Conduct a Free Grayson County Warrant Search on Anybody

Perform a free Grayson County warrant search quickly and seamlessly.

You might want to run a search to confirm whether or not you have a warrant for your arrest or to verify whether someone you know has an active warrant. Of course, you might just want to look up information out of curiosity.

Regardless of the reason for wanting to search, warrant information is made available to the public through the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

With this resource directing you through the process, you will find that different agencies make warrant details available through various means, so it’s key to know where to look and how to gain access. This article will answer your questions and walk you through the steps to conduct an effective warrant search in Grayson County, Virginia.

This resource was written by Attorney Robert Bailey Jr, who holds a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law.

A Synopsis of Performing a Free Grayson County Warrant Search

While you could jump right into conducting a warrant search, certain information can greatly assist both the process of obtaining this information and understanding the data you uncover. Warrant information can be found with various custodians and through different means. The below synopsis will help you understand what type of warrant information is available and what you need to know to access it.

Most warrant information is considered a public government record. Under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, citizens are authorized to view warrant information except for certain restricted information.¹

In Grayson County, there are several different warrants, each with a unique use and reason for issuance (details on this will be discussed in a later section). Certain types are more likely to be unrestricted (e.g., arrest warrants) than others.

For instance, a prominent exception is the ability of government agencies to restrict warrant data that may negatively impact a criminal investigation. Search warrants that are not fully executed tend to be restricted as they have the greatest likelihood of hindering a law enforcement investigation.

For available warrant information, there are different ways to access this information. The quickest options tend to be online databases or an informal request for information over the phone. For more detailed information, you can submit a formal request to the appropriate government agency or conduct a search in person.

Once you decide how you will access the warrant data, make sure you have sufficient information to locate the record. The quickest way to obtain warrant information is to have both the person’s full name and address (or at least the county where they reside). Of course, you will need to know the county where the warrant was issued to ensure you are searching in the correct location.

If you do not have this information or cannot locate the warrant for some other reason, consider providing additional information about the person, such as any physical characteristics or other types of information that may identify them (e.g., date of birth). You may also be able to locate a hard-to-find record by providing information about when the warrant was issued, type and any related charges.

When searching at the county level, you have to know the record custodian to know where to look. The record custodian of warrant information in Grayson County is the Sheriff’s Office and the courts (both the District Court and Circuit Court).²

Certain cities and towns operate municipal courts that have jurisdiction to issue their own warrants. In Grayson County, the towns do not have local courts that issue their own independent warrants.

Now that you are better prepared, the next section will walk you through the specific process of searching Grayson County for warrant records.

How To See if You or Someone Else Has an Outstanding Warrant in Grayson County Virginia

If you are looking for warrant information in Grayson County, you have a couple of options. A good starting point is to search for warrant information through criminal records in Grayson County.

To guide you on where to search, it’s important to know that the Grayson County General District Court handles misdemeanor cases and traffic violations while the Circuit Court handles more serious criminal cases (e.g., felonies).^{3, 4}

To search for warrant information with the General District Court, use their Case Lookup Search Tool. You can search for criminal cases by name, case number or hearing date.

Select the ‘Grayson General District Court’ and the type of search you want to conduct. When you conduct your search, you can narrow your results to current or archived cases.

The results will list the person’s name, case number, last hearing date and related charges. On this page, click on the case number for the record you want to search for warrant information. Look through all sections to see if any warrants were issued.

For additional warrant information on a case with the Grayson County General District Court, you can call them at 276-773-2011 or contact the court at the address below:

Grayson County General District Court
New Grayson Courthouse
P.O. Box 280
129 Davis St.
Independence, Virginia 24348

To search for warrant information with the Grayson County Circuit Court, use their Case Information Search Tool. Select the ‘Grayson Circuit Court’ and click the “begin” button.

The search engine defaults to criminal cases. Enter the person’s name, case number or hearing date to view a list of matching criminal cases.

On the results page, you can see the defendant’s name, charge, hearing date, and status. The case number is also listed which you can select to view the complete criminal record. You can search through the online criminal record to see if any warrants were issued with the case.

For additional warrant data for a particular criminal case, you may consider submitting a request for additional information or going in person. Your best option is to contact the Grayson County Clerk of the Circuit Court.⁷ You can call them at 276-773-2231 or use the address below to contact them by mail or in person:

Grayson County Clerk of Circuit Court
P.O. Box 130
129 Davis St.
Independence, Virginia 24348

You can also get certain warrant information from the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office. One option is to look up warrant information through their Most Wanted List.⁸ You can also make an inquiry with the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office by emailing them at [email protected] or calling them at 276-773-3241.²

You can also write or contact someone in person at the address below:

Grayson County Sheriff’s Office
P.O. Box 160
304 Davis St.
Independence, Virginia 24348

There are no cities and towns in Grayson County in which you can search for independent warrant information. Your only options are to search at the county level, or statewide which will be discussed next.

Look Up Warrant Information Throughout Virginia

A citizen can look up warrant information throughout the state by using the Virginia Judiciary Online Search Tool.⁹ This statewide search tool allows you to look up criminal records for circuit or district courts in every county at once.

Once you enter a person’s name, you can see a list of results with the connected offense date, charge, case number and most recent hearing. You can click on the case number to view the complete online criminal record.

If there is warrant information, you will be able to view it in the “case information” section. You can then use this information to perform a more detailed search with the county circuit or district court that issued the warrant.

Each Warrant Type & Their Meanings

Whether you have yet to conduct a search or are looking through the information you found, it can be extremely helpful to understand the various warrant types you may encounter and what they mean. Each warrant in Grayson County is issued under particular circumstances and can be seen in many different situations.

The most searched-for type is the arrest warrant. This is issued to allow law enforcement to take a person into custody for the alleged commission of a crime.

A probation or parole warrant can also be issued for a person’s arrest for violating the conditions of their release from prison.

A child support warrant may be issued if a person becomes delinquent on court-ordered payments.

A bench warrant is issued when a person fails to obey a court order, which in most cases is when the person does not attend a required court hearing.

A capias pro fine warrant is issued when, after a judgment is entered against a person, they refuse to pay the court-ordered restitution.

A search warrant is issued to allow law enforcement to search a non-public area for evidence of a specific crime.

The term active warrant means that it has yet to be fully executed or resolved. This term can be designated for any warrant.

How Do You Resolve an Active Warrant in Grayson County?

If you are conducting a search for active warrants and you find out that there is one outstanding for you, take action and do not delay. Certain warrants allow you to resolve the matter without having to turn yourself in. With certain types of warrants, you can quash the matter by calling up the court to schedule a new hearing or paying an outstanding fine.

However, if the warrant is more serious and you cannot resolve it through these means, you will want to consult with a licensed attorney who handles these types of matters. Turning yourself in because of a warrant can be a stressful and confusing experience if you do not have expert legal advice to lead you through the process and the type of action you should take.

There are other important actions you should take. First, you will want to contact a bail bond agent. If you have the opportunity for bail, contacting a bondsman in advance can speed up the process.

Finally, remember to let your family know. You may be unable to contact anyone for some time as you are being processed.

During your search, you may also find out that someone in your circle has an active warrant for their arrest. If the warrant is not overly serious, you may want to tell them so they can take care of it. If you do not feel comfortable telling the person directly, let them know through a mutual friend or family member.

If the matter is serious (e.g., an arrest warrant for a violent felony), your best course of action may be to let law enforcement know any information you have on the individual (e.g., current location). Any information on a person with a warrant can be passed along to the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office by calling them at 276-773-3241.²

You are now well prepared to conduct a free Grayson County warrant search. Use the tools and resources provided throughout this article whenever conducting a warrant search in Grayson County.