Lawrenceville Bench Warrants

Bench warrants in Lawrenceville are issued by judges in the Lawrenceville Municipal Court and Gwinnett County courts when a person fails to appear for a court hearing. Lawrenceville is the county seat of Gwinnett County with about 32,000 residents northeast of Atlanta. The Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office handles warrant processing for the entire county, including all warrants that come from Lawrenceville courts. To search for an active bench warrant in Lawrenceville, the sheriff's office is the main place to go. The Lawrenceville Police Department can also answer basic questions about cases in the city.

Lawrenceville Municipal Court Warrants

The Lawrenceville Municipal Court handles city ordinance violations and some misdemeanor charges within city limits. When a person misses a scheduled court date, the judge can issue a bench warrant immediately. That warrant gets sent to the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office for processing. Staff enter it into the Georgia Crime Information Center database and the NCIC system. Once logged, any law enforcement officer in the state or country can see the active Lawrenceville bench warrant during a traffic stop or any other contact.

Lawrenceville Municipal Court is on Jackson Street. You can call the court for basic questions about a case, but court staff cannot clear or recall a bench warrant. Only the judge who issued it has that power. For cases filed in Gwinnett County Superior Court or the Magistrate Court, the Gwinnett County Clerk of Court handles those records separately from the municipal court.

Gwinnett County Sheriff and Lawrenceville Warrants

Sheriff Keybo Taylor runs the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office. This office processes all bench warrants for cases filed in Gwinnett County courts, and that includes every warrant from Lawrenceville. Gwinnett is one of the most populated counties in Georgia with nearly one million residents. The sheriff's warrant unit handles a very high volume of warrants each year. Each bench warrant goes through intake, a criminal history check, and entry into the GCIC and NCIC systems.

The Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office does not offer a public online warrant search tool at this time. However, the county does have an inmate search system that can show if someone is currently in custody on a warrant. The sheriff's office does not typically share warrant status by phone or email. To check for an active bench warrant, you need to visit in person with a valid photo ID. Staff will run your name and date of birth. If you have an active bench warrant, there is a chance you could be taken into custody on the spot. Many Lawrenceville residents choose to hire a lawyer to check on their behalf to avoid that risk. You can reach the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office at 770-619-6500.

The Georgia.gov warrant search guide walks through the process for checking warrants at any sheriff's office in the state. The same steps apply at the Gwinnett County office that serves Lawrenceville.

The Georgia Courts website lists sheriffs across the state, which is useful for locating the right office for bench warrant questions beyond Gwinnett County.

Searching for Lawrenceville Bench Warrants

Go to the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office with a government photo ID. Staff will look up your name and date of birth in the system. If a bench warrant exists, they will share the charge, the court that issued it, and the case number. The sheriff's office is at the Gwinnett County Courthouse in Lawrenceville. This is the most direct and reliable way to check.

You can also call the Lawrenceville Police Department at 770-963-2414 for general guidance. Officers run into bench warrants during stops and calls, but they do not usually run warrant checks for walk-in requests at the station. The Georgia Crime Information Center maintains the statewide database that law enforcement uses when they run a name check during any encounter. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory lists all sheriffs in the state. This helps if you need to check warrants in a county other than Gwinnett.

Note: The Gwinnett County inmate search can show whether someone is currently held on a bench warrant, but it does not list all outstanding warrants.

Bench Warrant Penalties in Lawrenceville

Missing court in Lawrenceville brings added charges beyond the original case. Under O.C.G.A. 16-10-51, bail jumping on a misdemeanor carries up to 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Felony bail jumping can mean one to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The bench warrant goes out and the case moves forward without you.

Traffic bench warrants in Lawrenceville have their own penalties. Under O.C.G.A. 40-13-63, missing a traffic court date can lead to a $200 fine and up to three days in jail. The court may ask the Georgia Department of Driver Services to suspend your license under O.C.G.A. 40-5-56. Getting the license back costs $100 in person at a DDS office or $125 by mail. That fee is separate from any court fines you still owe in Lawrenceville.

Georgia law gives a brief grace period in some cases. Under O.C.G.A. 17-6-11, the clerk must mail a notice and wait 30 days before a traffic bench warrant goes active. Handle the case in that window and the warrant may not be issued at all. After 30 days pass, the Lawrenceville bench warrant takes full effect and has no end date.

Lawrenceville Warrants and Public Records

Under O.C.G.A. 50-18-70, Georgia's Open Records Act gives anyone the right to request public records from government agencies. Bench warrants are court records and are generally public. You can file a request with the Gwinnett County Clerk of Superior Court in person or in writing.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation operates the Georgia Crime Information Center, the central database for all warrant records in the state. Every bench warrant from Lawrenceville enters this system through the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office. The GBI does not handle individual warrant questions from the public, but their database is what law enforcement relies on to find people with active bench warrants. Gwinnett County feeds a large volume of records into this system given its size.

Resolving a Lawrenceville Bench Warrant

Take care of a bench warrant in Lawrenceville before it creates more problems. The simplest path is to go to the court that issued the warrant and turn yourself in. The judge will set a new hearing date and may let you post bond again. This clears the warrant from the system immediately.

Hiring a lawyer is a common option in Lawrenceville. An attorney can appear in court on your behalf and ask the judge to recall the bench warrant. This keeps you out of the courthouse and away from the risk of being arrested at the window. The lawyer can also work with the prosecutor on your case and set up new dates. The Georgia Courts sheriff directory is helpful if you need to figure out which court issued the warrant. Do not delay. The longer a bench warrant is active, the more problems it creates during traffic stops, background checks, and any contact with law enforcement in Lawrenceville or anywhere else.

Note: Some Gwinnett County courts hold special recall sessions from time to time that let people address old bench warrants without being immediately taken into custody.

Gwinnett County Bench Warrants

Lawrenceville is the county seat of Gwinnett County. All bench warrants from Gwinnett County courts go through the sheriff's office in Lawrenceville. Gwinnett is one of the most populated counties in Georgia. For a full look at the Gwinnett County warrant process, sheriff contact details, and all related resources, visit the county page.

View Gwinnett County Bench Warrants

Nearby Cities

Several cities near Lawrenceville are in Gwinnett County. If you are not sure where a bench warrant was filed, look at the court name on any paperwork you received. Each city below has its own page with local contacts and warrant search information.