What Happens When a Warrant Is Issued in Florida?

Learning you have an active warrant is frightening. Maybe you discovered it during a background check for a new job. Maybe a police officer mentioned it during a traffic stop. Perhaps a friend or family member tipped you off. However you found out, you’re probably wondering what happens next—and whether you’re about to be arrested.

Here’s what you need to know right now: Florida warrants never expire. Once a judge signs that warrant, it stays active in state and national databases until you’re arrested or an attorney helps you clear it. Every day you wait worsens your situation. Judges see the delay as you dodging your obligations, which means higher bonds and less sympathy when you finally do appear. And you’re one routine traffic stop away from being arrested—possibly at the worst possible moment.

But here’s the good news: an experienced criminal defense attorney can often clear your warrant with minimal jail time—sometimes just a few hours for booking and processing. Since 1976, Matassini Law Firm has been helping Tampa residents resolve warrants strategically, not desperately. Board Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer Nicholas Matassini and former prosecutor Christina Matassini know exactly how Hillsborough County judges and prosecutors handle warrant cases.

What Kind of Warrant Do You Have?

Understanding which type of warrant was issued against you matters because it determines what happens next and how much leverage your attorney has to negotiate favorable terms.

Arrest Warrants (Capias Warrants)

An arrest warrant gives police authority to arrest you based on probable cause that you committed a crime. A law enforcement officer presents a sworn statement to a judge explaining why they believe you committed an offense. If the judge agrees there’s enough evidence, they sign the warrant. That warrant is entered into both Florida’s database (FCIC) and the national database (NCIC), so any officer in any state can arrest you on it.

Warrants don’t expire. That warrant from five years ago? Still active. That warrant from a decade ago? Still sitting in the system waiting for you.

Bench Warrants for Failure to Appear

Miss a court date, and the judge issues a bench warrant—usually immediately. It doesn’t matter why you missed court. The judge issues the warrant anyway.

What makes bench warrants particularly problematic is that most come with “no bond” holds. That means when you’re arrested, you can’t post bail—you sit in jail until you appear before that specific judge. It could be three days. It could be a week.

And here’s the kicker: failing to appear on a felony charge creates a new felony charge. Failing to appear on a misdemeanor charge creates a new misdemeanor charge.

Violation of Probation (VOP) Warrants

If your probation officer thinks you violated the terms of your probation—missed a meeting, failed a drug test, got arrested for something new—they file paperwork with the court. The judge reviews it and, if they find probable cause, issues a VOP warrant.

VOP cases are tough. At a VOP hearing, the prosecutor only needs to prove the violation “more likely than not”—that’s way easier than “beyond a reasonable doubt.” You don’t get a jury. The judge decides everything. And VOP warrants almost always come with “no bond” holds.

How Do I Check If I Have a Warrant?

The Hillsborough County Clerk of Court offers an online search, but it only displays warrants for Hillsborough County. If you’ve got a warrant from another county, you won’t find it there.
Here’s the smart way to check: call a criminal defense attorney and have them check for you. We can contact the clerk’s office, speak with prosecutors, and access information you can’t find on a public website. More importantly, if there is a warrant, we immediately start working on a plan to resolve it with minimal jail time.

Here’s what NOT to do: Don’t walk into a police station and turn yourself in without talking to an attorney first. Without an attorney negotiating on your behalf, you’re looking at sitting in jail for 48 to 72 hours or more. An attorney can arrange a voluntary surrender on better terms, often with a pre-negotiated bond so you’re out within hours.

How to Clear a Warrant in Florida

Option 1: Voluntary Surrender Through Your Attorney (Best Option)

Your attorney contacts the State Attorney’s Office and the court, negotiates terms, and arranges for you to surrender at a specific time under conditions we’ve already worked out. That might include scheduling surrender early in the week, pre-negotiating the bond amount, having a bondsman ready, and arranging for you to go directly to a judge.

Voluntary surrender demonstrates to the judge that you’re taking this seriously and cooperating. It also means you have an attorney with you from minute one, protecting your rights. People who arrange voluntary surrender through Matassini Law Firm are often in and out of custody the same day—sometimes in just a few hours.

Option 2: Motion to Quash or Recall the Warrant

Sometimes we can have the warrant dismissed without your surrender. This applies when the warrant was issued in error—such as when you missed court because you were in the hospital — and you can provide medical records showing a legitimate emergency.

Judges don’t grant these motions easily. You need solid evidence and persuasive legal arguments. But when it works, it’s the best possible outcome—no arrest, no jail, problem solved.

Option 3: Resolving the Underlying Criminal Case

Clearing the warrant usually means dealing with the criminal charges that triggered it. Your attorney negotiates with prosecutors to resolve the underlying case—either through a favorable plea agreement or by taking the case to trial if that’s the better strategic move.

The sooner you get an attorney involved after learning about a warrant, the more options you have. Evidence gets stale over time. Witnesses disappear. In older cases, prosecutors are sometimes more willing to negotiate reasonable deals.

How Long Will I Be in Jail?

This is what everyone wants to know. Here’s what affects your jail time:

If the warrant has a preset bond and you can post it immediately, you can expect 6 to 12 hours for booking and processing.

If the warrant doesn’t have a pre-set bond, you sit in jail until you appear before a judge at a “first appearance hearing,” which typically happens within 24 hours. But if you’re arrested Friday night, that could mean 48 to 72 hours before a judge even sets your bond.

If it’s a bench warrant for failure to appear, Most come with “no bond” holds. You remain in custody until you appear before the judge who issued the warrant. It could be three days. It could be a week.

If it’s a VOP warrant: Almost always “no bond.” You sit in jail until your VOP hearing, which could be weeks away.

The best way to minimize jail time? Work with an experienced criminal defense lawyer who Tampa courts respect, who can negotiate a strategic voluntary surrender. At Matassini Law Firm, we routinely turn situations that would otherwise take days or weeks into just a few hours.

Five Mistakes That Make Your Warrant Situation Worse

Mistake #1: Ignoring the Warrant – Florida warrants never expire. That warrant will sit in the database for decades until you’re arrested or an attorney clears it. The longer you wait, the less sympathy judges have.

Mistake #2: Turning Yourself In Without an Attorney – Walking into a police station without an attorney usually means sitting in jail longer than necessary. An attorney arranges things differently, coordinating with prosecutors and bondsmen to minimize your custody time.

Mistake #3: Fleeing to Another State – Warrants are in a national database. Any cop in any state can arrest you. Plus, fleeing makes you look like a flight risk, which means judges set higher bonds.

Mistake #4: Talking to Police Without an Attorney – When police arrest you on a warrant, they’ll often try to question you. Please don’t fall for it. Say nothing except “I want my attorney.”

Mistake #5: Missing Court Dates After You Post Bond – Missing court dates after you’ve already been arrested once makes judges furious. They’ll issue a new bench warrant, typically without bond.

Why You Need a Tampa Warrant Attorney

Here’s what an experienced warrant attorney does for you:

• Negotiates favorable surrender terms that minimize your jail time
• Protects your rights during arrest and questioning
• Develops defense strategies for the underlying charges
• Knows the local courthouse—the judges, the prosecutors, the procedures
• Files motions to quash or recall warrants when appropriate
• Coordinates with other jurisdictions if needed

How Matassini Law Firm Clears Tampa Warrants

We’ve been doing this since 1976. Here’s how we handle warrant cases:

We verify the warrant details through court records and our relationships with law enforcement and prosecutors. We assess your options based on the type of warrant, the underlying charges, and your criminal history. We develop a strategic plan for resolving the warrant with minimal jail time. We negotiate favorable terms with prosecutors and coordinate with bail bondsmen to post bail immediately.

Former prosecutors on your side: Both Nicholas and Christina Matassini are former prosecutors with the State Attorney’s Office for the 13th Judicial Circuit. We know how prosecutors think because we used to be prosecutors.

Board Certified expertise: Nicholas Matassini is Board Certified in Criminal Trial Law by the Florida Bar—a distinction held by fewer than 500 of Florida’s 100,000+ attorneys.

Nearly 50 years of Tampa criminal defense: We’ve been handling warrant cases in Hillsborough County since 1976. We know the judges. We know the prosecutors. We know what strategies work in these courtrooms.

Common Questions About Florida Warrants

How long does a warrant last in Florida?

Forever. Florida warrants don’t expire. Once a judge signs that warrant, it stays active in state and national databases until you’re arrested or a court recalls it. Could be one year, could be twenty years—doesn’t matter.

Will the police come to my house to arrest me?

For serious felonies—violent crimes, major drug trafficking—yes, police often actively hunt for people with outstanding warrants. For less serious offenses, they usually wait until they encounter you during a traffic stop or at a DUI checkpoint. But that warrant is sitting in the database, and any cop who runs your name will see it.

Can I travel if I have a warrant?

Traveling with an active warrant is risky. TSA’s screening systems flag individuals with outstanding warrants, and TSA notifies local law enforcement. Many people are arrested at airport security. At passport control, international travelers are definitely checked against warrant databases. If you get arrested out of state on a Florida warrant, you could sit in an out-of-state jail for weeks while they work out extradition.

Call Matassini Law Firm Now

If you’ve got an active warrant in Tampa or anywhere in Hillsborough County, don’t wait for police to arrest you at the worst possible time. The criminal defense attorneys at Matassini Law Firm have been resolving warrant cases since 1976, and we know how to clear warrants strategically while minimizing your time in custody.

Don’t let an active warrant control your life. Don’t live in fear of being arrested in front of your kids or at your workplace. Call the Matassini Law Firm right now and let us handle this the right way.