Check for open warrants in Houston
We receive a lot of calls from people that want to check for open warrants in Houston.
A traffic ticket warrant in Houston is the number one searched for type of check since so many people miss their original court date.
People miss traffic ticket court dates for various reasons and for many it is simply a matter of not fully understanding how the system works. Some are afraid to go to court and believe that the possibility of going to jail exists if they are found to be guilty, this is incorrect. Traffic tickets are class c misdemeanor offenses and are punishable by fine only.
However, if a person fails to appear in court then a warrant of arrest can and will be issued and they can and will be taken to jail eventually if they do not take care of it in some fashion. A person can do this by either posting a bail bond, thereby removing the warrant and a new court date will be given, or by paying the fine, or (possibly) by making an off docket appearance and an agreement with a prosecutor, provided the judge allows for the case to be settled this way. Each court in Harris County operates differently; while some courts may work with you in obtaining an off docket setting others may not.
There are other consequences as well that can affect a person’s ability to be able to maintain their driving privileges but jail is not a consideration as long as the person appears in court.
If a person is taken to jail for a class c misdemeanor the time frame of getting out of jail varies with each jail. And, if a person has an open warrant with more than one court the process of getting out of jail can sometimes take days.
The typical warrant check for traffic tickets in Houston can be accomplished online by searching for Harris County Justice of the Peace or by making a phone call to the Houston 311 help line. These are two completely different searches. The 311 number is for searching the City of Houston Municipal Court, this would be if a person were written a citation by the Houston Police Department. If a warrant is issued by a Justice of the Peace then the person was given a citation by a Harris County Sheriff, a Harris County Constable, A State Trooper, or a Game Warden.
There are also many different Municipalities in Harris County, each with their own police department, their own jail and their own court. The majority of these courts do not offer the ability to check online so a phone call must be made directly to the court in order to find out if an open warrant exists with their court. In Harris County theses courts are the cities of Baytown, Bellaire, Bunker Hill Village, Deer Park, Galena Park, Hedwig Village, Hunters Creek Village, Humble, Jacinto City, Jersey Village, Katy, Laporte, League City, Pasadena, Piney Point, Seabrook, South Houston, Southside Place, Spring Valley, Tomball, and West University.
If a warrant of arrest has been issued by Harris County for a class A or B misdemeanor or a Felony offense the information can sometimes be found on the Harris County District Clerks website, however in many cases the information is hidden and the only way to find out is to call a bail bondsman in Houston.
Houston bail bonds are provided by any bail bond company licensed in Harris County and information about an open warrant can be obtained by calling any Harris County bail bondsman.