Search Augusta Bench Warrants

Augusta bench warrants are issued through the Richmond County court system when someone fails to show up for a scheduled court date. Augusta and Richmond County merged into a single consolidated government, so all warrant matters go through the Richmond County Sheriff's Office. With more than 206,000 people, Augusta is the second largest city in Georgia. The sheriff's office and the Warrant Office on James Brown Boulevard are the main places to check bench warrant status. There is no online portal to search for active warrants in Augusta, so most inquiries happen in person or by phone.

Richmond County Sheriff Warrants in Augusta

Sheriff Richard Roundtree heads the Richmond County Sheriff's Office. The main office is at 400 Walton Way in Augusta. All bench warrants from the Superior Court, State Court, and Magistrate Court in Augusta go through this office for service and processing. When a judge signs a bench warrant, the sheriff's staff enter it into the local system and the state's GCIC database. From there it goes to the NCIC database, which makes the warrant visible to law enforcement across the country.

The Warrant Office for Augusta is a separate location from the main sheriff's office. It sits at 735 James Brown Boulevard, Suite 1400, Augusta, GA 30901. You can call the Warrant Office at (706) 821-1051 to ask general questions. Staff may share limited info by phone in some cases, but the most reliable way to check is to visit in person. Bring a valid government photo ID. If a bench warrant comes up in your name, they will tell you which court issued it, the charge, and the case number.

The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory lists all sheriff contact details by county, and Richmond County is included with its full address and phone info.

The statewide directory page shows every Georgia sheriff and is a useful starting point when you are not sure which office handles a specific bench warrant in the Augusta area.

How to Check for Augusta Bench Warrants

Go to the Warrant Office at 735 James Brown Boulevard in Augusta. That is the most direct method. Staff there handle warrant inquiries every business day. You need a photo ID. They will run your name and date of birth through the system. If you have a bench warrant, the office can tell you which court issued it and what to do next. Some people call ahead at (706) 821-1051 to ask basic questions before going in.

The Richmond County Superior Court Clerk also has case records. If you know your case number, the clerk's office can look up the file and tell you if there is a bench warrant attached to it. This is helpful if you already know you missed a date and just want to confirm the situation before going to the sheriff. The Georgia.gov warrant search guide lays out the steps that apply across all counties in the state, including Augusta.

Augusta also has a consolidated government, which means city and county services run through the same offices. There is no separate city police warrant unit. Everything goes through the Richmond County Sheriff.

Note: Augusta bench warrants are entered into the NCIC database, so they can lead to an arrest in any state.

Penalties for Bench Warrants in Augusta

A bench warrant in Augusta means a judge has ordered your arrest for failing to appear. The penalties depend on the type of case. For misdemeanor charges, O.C.G.A. 16-10-51 sets the penalty for bail jumping at up to 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine. If the original case was a felony, the person faces one to five years in prison and a fine up to $5,000. These are separate charges that stack on top of the original offense.

Traffic cases in Augusta follow different rules. Under O.C.G.A. 40-13-63, a failure to appear on a traffic ticket can result in a $200 fine and up to three days in jail. The court can also report the missed date to the Georgia Department of Driver Services, which may suspend your license under O.C.G.A. 40-5-56. The reinstatement fee is $100 at a DDS office or $125 by mail. That cost is on top of any fines you still owe in Augusta.

Under O.C.G.A. 17-6-11, the clerk of court must mail a notice and wait 30 days before a traffic bench warrant goes active. If you take care of the case within those 30 days, the court may choose not to issue the warrant. Once the 30 days are up and no action has been taken, the Augusta bench warrant goes into the system and stays there until you deal with it.

Public Records Access in Augusta

The Open Records Act under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70 allows any person to request records from government offices in Augusta. Bench warrants are part of the court file and fall under this law. You can submit a written request to the Richmond County Clerk of Superior Court or the Magistrate Court. Responses typically come within three business days, though some requests take longer depending on how much staff need to pull from the files.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation maintains the statewide warrant database through the Georgia Crime Information Center. This is the system that law enforcement across the state uses to look up active bench warrants. The GBI does not take inquiries from the public about individual warrant status, but the data they maintain is what drives every warrant check an officer runs in Augusta or anywhere else in Georgia.

Clearing a Bench Warrant in Augusta

The fastest way to resolve an Augusta bench warrant is to go to court. You can turn yourself in at the Richmond County Sheriff's Office, or you can contact the court clerk to find out when the next available hearing date is. If you show up on your own, the judge is more likely to give you a new court date and reset your bond terms. Waiting for an arrest makes the process harder and more expensive.

Hiring an attorney is worth thinking about. A lawyer in Augusta can contact the court on your behalf and ask the judge to recall the bench warrant. This is especially useful if you are worried about being taken into custody when you walk in. The attorney can work out a plan with the court and set a date for you to appear. The Georgia Courts sheriff directory can point you to the right contacts if you need help figuring out which office in Augusta to reach.

Every day a bench warrant stays active in Augusta increases the risk. You could be arrested during a traffic stop, at a routine check, or even when renewing a license. Fines and fees may grow over time as well. The sooner you act, the better the outcome will be.

Note: Augusta bench warrants do not have an expiration date and can stay active for years.

Richmond County Bench Warrants

Augusta is part of the consolidated Augusta-Richmond County government. All bench warrant processing goes through the Richmond County Sheriff's Office and the county court system. For more details on the county process, fee info, and other resources, visit the Richmond County page.

View Richmond County Bench Warrants

Nearby Cities

Augusta is the main city in the area. The following communities are nearby, though they are smaller and may fall under different county jurisdictions for bench warrant matters.