Free Suffolk County Warrant Search: Check Anyone’s Status

Free Suffolk County Warrant Search
Find out if you or someone else has a warrant out for their arrest in Suffolk County, New York, free of charge.

Perform a Suffolk County warrant search today. Valuable information about court orders that are still pending execution can be retrieved, allowing concerned individuals to properly address any warrant against them.

The New York Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) regulates how available public records should be dispersed to those searching for information; all government agencies must abide by those rules.

Uncovering this information allows citizens to be informed and educated about their circumstances and the situations of the people they care about. Those individuals are better equipped to address active warrants and proactively resolve them. This streamlined resource provides relevant free tools to help accomplish that goal.

Information Necessary To Run a Suffolk County Warrant Search for Free

When searching for outstanding warrants in Suffolk County, concerned people can work with a few different official agencies.

First and foremost, it’s fundamental to consider that the New York Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) regulates and determines what kind of public records must be available to the people.1 It also establishes the means by which those records should be made accessible.

Anyone searching for warrant information in Suffolk County should be able to readily retrieve it, regardless of the type of court order they’re searching for. More on the types of warrants that can be issued will be addressed in this article.

Interested individuals can work with the Sheriff’s Office, the Suffolk County Police Department, or the District Court to look up warrant details. They can also be useful tools to address those warrants and try to resolve them.

Valuable tips and strategies to uncover information for free and instructions to effectively address active warrants will be discussed in detail in this article.

How To Look Up Suffolk County Outstanding Warrants

The Police Division is responsible for executing all sorts of warrants under the authority of the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office. The Warrant Squad is organized into different teams, which are in charge of handling the following types of warrants:2

  • Family-related warrants (which include abuse and neglect cases)
  • Juvenile cases
  • General warrants
  • Sheriff’s Warrant Apprehension Program (for parents who fail to pay child support)
  • Criminal warrants (from misdemeanors to felonies)

They work in association with many agencies in New York and all around the country, but they don’t offer much information online about how to address a warrant. If anyone thinks they may need to contact the sheriff’s office about a pending court order, this is where they can go:3

Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office – Headquarters
200 Center Dr.
Riverhead, NY 11901

Phone: 631.852.2200
Bail line: 631.852.2241 (24 hours a day)

In Suffolk County, warrants are issued by the judges at the District Court.4 They don’t offer a free online tool for people to search for case details. However, the clerk’s office is available to the public to provide information when needed.

Screenshot of a part of the frequently asked questions in the criminal court division, displaying the information about warrant issuance and viewing in Suffolk county.
Source: New York State Unified Court System, Suffolk County District Court5

This is their contact information:

Suffolk County District Court
Chief Clerk’s Office
Cohalan Court Complex
400 Carleton Avenue – room D255
Central Islip, NY 11722

Phone: 631.208.5775
Fax: 631.853.4505

Last, but not least, the Suffolk County Police Department supports the Sheriff’s Office in executing warrants in their area. They have seven precincts, all in different locations, which serve the people in Suffolk County and can be visited (or contacted) when someone is searching for a warrant. This is their contact information:

Suffolk County Police Department
Precinct Address Phone
1st Precinct – West Babylon 555 Babylon Farmingdale Rd.
West Babylon, NY 11704
631.854.8195
2nd Precinct – Huntington 1071 Park Ave
Huntington, NY 11743
631.854.8250
3rd Precinct – Bay Shore 1630 5th Ave
Bay Shore, NY 11706
631.854.8308
4th Precinct – Smithtown 727 Veterans Memorial Hwy
Smithtown, NY 11788
631.854.8478
5th Precinct – Patchogue 125 Waverly Ave
Patchogue, NY 11772
631.854.8573
6th Precinct – Selden 400 Middle Country Rd
Selden, NY 11784
631.854.8689
7th Precinct – Shirley 1491 William Floyd Pkwy
Shirley, NY 11967
631.852.8775

Types of Warrants & Their Definitions

Warrants are issued by a judge for many different reasons. Depending on what kind of action needs to be taken, a different warrant may be issued. It’s important to learn the various types of warrants that are out there so that people know how to take care of them properly by complying with the court order.

  • Search warrants – are issued to authorize law enforcement to search a location or someone’s property to find and collect pieces of evidence connected with a crime that was committed. When evidence is found, it can be seized and used by the prosecutor in the court proceedings.
  • Arrest warrants – are issued when there’s evidence that someone committed an offense and, consequently, must be brought to justice.
  • DNA warrants – authorize law enforcement to collect a sample of a person’s DNA (usually by swabbing their cheek and collecting some mucus). In New York, search warrants don’t authorize law enforcement to go that far, and a specific warrant is required when DNA evidence is needed.
  • Bench warrants – also known as alias warrants are issued when someone who’s been tried for a crime or offense fails to appear in court at any set date. This person may be arrested and have a second criminal charge to defend themselves of, which may complicate their situation.

Any type of warrant can be considered to be active or outstanding, regardless of the reason why it was issued. When someone refers to a warrant as being outstanding, for example, it only indicates that this particular court order is still pending execution, not providing any insight into why that order was issued in the first place.

How To Handle an Active Warrant in Suffolk County New York

Different steps can be taken in order to handle an open warrant in Suffolk County. One way to be proactive is to fill out an application to vacate a warrant with the Suffolk District Court.6 Requests to vacate must be submitted in person to the Clerk’s Office and follow the instructions provided on the application form.

Screenshot of the last section of the application form from Suffolk County District Court displaying a note and fields for the warrant information such as full name, address, birthdate, docket or warrant number, type of charge, and ability to pay fine.
Source: Suffolk County District Court6

This is the Clerk’s Office contact information:

Suffolk County District Court
Chief Clerk’s Office
Cohalan Court Complex
400 Carleton Avenue – room D255
Central Islip, NY 11722

Phone: 631.208.5775
Fax: 631.853.4505

If someone is arrested or has a bond set, they must work with a licensed bondsman to avoid their arrest. The New York Department of Financial Services has a Bail Bonds Active Agency Listing available online.7 The list includes agencies throughout the state but includes those in Suffolk County.

Screenshot of the bail bonds active agents list in Suffolk county provided by the New York Department of Financial Services, displaying the agents' licensee names, types, license numbers, and locations.
Source: New York Department of Financial Services7

To post bail in Suffolk County, citizens must work with one of the two locations made available by the Sheriff’s Office. That can be done any day of the week, 24 hours a day, and more information can be obtained by calling 631.852.2241. Those are the addresses citizens can go to:

Riverhead Correctional Facility
100 Center Drive South
Riverhead, NY 11901

Yaphank Correctional Facility
200 Glover Drive
Yaphank, NY 11980

When faced with a warrant, individuals should always consider hiring an attorney. First, a lawyer can speak to law enforcement and the courts on their client’s behalf. Second, they can offer good advice on how to address the challenge at hand.

If surrendering to law enforcement is needed, then it’s important to take two steps: contact family and friends and make arrangements with a licensed bondsman. By contacting the people closest to them, the individual can activate their support net and make sure they have their back. By working with a bondsman, they can make sure they’ll be released from jail as quickly as possible.

If the reader is in possession of information regarding a wanted individual, there are ways they can safely relay that knowledge to law enforcement. They can do it by phone, calling +1.800.220.8477 or making an online report. Whatever avenue is chosen, citizens should never try to engage with a wanted individual, as they may be dangerous and react aggressively.

Running a Suffolk County warrant search should be a smooth process for everyone who’s concerned about a court order pending execution; concerned citizens should feel comfortable using all the resources available to them so they can deal with active warrants in the best way possible.


References

1New York Committee on Open Government. (n.d.). Freedom of Information Law | Open Government. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from <https://opengovernment.ny.gov/freedom-information-law>

2Suffolk County Sheriffs Office. (n.d.). Policing Division. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from <https://www.suffolkcountysheriffsoffice.com/policing-division>

3Suffolk County Sheriffs Office. (n.d.). Contact Us. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from <https://www.suffolkcountysheriffsoffice.com/contact-us>

4New York State Unified Court System, Suffolk County District Court. (n.d.). Frequently Asked Questions – Suffolk District Court. NYCOURTS.GOV. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from <https://ww2.nycourts.gov/courts/10jd/suffolk/dist/DC_FAQ.shtml>

5New York State Unified Court System, Suffolk County District Court. (n.d.). Criminal Court FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). NYCOURTS.GOV. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from <https://ww2.nycourts.gov/courts/10jd/suffolk/dist/crimfaq.shtml#top>

6Suffolk County District Court. (n.d.). Application to Vacate District Court Warrant. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from <https://www.nycourts.gov/legacypdfs/courts/10jd/suffolk/dist/pdf/DC-320a.pdf>

7New York Department of Financial Services. (n.d.). Bail Bonds Active Agent Listing. DFS Portal. Retrieved January 17, 2024, from <https://myportal.dfs.ny.gov/web/guest-applications/bail-bonds-search>