Free Johnson County Warrant Search (Verify Wanted Status)

Perform a free Johnson County warrant search to help you find out who has an active summons for their arrest. Warrants are serious business, and it’s important to learn where you can find accurate information about them.

Courts and law enforcement agencies issue and respond to warrants; you can determine if you or someone you know has an active warrant in Johnson County, Iowa, by following the guidance provided in this resource.

Understanding the Warrant Search Process: Johnson County Iowa

A warrant is a legal order granting a government certain powers. The 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures (arrests) by the government.¹ A warrant enables a government to make arrests and searches by complying with the probable cause requirements.

Because a warrant is a document issued by the government, it is subject to public records laws. The Open Records Law in Iowa grants every person the right to examine a public record without charge, and to make copies upon receipt of reasonable fees.

Some public records are confidential by nature under the Open Records Law and not subject to disclosure. The law provides that “peace officer” investigative reports that are part of an ongoing investigation are confidential. However, information pertaining to the date, time, location, and facts surrounding a crime is not confidential except in specific circumstances.

This includes if disclosure of the investigative report would seriously jeopardize the investigation or pose a danger to the safety of another person. This would almost certainly exempt search warrants from disclosure. Search warrants are legal orders issued during a criminal investigation to discover evidence that may be linked to an alleged crime.

If the details of a search warrant were revealed before it is executed, the evidence may be destroyed by a suspect who does not wish to allow incriminating evidence into the hands of law enforcement.

Information from an arrest warrant, however, is likely not exempted from the open records law. An arrest warrant is generally the end result of a criminal investigation and must be made public to some degree. A person named on an arrest warrant must know that police are looking for them so they can turn themselves in.

Law enforcement agencies and local police departments commonly post online warrant lists or most wanted lists. Similarly, courts of law post an online list of individuals with bench warrants issued when they fail to appear in court.

The information from these warrants would not jeopardize any investigations and would thus not be exempted from disclosure. Iowa Judicial District 6 is where these warrants are issued.²

Moreover, after an arrest warrant is executed, a criminal case is created and filed in a court of law. Criminal case files can be inspected at courthouses and online through databases at no cost. However, there are usually costs associated with copying records.

You should know prior to performing a warrant search the complete name of the person you are researching. You should also know their address, or at least the county where the warrant was issued. This can help you and the records custodians locate the proper case file or warrant.

Conducting a Johnson County Warrant Search To Verify Who’s Wanted

As mentioned above, arrest warrants turn into criminal cases filed in courts of law. In Iowa, all criminal cases, including felony, misdemeanor, and traffic cases, are filed in district courts. The Iowa Judicial District 6 is where criminal cases from Johnson County are filed.

Interested parties can use the Iowa Courts Online Record Search to look up criminal cases with incarceration exposure filed in Johnson County for free.³ Users can search by name, case ID, or citation number. If you elect to search by name you will have the option to specifically search Johnson County records. Select ‘Johnson’ under ‘County’, and ‘Criminal’ under ‘Case Type’.

Results are limited to 200 records, so ensure that you provide additional identifying information to narrow your search. Results are organized by cases and alphabetical order of the defendant. To view the charge from the warrant that led to the criminal case, click on the corresponding case ID number.

Toward the bottom of the case summary you will be able to view the ‘Original Charge’. It will detail the name of the offense, the offense date, and the severity of the charge. This is sometimes distinguished from the ‘Adjudicating Charge’ which is what a person was either indicted on by the prosecutor or pled guilty to as part of a plea deal.

In addition to searching for more serious criminal cases, interested parties may also look up traffic tickets and low level misdemeanor cases through online payment services.⁴

You can look up traffic tickets or simple criminal charges that carry only a fine.

For more information contact the Johnson County Clerk of Court.

Johnson County Clerk of Court
417 S. Clinton Street
Iowa City, Iowa 52240

Phone: 319.356.6060
Fax: 319.356.6032

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office is a resource you can call to inquire about the warrants process.⁵

Contact the office for more information.

Johnson County Sheriff’s Office
511 South Capitol Street
Iowa City, Iowa 52240

Phone: 319.356.6020
Fax: 319.688.8959

How To Determine if Someone Has a Warrant Anywhere in Iowa

The Iowa Courts Online Electronic Docket Record Search is a statewide platform. Interested parties can research criminal cases from every county located in the state of Iowa. Similarly the online payment services page is also a statewide database.

If you have a traffic ticket or misdemeanor case with a fine, you may be able to pay the citation online.

Use the Iowa Judicial Branch Court Directory to find contact information on county courts.⁷ Contact the court in the county where you believe a warrant may have been issued.

Types of Warrants & Their Definitions

Warrants have several different names and are issued for different reasons. However, they have the same two functions for a government – to legally authorize an arrest or a person or search for a specific thing. Find out what the different types of warrants are below.

Arrest Warrants: issued by state peace officers when they have probable cause to believe a person has committed a crime and must be arrested and booked.

Bench Warrants: issued by courts upon a defendant failing to show up for their appointed court hearing without being granted a continuance.

Probation and Parole Violation Warrants: upon the recommendation of a probation and parole board, these arrest warrants are issued when a probationer or parolee fails to comply with the conditions of their release.

Traffic Warrants: citations issued by traffic officers when they witness a driver fail to comply with the rules of the road.

Child Support Warrants: issued by a family court judge when a parent does not make their court appointed child support payments.

Capias & Capias Pro Fine Warrants: type of bench warrant issued when a defendant pleads guilty to a charge and is issued a fine, then subsequently fails to pay the fine.

Fugitive Warrants: reserved for most violent offenders who have evaded police capture after law enforcement has attempted to execute an arrest warrant. Also issued upon fugitives who have escaped confinement.

Search Warrants: legal order granting peace officers the authority to search a person, place, or thing for specific evidence.

How To Get a Warrant Dropped or Resolved in Johnson County Iowa

A warrant is serious business in Johnson County, but there are certain steps you can take to improve your chances of getting it resolved. If you learn that a person you know has an active warrant, you should think about letting them know only if you believe it is safe to do so. Some people may not like other people knowing that law enforcement are looking for them.

If you deem it safe to do so, inform the person so they can have the opportunity to get their affairs in order. If you have information about a person alleged to have committed a serious offense, consider contacting a local police department.⁸

If you have an active warrant, try to find out if you can pay a fine to have the warrant quashed. This is possible for low level misdemeanor cases and traffic tickets.

If the offense is more serious in nature, you likely need to discuss the matter further with a criminal defense attorney.

It is unwise to face the government’s prosecution without experience. An attorney may also help you obtain a bond and prepare your family for the difficult journey ahead.

Find out if you or someone you know has a summons for arrest by performing a Johnson County warrant search today; by following the details in this resource, you may be able to help someone clear their name before its too late.