested parties to search on the county and state level. For more information, contact the Washington State Department of Corrections.

Washington State Department of Corrections
7345 Linderson Way S.W.
Tumwater, Washington 98501

Phone: 360.725.8213
Email: [email protected]

A Look at Warrant Types & Their Meanings

As mentioned previously, warrants either function as arrests or searches. Find out the reasons for the different names below.

Arrest Warrants: These are orders drafted and executed by law enforcement to arrest a person for committing a crime.

Bench Warrants: These orders are issued by a judge and executed by law enforcement to arrest a person for failing to appear at their appointed criminal court date.

Probation & Parole Violation Warrants: Departments of probation and parole execute warrants if a person fails to comply with the terms of their parole release from prison.

Traffic Warrants: State troopers give these to drivers for Washington state moving violations.

Child Support Warrants: As a type of bench warrant, these are executed by a family court when a parent who is obligated to pay child support fails to do so without a legal excuse.

Capias & Capias Pro Fine Warrants: Although not recognized in Washington state, this is a type of arrest warrant issued when a person does not pay their court fine.

Fugitive Warrants: These are typically executed when an inmate escapes prison, or a suspect of a serious or violent crime has evaded service of an arrest warrant.

Search Warrants: A legal order executed by law enforcement when legally searching for evidence.

How To Get a Warrant Dropped or Resolved in King County Washington

If you learn that someone other than you has a warrant out for their arrest there are a few steps you can take. You could inform them. This is especially helpful if they do not know about the warrant.

It would allow them the opportunity to attempt to quash the warrant as soon as possible.

You could also inform law enforcement. This may be the best option if the alleged offense is violent. Regardless, never put yourself in danger, and be cautious with the information you may know.

If you discover that you have an active warrant, consider your options as well.¹¹ You could turn yourself into a local police department, or contact the court to find out if you could pay a fine to quash the warrant.

For more serious offenses, you should probably hire a criminal defense attorney to assist.

A King County warrant search is a helpful way to find out if you or someone you know could be wanted by the courts or law enforcement; conduct a stress-free and seamless warrant search today.