Run a Free Lake County Warrant Search Seamlessly (Ohio)

Conduct a free Lake County warrant search today to determine if you or someone else has an active order for their arrest. You can generally find this information online for free by checking a database, but knowing where to look and who hosts this information is vital for an effective, efficient lookup.

The custodians for warrants are courts and law enforcement agencies, including local police departments. Each of these agencies maintains warrants and should be checked with.

Warrant information in Lake County, Ohio, can be viewed and retrieved today using this streamlined resource.

How To Perform a Lake County Warrant Search (An Overview)

Ohio Revised Code 149.43 provides for the availability of public records for inspection and copying.¹ The law defines many types of records as a public record.

The states that ‘confidential law enforcement investigatory records’ are not public records. This is relevant for some warrants.

A warrant is a legal written order authorizing law enforcement to arrest a person or search for a specific thing. They are generated in the normal course of law enforcement duties, like criminal investigations.

An arrest warrant is usually generated after a criminal investigation is completed. It is a formal complaint sworn by a law enforcement officer that shows probable cause to believe the person named in the warrant has committed a crime. These orders are usually included in the criminal case file.

These files are maintained by the criminal court in the appropriate jurisdiction.

Section 143.43(2) provides that a ‘confidential law enforcement investigatory record’ is not a public record only to the extent that disclosure would reveal the identity of a suspect not yet charged, information on a confidential witness, specific investigatory techniques, and information that would endanger law enforcement personnel or a victim.

If the information in a warrant does not meet these conditions then it may be disclosed to the public. Further, the law enforcement agency or court that maintains a warrant may elect to redact exempt information.

For eligible public records available for inspection and copying, the law only requires a person to make a written request and pay any potential costs.

In addition to arrest warrants, there are also search warrants. These warrants are always created during a criminal investigation. The purpose is to get legal authority to search a person, place, or thing for evidence.

These warrants are rarely if ever available to the public as they meet the definition of a confidential law enforcement investigatory record. Only the person who owns the thing to be searched will be shown the search warrant.

If you want to perform a warrant search in Lake County you must know some basic information that includes, at a minimum, the first and last name of the person named on the warrant. In addition, it would be helpful to know the county where the person lives or where they were served with the warrant.

When searching for warrant information you should check with courts and law enforcement agencies. They have almost exclusive authority to issue and serve warrants.

When an arrest warrant is executed, a criminal case is formed. This criminal case will be handled by the courts and the case files will contain a copy of the warrant, or at the very least, the charging information. Courts also issue their own warrants when individuals fail to appear for their court date, or fail to pay their court appointed fine or child support.

Law enforcement agencies issue arrest warrants. You may be able to obtain an arrest warrant by submitting a FOIA request. It should be noted that not all warrants are public so your request could be denied.

Courts and law enforcement agencies sometimes allow members of the public to review active warrants or the information from them online for free. They may also post wanted lists of individuals with outstanding warrants.

Learn how to find warrant information in Lake County, Ohio in the section below.

How To View Active Warrants in Lake County Ohio

There are ways to view Lake County active warrants and those already served. General arrest warrants create criminal cases that are then forwarded to a court in Lake County. Where the case is forwarded depends on the type of crime allegedly committed.

The Lake County Court of Common Pleas has jurisdiction over criminal felony cases. These are the most serious types of criminal cases. The records maintained by this court are handled by the Lake County Clerk of Common Pleas Court.

This office files, dockets, indexes, and preserves all felony criminal court pleadings.

The Lake County Clerk provides a free public case search tool that allows members of the public to search for cases from 1990 to the present.² Interested parties may also print images of documents free of charge.

If you do not know the case number, you can search by name. You must include at least the last name for the search to yield results.

The maximum number of results is 75 which can be optioned at the top of the page. The default number of results is 25.

You would want to narrow the results to criminal cases so they do not exceed the maximum limit and make it easier for you to find the right case.

After results are generated you can click on the case number to view the charging information. Under the ‘Charge’ tab, the charge from the warrant will be listed under ‘Original Charge’.

Interested parties can also request certified copies of a case file by emailing a request. Certified copies cost $0.10 per page and $1 per certification. Non-certified copies can be emailed at no cost.

The email must include the case number and a statement that you require a copy of the warrant.

Lake County Clerk of Court
25 N. Park Place
Painesville, Ohio 44077

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 440.350.2657

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office executes warrants on behalf of the Common Pleas Court. They also issue arrest warrants. The sheriff’s office posts an online Most Wanted list that shows individuals with active arrest warrants.³

It displays their mugshot, full name, charges, date of birth, ethnicity, gender, height, weight, hair and eye color, and last known address.

The sheriff’s office advises individuals to not attempt to apprehend anyone on the list. If someone has information pertaining to the whereabouts of a fugitive, they should contact the sheriff’s office.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office
104 E. Erie St.
Painesville, OH 44077

Phone: 440.350.5620
Alt: 440.350.5601

The Clerk of the Lake County Common Pleas Court is also the records custodian for criminal misdemeanor cases heard in the Municipal Courts. The Mentor Municipal Court posts an online Active Warrant List that shows individuals with outstanding arrest warrants for various reasons.^{4, 5} They may include people who have committed probation violations, failed to appear in court, or at a prosecutor’s request.

The list displays the case number, full name of the defendant, birth date, date the warrant was issued, issuing government agency, and the reason for the warrant. The list is updated daily but may take up to 24 hours for information to be reflected on the list.

The Mentor Municipal Court also provides a free online case search.⁶

This can help someone determine if they have a criminal case and the court date.

Mentor Municipal Court
8500 Civic Center Blvd.
Mentor, OH 44060

Phone: 440.974.5744 ext. 4
Email: [email protected]

The City of Painesville Municipal Court provides an online Active Warrants List.^{7, 8} This list displays cases of individuals who have active arrest warrants for failing to appear, probation violation, and probable cause.

You can click on the case number to reveal additional information about the defendant, the offense, court hearing information, and fines. For more information, contact the Painesville Municipal Court.

Painesville Municipal Court
7 Richmond Street
Painesville, Ohio 44077

Phone: 440.392.5900
Fax: 440.352.0028

What Types of Warrants Are There & What Does Each Mean?

Warrants may have different names but many of them essentially have the same fundamental purpose – to arrest someone or search for something. The most common warrant types are listed below. Find out what they mean.

Arrest Warrants: Legal document granting a law enforcement officer the power to physically bring someone into custody to face a criminal charge.

Bench Warrants: Type of arrest warrant served on a person when they do not show up to their appointed court hearing. Called a ‘failure to appear’ in most jurisdictions, including Kane County, Ohio.

Probation and Parole Violation Warrants: A violation of a condition of release from prison that was set upon a person at their parole hearing. In Ohio, you may be arrested for a parole violation without a warrant.

Traffic Warrants: A ‘moving’ or driving violation of one of Ohio’s traffic rules will result in a citation.

Child Support Warrants: Executed by a county sheriff’s office when a parent is delinquent in child support payments.

Capias & Capias Pro Fine Warrants: Not issued in Ohio, but are arrest warrants issued for failing to pay a court fine.

Fugitive Warrants: Type of arrest warrant executed when a person is actively evading capture, cannot be found after committing a serious or violent felony, or has broken out of prison.

Search Warrants: A legal order that pierces privacy rights and allows law enforcement to search something private for evidence.

How To Handle Outstanding Warrants in Lake County

There are different ways to handle outstanding warrants in Lake County. It all depends on how serious the alleged offense is and what the rules are in the jurisdiction that issued the warrant.

When you learn that a family member or someone you know has an outstanding warrant you could tell them so they may have time to cure the issue. You should only inform them if you deem it safe. If you do not believe they would be receptive to finding out that you know they are wanted, you may contact your local law enforcement agency instead.⁹

If you learn that it is you who has an outstanding warrant, you also should seek ways to cure the issue. Some courts that issue warrants, like municipal courts, may allow you to pay a fine. This would remove the warrant completely.

If the offense is more serious, you should consider contacting an attorney to help you turn yourself in.

A Lake County warrant search can be performed on the county and municipal level; find out if you or someone you know is wanted by following the information in this resource.