Perform a Free Kansas Warrant Search (Step-by-Step Guidance)

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Free Kansas Warrant Search

Find out if you or someone else has a warrant out for their arrest in Kansas, free of charge.

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Complete a free Kansas warrant search to reveal any existing warrants an individual has been issued within the state.

This information is typically used when performing a personal background check on someone to see if they are believed to have committed a crime. You can run a warrant search on any U.S. citizen, whether you are seeking these details for yourself or someone else.

However, you must first know which agencies to contact, how to submit requests to them, and have the information you’ll need to obtain any results. This resource offers guidance on how to conduct searches for warrants issued in Kansas using official databases that can be checked at no cost.

The Availability of Warrant Records in Kansas

Several types of warrants exist, with the most common in Kansas being search, arrest, and bench. In states where they are publicly available, you can find most of them through a search in a government database; Kansas is one of them.

According to the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA), warrants are open to the public.¹ They become part of the public record as soon as they have been issued and executed. One exception is search warrants, which are not publicly available because they are investigative tools for law enforcement.

Federal warrant records aren’t public but are instead kept by the U.S. Marshals Service. They are restricted to individuals with a legal need to know.

A record of the warrant is publicly available for as long as the warrant is in force. Depending on the state’s classification of the crime and its statute of limitations for prosecution, the warrant may last for a specific period or indefinitely.

For example, if you perform a search to reveal active arrest warrants in Kansas, you will find that there is no statute of limitations. Bench warrants do not expire, either.

An Overview of Searching for Warrants in Kansas

There are some details you should know to efficiently search for warrants in Kansas.

At a minimum, you must have the person’s first and last name, the state they reside, and in which state the warrant was issued. Knowing their date of birth and the county or city they live in is also helpful for narrowing down your possible results and quickly finding the records of the person you’re checking on.

Fortunately, several government agencies have databases with warrant information and various means of obtaining them. Many of them provide searches online and for free.

You may need to opt for one resource over another depending on the type of offense and where it occurred. Generally, though, the typical method for the quickest results involves searching first at the broadest level and then determining if continuing through to narrower levels is necessary.

The broadest-level search is obviously with the state agency, but county, municipal, and the federal government may also provide warrant information. You may need to resort to county or municipal courts for your search depending on the city the warrant was issued and its type.

Regardless of the agency you contact, a warrant search is generally available at no cost to you.

How To Conduct a Free Kansas Warrant Search on Yourself or Someone Else

To begin checking for Kansas warrants, you’ll want to start at the state level. County and municipal courts are other options if you already know the county or city where the possible warrant was issued.

Alternatively, if you don’t know exactly where the warrant may have been issued or want to check for all warrants on someone in the entire state, the Kansas-wide lookup will be your best bet. The process for a warrant search is the same whether you’re running it on yourself or someone else in Kansas.

State courts seem like the first resource since they issue warrants. The Kansas Judicial Branch maintains all public records from the courts.²

However, these have case numbers assigned to them. A case number is only assigned to someone who has a warrant if a court has formally held a hearing and filed charges against them. This makes the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) the broadest statewide resource for warrant searches.

Online: The KBI can execute warrants, which are usually obtained from a judge. Their website has a Criminal History Record Search tool that requires you to create a KanAccess account with your personal identifying information and have a monthly subscription.³ The service cost is $20.

There is also a FAQs page with additional information for people who want to know more about online criminal history records.⁴

In person: To check for warrants in person, visit either of the KBI office locations in Wichita, Great Bend, Lenexa, or Pittsburg. You can also visit the headquarters in Topeka.

Kansas Bureau of Investigation
1620 SW Tyler St.
Topeka, KS 66612

Hours of operation: M-F 8 AM to 5 PM

By mail: You can inquire by mail at the following address.

Kansas Bureau of Investigation
P.O. Box 130
Kechi, KS 67067

Phone: (785) 296-8200
Email: Submit a message form

Another possible resource is the KBI’s Most Wanted list.⁶ It publicly shows the state’s most wanted felony fugitives with their name, mugshot, location, and offenses.

Also, the KDOC has a search tool for parole absconders that allows you to select “all” or a location to get a list of results.

Check for Warrants in Kansas Through County Clerks & Sheriff’s Offices

You can also run a Kansas warrant search through more local agencies; after state agencies, your next-best option is to search at the county level.

Kansas maintains active warrants through each county’s sheriff’s office. Many often have an online Warrant Search tool and all require the person’s name, at least in part.

All courts are transitioning to a centralized case management system that will be known as eCourt. You would normally run a check on a public computer at any county courthouse in person whenever eCourt is not available. However, it’s possible to get faster results and more details when you know the county where the warrant was issued.

The following are a few examples of how to obtain warrant details at the county level.

Johnson County: To check for Johnson County warrants online, use the Warrant Search tool by entering the name or city. If you search by city, you will obtain a list of everyone with active warrants in it.

For an in-person inquiry, you can visit the sheriff’s office.

Johnson County Sheriff’s Office
588 E. Santa Fe St. #2000
Olathe, KS 66061

Hours of operation: M-F 8 AM to 5 PM

If you prefer inquiring over the phone, you can call the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Information Line at (913) 715-5800.

Sedgwick County: The website has a Warrants page that features a Wanted Felon of the Day.⁹ It includes an Outstanding Profiled Felons list and an outstanding profiled felons search tool that lets you run a check with any part of someone’s name.

Because you can only search Sedgwick County warrants for outstanding profiled felons, you must have an alternative if the person does not fit that criteria. That means only the worst criminals in that county have warrant information accessible online.

Your alternative is to go to the sheriff’s office in person to find out if someone has any active warrants, including warrants that are outstanding or haven’t been resolved. The address can be found below:

Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office
141 W. Elm St.
Wichita, KS 67203

Phone: (316) 660-3960 or (800) 874-6449
Hours of operation: M-F 8 AM to 5 PM
Contact online: Feedback form

Shawnee County: To check someone online, enter their first and last name on the website’s Warrant Search tool.¹¹ It is updated every hour with information on all types of active warrants in the county.

The site also has a Most Wanted list. It shows each person’s mugshots, personal identifying information, and the criminal charges they are fleeing from. A Kansas arrest warrant for someone would appear there if they allegedly committed a felony.

Instead, you can get better results by inquiring in person:

Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office
320 S. Kansas Ave. Ste. 200
Topeka, KS 66603

Phone: (785) 251-2200
Fax: (785) 251-2338
Email: webmaster@snco.us
Hours of operation: M-F 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM

Look Up Warrants Issued by Municipal Agencies in Kansas

At the municipal level, you may be able to find warrants from local court clerks or law enforcement agencies. Kansas keeps information on any and all active warrants through the latter.

Since each court issues different types of warrants, it’s best to run a general check through state or county law enforcement; however, that doesn’t mean municipal agencies don’t have anything to offer, as long as you are looking for what they have jurisdiction over. In Kansas, they deal with traffic and ordinance violations and issue bench warrants for failure to appear in court.¹²

Wichita: You’ll need to refer to the Case List tool if you’re searching online and must enter the person’s first and last name.

Wichita Municipal Court
455 N. Main St., 2nd floor
Wichita, KS 67202

Phone: (316) 268-4611
Fax: (316) 268-4249
Email: NEmmorey@wichita.gov
Phone hours: M-F 8 AM to 5 PM
Court hours of operation: M-F 7:45 AM to 5 PM

Overland Park: You can use the Case Search feature to check online by name, citation or complaint number, or case number after you click the “Log in” button.

Overland Park Municipal Court
12400 Foster St.
Overland Park, Kansas 66213

Phone: +1 913.327.6800
Fax: +1 913.327.5760
Email: opmc@opkansas.org
Hours of operation: M-F 8 AM to 5 PM

Kansas City: The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and KC combines information on one website. It does not have an online search feature, which means you must visit in person to check for warrants.

Kansas City Municipal Court
701 N. 7th St., 2nd floor
Wichita, KS 66101

Phone: (913) 573-5200
Fax: (913) 573-5210
Email: kckmunicourt@wycokck.org
Hours of operation: M-F 8 AM to 5 PM

Olathe: This city does not have an online search tool on its website, so you need to go to the municipal court.

Olathe Municipal Court
1200 S. Harrison St.
Olathe, KS 66061

Phone: (913) 971-7564
Fax: (913) 971-7555
Hours of operation: M-F 8 AM to 4 PM

Topeka: The court search tool allows you to search by name, complaint or citation number, or case number. To look for warrants, you’ll need to visit the city’s municipal court.

Topeka Municipal Court
455 N. Main St., 2nd floor
Wichita, KS 67202

Phone: (785) 368-3776
Fax: (785) 368-3782
Email: utiityaccounts@topeka.org
Hours of operation: 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Thursday & 7:30 AM to 1 PM Friday

Retrieve Federal Warrant Information for Kansas & All Other States

A state warrant search cannot display any information on federal writs, which are private. To remedy this, you can browse pages of people who are evading law enforcement. For example, the FBI has a page of the Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives.

Another option when pursuing a federal warrant lookup instead of a Kansas warrant search is to check the U.S. Marshals Service’s 15 Most Wanted Fugitives, or the more expansive listing from the DEA — the Most Wanted Fugitives page. Click on “View All Wanted Fugitives” and use Advanced Search or filters to narrow down your results.

You can also try PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) to check for federal arrest and search warrants with the PACER Case Locator.¹⁴ Enter the person’s name, click “Case Number,” and select the “Docket Sheet/Docket Report” and/or “History/Documents” query.

This option charges $0.10 for each page of search results. To read about how the fees work, see the Pricing page.

There is an ideal route even beyond these resources. That is to contact a criminal attorney to send a FOIA request through the US Marshals Service that executes most federal warrants.

Online, you can submit a USMS FOIA request yourself along with your consent and proof of identity. Information is available on the fees and process.

Types of Warrants in Kansas & What Each Means

It is important to understand the different types of warrants in Kansas since your chosen resource will affect what will be available in your search results.

In this state, a judge can issue search, arrest, and execution warrants, but there are several other possible types. The legal system determines the court that will issue a particular warrant.

Bench warrants in Kansas are misdemeanors, or minor crimes. They are issued when individuals commit an offense against the court. Municipal courts in the state only issue them for failure to appear for a summons.

If someone is facing a criminal charge, then a bench warrant can hold them in jail until their trial is completed. After that, they may face more jail time, but bench warrants do not carry jail time in and of themselves.

Arrest warrants call for taking individuals into custody to await trial when law enforcement has probable cause to believe they committed a crime. They can be for misdemeanors or felonies. Traffic warrants are a subtype that are orders for arrest, either for failure to appear in court to answer a summons or pay a fine for a ticket received while driving.

There are also writs for individuals to appear in court for specific offenses. Capias warrants authorize law enforcement to detain people and hold them to make them appear for court cases.

Capias pro-fine warrants are writs for making individuals appear in court to give good cause for failing to pay per the judgment. When it comes to failing to provide financially for their children, non-custodial parents can face child support warrants.

For circumstances that occur later in the criminal process, there are probation and parole violation warrants.

Probation is a type of supervision in the community with enforcement by a probation officer, while parole is a conditional release with a parole officer. Because they are conditional privileges that allow convicted criminals to reduce or eliminate their incarceration time, violating them will result in warrants to take them back into custody.

Search warrants may or may not go in hand with arrest warrants. They are orders that authorize law enforcement to perform searches of people, places, or vehicles to obtain criminal evidence.

Perhaps the most well-known are fugitive warrants, as seen on any “most wanted” list. They are issued when individuals have already received criminal charges and are evading law enforcement.

Resolving Warrants & Reporting Wanted Persons in KS

It can be frightening to find out that you or someone else has a warrant; however, there are a few different ways to do a Kansas warrant roundup or report wanted persons depending on the involved parties.

If the discovery is for someone else, consider informing them so they can resolve it by themselves. If that is not an option because they pose a danger to themselves or other people, you should notify the KBI Tip Line at 1-800-KS-CRIME (1-800-572-7453) or your local law enforcement office.

For the latter, you can also look up “crime stoppers” for your county, which is a community effort that offers rewards for anonymous tips. The Crime Stoppers of Wichita – Sedgwick County recommends reporting by phone call at (316) 267-2111, using the tip form, or downloading the app.

If it’s yourself the warrant concerns, you can take any one or more routes. Depending on the warrant, you may have to appear in court, pay a fine, do jail time, or obtain legal counsel. You can also choose to contact a bail bondsman, attorney, and family and then turn yourself in.

A warrant search is part of a thorough background check that can be done by U.S. citizens at the state, county, and city levels; regardless of who the information may potentially concern, this resource makes running a Kansas warrant search a more efficient process.

To delve deeper, you may refer to either the instructions for finding KS arrest and criminal records or the Kansas free public information search tutorial, which gives clear steps for finding records of inmates, court cases, vital records, and more.