Find Montgomery Bench Warrants

Montgomery bench warrants are issued when someone fails to appear in court or does not follow a court order. As the state capital, Montgomery has both municipal and county court systems that issue warrants. Montgomery Municipal Court handles city ordinance cases. Montgomery County Circuit Court handles felonies and misdemeanors. Contact the court clerk or sheriff to check for active warrants.

What Is a Bench Warrant?

A bench warrant is an order from a judge. The judge issues it from the bench. It tells police to arrest you and bring you to court. This is not like a warrant for a new crime. A bench warrant is for failing to follow court rules. Miss a court date in Montgomery? You likely have one.

Under Code of Alabama Section 15-10-60, a bench warrant directs officers to arrest and bring a person before the issuing court. Once signed, it becomes active. Police can act on it any time. Montgomery Police can arrest you at home, at work, or anywhere they find you.

Bench warrants in Montgomery are issued for:

• Failure to appear for court
• Failure to pay fines
• Failure to pay court costs
• Failure to complete probation
• Failure to pay child support
• Contempt of court

Felony bench warrants never expire. They stay active until recalled or you are arrested. Misdemeanor warrants last 180 days to one year but can be renewed. A bench warrant in Montgomery will not go away. Ignoring it makes things worse.

Montgomery Municipal Court Bench Warrants

Montgomery Municipal Court issues bench warrants for city violations only. These are local matters. The court handles traffic tickets written by Montgomery Police, city code violations, and ordinance cases. If you missed a court date for a city ticket, the judge may have issued a bench warrant.

Municipal court does not handle felonies. It does not handle most state misdemeanors. The court covers city traffic violations, parking tickets, noise complaints, and code enforcement. These stay at the city level. If a state crime is involved, the case goes to district or circuit court instead.

Call (334) 625-2776 to check for municipal warrants. Give your name and date of birth. The clerk can tell you if you have an active warrant and what to do next. Do not wait. The warrant will not go away on its own.

Municipal vs County Bench Warrants

Montgomery has two court systems that issue bench warrants. Know which court issued yours. The steps to clear it depend on the court type. Here is the difference.

Montgomery Municipal Court covers:

• City traffic violations
• City ordinance violations
• Code enforcement matters
• Parking violations

Montgomery County Circuit and District Courts cover:

• Felony charges
• Misdemeanor crimes
• Drug offenses
• DUI cases
• Theft and assault
• Child support enforcement

A city bench warrant stays with municipal court. A county bench warrant is in the state court system. Both lead to arrest. Both show up when police check your name. The sheriff serves county warrants. Montgomery Police can arrest on any warrant. Check both courts if you are not sure where your case is.

Montgomery County has four court divisions: Criminal, Civil, Domestic, and Juvenile. The Circuit Clerk manages records for all of them. If you have a family court matter with a bench warrant, that is in the domestic division. Drug cases are criminal division. Know your division when you call.

How to Search Montgomery Bench Warrants

There is no free online search for Montgomery bench warrants. Alabama does not have a public statewide warrant database. You must contact the court or sheriff to check. Here are the ways to search in Montgomery.

Call Municipal Court: Phone (334) 625-2776 and ask the clerk to check. Give your full name and date of birth. The clerk can tell you if you have a municipal warrant. This is free and covers city violations only.

Call County Magistrate: Phone (334) 832-1349 for the Montgomery County warrant magistrate. Staff can check for active county warrants. Give your name and date of birth.

Call Circuit Clerk: Phone (334) 832-1260 for circuit court records. The clerk can look up your case and tell you about any warrants. This covers felony and civil matters.

Call the Sheriff: Phone (334) 832-4980 for the Montgomery County Sheriff. Officers can check the warrant system. Be careful if you go in person. You may be arrested if you have a warrant.

Use AlacourtAccess: Go to pa.alacourt.com to search state court records. A name search costs $9.99. You can see case status and pending matters. This may not show all active warrants but gives you case info.

Use Inmate Search: Go to mcso.mc-ala.org/pubquery/ to search Montgomery County inmates. This shows if someone is currently in custody. It does not show active warrants directly.

How to Clear a Montgomery Bench Warrant

A bench warrant stays active until you deal with it. You cannot wait it out. You have options, and the right choice depends on your case. Here is how to clear a bench warrant in Montgomery.

Turn yourself in: Go to the court that issued the warrant. Bring your ID. The judge will either set a new date or handle your case. You may need to post bond. You may stay in jail until a hearing. This is the most direct option.

Contact an attorney: A lawyer can file a motion to recall the warrant. They may get a new court date without you being arrested first. This costs money but gives you more control. The lawyer can also negotiate with the prosecutor on your behalf.

Post bond: If bond is set on your warrant, you can pay it. Call the court to find out the amount. Once paid, the warrant is lifted and you get a new court date. You can pay at the jail or use a bail bondsman.

Call the clerk: For municipal warrants, call (334) 625-2776. Explain your situation. Ask about your options. The clerk may set a new court date. They can tell you exactly what the court needs to clear the warrant.

Do not drive with an active warrant. Do not ignore it. Any police contact can end with you in jail. A minor traffic stop becomes a major problem. Deal with the warrant before that happens.

Montgomery Bench Warrant Fees

A bench warrant adds fees to your case. You already owed something. Now you owe more. The court adds costs when a warrant is issued. Here are the fees you may face in Montgomery.

Bond amounts depend on the charge and your history. Minor cases may have bonds of $500 or less. Serious charges can have bonds of $10,000 or more. Call the court for your specific bond amount.

If you cannot pay, ask about a payment plan. Montgomery courts can set up monthly payments in some cases. You may also ask for community service instead of fines. You must request these options. The court will not offer them without you asking.

Montgomery Police Department

Montgomery Police Department enforces all warrants in the city. Officers run warrant checks during traffic stops and other contacts. If you have a bench warrant, police will know when they check your name. Any contact can lead to arrest.

Montgomery Police share warrant info with other agencies. The state LETS system and national NCIC database connect all departments. If you travel with a Montgomery warrant, police in other cities can see it. Under Code of Alabama Section 15-10-2, warrants can be served any day and any time.

Montgomery County Circuit Court

Montgomery County Circuit Court handles felonies, misdemeanors, and civil cases. As the state capital, the court is busy. The courthouse is at 251 South Lawrence Street in downtown Montgomery. The Circuit Clerk keeps all records and issues warrants ordered by judges.

Montgomery County is part of the 15th Judicial Circuit. The court has seven divisions under the Circuit Clerk. Four main divisions handle Criminal, Civil, Domestic Relations, and Juvenile cases. Each has its own docket and judges. Know which division your case is in when you call.

View Montgomery County Bench Warrants

About Montgomery

Montgomery is the state capital of Alabama. About 196,000 people live here. The city is known as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement. Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat here in 1955. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led the Montgomery Bus Boycott from Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.

Montgomery was the first capital of the Confederacy in 1861. Today it is home to Maxwell Air Force Base and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. The city sits in Montgomery County and is the fourth largest in the state. With state government offices here, the courts handle a high volume of cases.

Being the capital means more law enforcement presence. State troopers, local police, and federal officers all work here. If you have a warrant in Montgomery, there are more chances to get caught. Deal with it before your luck runs out.

Nearby Cities

These Alabama cities are near Montgomery. Each has its own municipal court. If you had a case in one of these places, you may have a warrant there instead of Montgomery.

• Birmingham - Jefferson County, 90 miles north
• Auburn - Lee County, 55 miles east
• Dothan - Houston County, 100 miles southeast