Warrants

A warrant is a written legal document issued by some type of governing body that gives an officer the authorization to take legal action. Warrants can be issued to authorize an arrest (arrest warrant), conduct a search (search warrant), or execute a judgment. A search warrant is written for a specific item or items. For example, officers executing a search warrant to search the bedroom of a suspect cannot search the rest of the house. If, however, something illegal (such as weapons or drugs) is located “in plain sight,” it may be confiscated. Whether it may be used in court against the suspect is up to the court.

Warrants may be issued to situations related to driving. Driving with a suspended or revoked license, driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or failure to have proper auto insurance can result in the issuance of a warrant for the driver.

If someone has a warrant out, it will be difficult or impossible to get a driver’s license. Every state belongs to the National Driver Registry (NDR), an electronic database full of information from every state about suspended or revoked licenses, DUIs, and other traffic violations. It is required that the names of applicants are searched in the database. Any outstanding warrant will be red flagged. In some rare cases, a misdemeanor warrant will not prevent an applicant from getting a license.

When selling, buying, or registering a car, drivers who have an outstanding warrant will likely be apprehended by law enforcement officials. Since those actions require submitting information to the DMV, they in turn will notify the police about the whereabouts of the driver.

If a driver fails to appear in court for a traffic ticket, an arrest warrant will be issued and the driver’s license will be revoked. It will remain on the driver’s record indefinitely. Although police officers will not actively search for the defendant, they will be arrested if they are stopped by police for other matters or if they are issued a parking ticket. The penalties will include fines and jail time.