DeKalb County Bench Warrants

DeKalb County is one of the few places in Georgia where you can search for active bench warrants online. The county runs a web-based warrant search tool that is updated each night. Both the sheriff's office and the DeKalb County Police Department handle the service of arrest warrants and bench warrants in the county. With a population of about 764,000 residents, DeKalb County processes a high volume of court cases each year. The Warrant Unit at the sheriff's office in Decatur is the first place to call if you need info on a bench warrant issued by a DeKalb County court.

DeKalb County Warrant Unit Office

Sheriff Melody Maddox leads the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office. The office handles warrant service for all bench warrants that come out of the county courts. Both the sheriff's office and the DeKalb County Police Department can execute arrest warrants. That is different from many Georgia counties where only the sheriff serves warrants. The Warrant Unit is the specific division that manages bench warrant processing and tracking in DeKalb County.

You can contact the Warrant Unit at 404-298-8200 for general questions about the bench warrant process. The main sheriff's office number is 404-298-8100. Civil papers from Superior Court have to be recorded in the Clerk's Office before service. Civil papers from State or Magistrate Court are served by the Marshal of State Court, who can be reached at 404-371-2930. These are separate from bench warrants, which go through the sheriff.

The DeKalb County Sheriff homepage has links to each department and division within the office.

This is the main landing page for the sheriff's office and is a good starting point for any bench warrant inquiry in DeKalb County.

Online Warrant Search in DeKalb County

DeKalb County stands out in Georgia because it offers an online active warrant search. Most Georgia counties do not have this. The tool is a custom web application that lets anyone search for active warrants that have been issued in DeKalb County. You can access it at spatial.dekalbcounty.org/warrants. The search is free and open to the public. You search by name and the system returns matching results if any active warrants exist.

The search tool shows active warrants issued in DeKalb County and is one of the few free public warrant databases in Georgia.

There is one thing to know about the DeKalb County warrant search. The data is updated each night at 1:00 a.m. That means results may not show a warrant that was just issued that same day. The county itself warns users that the information may not reflect the current status of every warrant. If you plan to take any action based on the results, verify with the sheriff's office first. A bench warrant that shows as active could have been recalled, and one that does not show up could have been issued after the last update. Still, this online tool gives DeKalb County residents a much easier way to check for bench warrants than what is available in most parts of Georgia.

Note: The DeKalb County warrant database updates nightly at 1:00 a.m. and may not show warrants issued the same day.

How DeKalb County Bench Warrants Work

A bench warrant in DeKalb County is issued when someone misses a court date or violates the terms of their bond. Under O.C.G.A. 17-7-90, Georgia judges have the power to issue these warrants after proper notice has been given. The notice can come in three forms: the judge told the person in open court, the clerk sent a letter by mail, or someone served the notice in person. Once a DeKalb County judge signs the bench warrant, the sheriff's office and police department begin the process of locating the person.

Bench warrants do not expire in Georgia. A bench warrant from DeKalb County stays active until the person is arrested or the court recalls it. Law enforcement enters the warrant into the Georgia Crime Information Center and the National Crime Information Center databases. That means any police officer in the country can see it during a traffic stop or other encounter. Getting a bench warrant recalled in DeKalb County usually requires appearing before the judge who issued it or having a lawyer file a motion on your behalf.

DeKalb County Bench Warrant Consequences

The penalties for a bench warrant in DeKalb County depend on the original case. For misdemeanor charges, bail jumping under O.C.G.A. 16-10-51 can add up to 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine on top of whatever the first charge was. Felony bail jumping is worse. That carries one to five years in prison and up to $5,000 in fines. These are separate charges that come from the failure to appear, not from the original case itself.

Traffic cases have their own set of problems. A missed traffic court date in DeKalb County can result in a $200 fine and up to three days in jail under O.C.G.A. 40-13-63. The court also notifies the Georgia Department of Driver Services, which can suspend your license under O.C.G.A. 40-5-56. Getting the license back costs $100 at a DDS office or $125 by mail. Before any traffic bench warrant goes active, though, O.C.G.A. 17-6-11 requires the clerk to send a 30-day notice by mail. That gives the person a chance to handle the case before the warrant kicks in.

Note: A suspended license from a DeKalb County bench warrant stays suspended until you pay the reinstatement fee and clear the underlying case.

DeKalb County Warrant Records Access

The DeKalb County Sheriff public services page covers more than just warrants. The office handles fines, permits, and other public services. You can get arrest warrants at the Magistrate Court in DeKalb County. The sheriff's office works alongside the county police to serve those warrants once they are issued.

This page covers the range of public services offered by the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office, including warrant-related info.

Under the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. 50-18-70), you can request records from the DeKalb County courts and sheriff's office. Bench warrant records are generally public. You can ask the Clerk of Superior Court for case file details or request records from the Magistrate Court. The Georgia.gov warrant search guide walks through the steps to search for any active warrant in the state. The Georgia Sheriffs' Association directory also lists DeKalb County's contact info if you need to reach the office.

Cities in DeKalb County

DeKalb County includes several cities east of Atlanta. Bench warrants for cases filed in DeKalb County courts are handled by the sheriff's office in Decatur regardless of which city the person lives in. Municipal court bench warrants may be handled by city police in some cases.

Other communities in DeKalb County include Decatur, Clarkston, Lithonia, and Pine Lake. All county-level bench warrants in these areas go through the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office.

Nearby Counties

These counties share borders with DeKalb County. Bench warrants are issued by the county where the court case was filed, so make sure you are checking the right county.