How can you find out if you have an active warrant?
October 23, 2018 10:07 AM Subscribe
A relative of mine is moving back to our semi-rural hometown, and he wants to apply for a driver's license after years of living in a lare city where he exclusively used public transportation or ride-sharing. The issue is that he thinks he might have a warrant out in this state for failure to pay speeding tickets he got years ago before moving away. How can he find out if he has an active warrant?
According to my cousin, he honestly can't remember whether or not he ever finished paying off those tickets about three years ago. If he didn't, he's probably got a warrant out for failure to pay and appear in court, right?
He's short on cash at the moment, so hiring a lawyer to find out his status is the least preferred option. Is there any quicker/easier/cheaper way to determine whether he'll get arrested if he tries to get a license at the DMV?
According to my cousin, he honestly can't remember whether or not he ever finished paying off those tickets about three years ago. If he didn't, he's probably got a warrant out for failure to pay and appear in court, right?
He's short on cash at the moment, so hiring a lawyer to find out his status is the least preferred option. Is there any quicker/easier/cheaper way to determine whether he'll get arrested if he tries to get a license at the DMV?
Presumably your cousin knows where he got his tickets. I'd start with seeing if the local governmental authority has a website to look up warrants (.gov and .us sites; not the paid scammy stuff on Google). Check at the city, county, and state level. After that, he can probably call the sheriff's office and have them do a warrant check over the phone. It's a pretty common phone call for them to answer.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 10:42 AM on October 23, 2018
posted by Mister Fabulous at 10:42 AM on October 23, 2018
Things like warrants should show up in a background check of the sort many employers do on prospective hires. But, I think anyone can go down and pay for one.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:31 AM on October 23, 2018
posted by Thorzdad at 11:31 AM on October 23, 2018
This can be surprisingly tricky to find out, depending on the state. The big problem is getting complete information.
The most accurate method would be to obtain a certified driving record from the state DMV in both states. It would probably cost about $50 total. This would involve disclosing an address and other contact information, and could lead to an arrest if law enforcement was sufficiently interested in following up on this contact.
The safest way would be to hire a traffic attorney, who could probably get this answer relatively cheaply. A couple hundred dollars, maybe. Maybe less.
He could also go to the courthouse in the jurisdiction (maybe any courthouse in the state, maybe the county) where the tickets occurred, and look up his own record, but this may only get one state's record and could theoretically subject him to arrest while he is at the courthouse.
Faster and free but not guaranteed to be complete information is calling the clerk of court in the county where he may have received the tickets and ask if he has open warrants.
Private background check sites may do it cheaper than getting certified records, but there is no guarantee of accuracy with them.
posted by Handstand Devil at 12:02 PM on October 23, 2018 [1 favorite]
The most accurate method would be to obtain a certified driving record from the state DMV in both states. It would probably cost about $50 total. This would involve disclosing an address and other contact information, and could lead to an arrest if law enforcement was sufficiently interested in following up on this contact.
The safest way would be to hire a traffic attorney, who could probably get this answer relatively cheaply. A couple hundred dollars, maybe. Maybe less.
He could also go to the courthouse in the jurisdiction (maybe any courthouse in the state, maybe the county) where the tickets occurred, and look up his own record, but this may only get one state's record and could theoretically subject him to arrest while he is at the courthouse.
Faster and free but not guaranteed to be complete information is calling the clerk of court in the county where he may have received the tickets and ask if he has open warrants.
Private background check sites may do it cheaper than getting certified records, but there is no guarantee of accuracy with them.
posted by Handstand Devil at 12:02 PM on October 23, 2018 [1 favorite]
I've seen bail bond places advertise that they can check for active warrants. Proceed with caution, but it might be worth looking into.
posted by Hatashran at 3:38 PM on October 23, 2018
posted by Hatashran at 3:38 PM on October 23, 2018
Has he pulled a recent credit report?
Starting in 2016, credit reporting agencies were going to stop listing "library fees or fines, parking tickets, speeding tickets, and court fees or fines" as debt. (The three major credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion agreed to the new policy in a legal settlement with thirty-one state attorneys general last year.) Since your cousin's suspected debt is more than three years old, it may appear.
Several states now levy compounded, steep penalties for unpaid tickets and failure to appear in court. (Where the tickets were issued and how fast he was driving will matter, whether or not a warrant was issued.)
I think your cousin should call the legal aid society associated with the county, or the county clerk's office (while he's still out of state), to learn his current status - any outstanding warrants, *and* any monies owed. A few places offer amnesty programs (example, examples), which may help him in the event of old fines.
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:16 PM on October 23, 2018
Starting in 2016, credit reporting agencies were going to stop listing "library fees or fines, parking tickets, speeding tickets, and court fees or fines" as debt. (The three major credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion agreed to the new policy in a legal settlement with thirty-one state attorneys general last year.) Since your cousin's suspected debt is more than three years old, it may appear.
Several states now levy compounded, steep penalties for unpaid tickets and failure to appear in court. (Where the tickets were issued and how fast he was driving will matter, whether or not a warrant was issued.)
I think your cousin should call the legal aid society associated with the county, or the county clerk's office (while he's still out of state), to learn his current status - any outstanding warrants, *and* any monies owed. A few places offer amnesty programs (example, examples), which may help him in the event of old fines.
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:16 PM on October 23, 2018
They're not all linked. Or so I hear, anyway.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:22 PM on October 23, 2018
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 6:22 PM on October 23, 2018
most agencies have it online, but he should just call, if so turn self in & move on with life. prearrange bond etc. it's paperwork not jail time.
posted by patnok at 6:24 PM on October 23, 2018
posted by patnok at 6:24 PM on October 23, 2018
They're not all linked. Or so I hear, anyway.
Hey, you're right! There are differences between the Drivers License Compact, the Driver License Agreement and the Non-Resident Violator Compact. As with anything, your mileage may vary.
Mileage. Driving. See what I did there?
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:13 AM on October 24, 2018
Hey, you're right! There are differences between the Drivers License Compact, the Driver License Agreement and the Non-Resident Violator Compact. As with anything, your mileage may vary.
Mileage. Driving. See what I did there?
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:13 AM on October 24, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
Happened to me years ago.
Me: "I don't live in Oregon, so fuck this ticket!"
/me moves to Washington
Me: "Gimme a license."
Washington: "Yeah, hold up there, speed demon."
Oregon: "Thought you could get away, huh? Pay up, sucka."
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:38 AM on October 23, 2018 [11 favorites]