Is There a Public Warrant Search in Jefferson County?
The Sheriff's Court Services page is the official source for warrant information. It publishes contact numbers for the warrant units, lists the warrant types served, and explains how the Warrant Detail operates. It does not publish a searchable active warrant list. Many other Alabama county sheriffs work the same way; the official answer is to call the Warrant Division and ask.
If you see a third-party "free warrant search" site for Jefferson County, treat it with care. The Sheriff has not endorsed such a list, and a stale list can pin a warrant to a name with no current basis. The clean answer is the Sheriff's Court Services line.
The official page describes the division as the heart of law enforcement and quotes the first duty of the Sheriff in Alabama as executing the process and orders of courts of record.
Jefferson County Warrant Unit Contacts
The Sheriff runs two warrant offices, one in Birmingham and one in Bessemer. Each office handles warrants tied to its division. Call the office that matches where the case was filed.
Birmingham Warrant Division
801 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd.
Birmingham, AL 35203
(205) 325-5725
Felony, misdemeanor, FTA, alias
Bessemer Warrant Division
1826 2nd Avenue North
Bessemer, AL 35020
(205) 481-4201
Directory line (205) 481-4210
The Sheriff's contact page lists jail, warrant, civil process, records, and sex-offender numbers. Sheriff Mark Pettway runs the office from headquarters at 2200 Rev. Abraham Woods Jr. Boulevard, Birmingham, with main line (205) 325-5700 and email info@jeffcosheriffal.com.
Types of Warrants Served in Jefferson County
The Warrant Detail is responsible for execution of every warrant the courts issue, plus warrants sent from agencies nationwide. The official list of warrant types on the Sheriff page goes well beyond the basics most county pages name.
- Felony warrants - for serious crimes typically tried in Circuit Court.
- Misdemeanor warrants - for lesser charges that usually start in District Court.
- Parole violation warrants - for breach of post-release supervision.
- Failure to appear (FTA) warrants - for a missed court date.
- Probation violation warrants - for breach of probation terms.
- Involuntary commitment warrants - tied to mental-health proceedings.
- Alias warrants - reissued warrants when a person was not previously arrested.
- Juvenile pick-up orders - for taking a juvenile into custody.
- Writs of attachment - for compelling a person or property to court.
Note: Juvenile pick-up orders and protective-order warrants may not show public detail because the underlying file is sealed by law.
Jefferson County Warrant Record Fields
The Sheriff's office does not publish a public warrant detail page. When you call the warrant unit, the staff can confirm a subset of fields tied to the warrant. The table below shows what is typically available and what stays restricted.
| Field | Public Status |
|---|---|
| Name | Confirmable by phone with full identifiers |
| Warrant type | Public per Sheriff page list |
| Issuing court | Ask the warrant division or court clerk |
| Case number | Ask the warrant division or court clerk |
| Bond amount | May be available if a bond is set |
| Charge | May be available for adult criminal warrants |
| Sealed or juvenile flag | Not public |
How to Resolve an Outstanding Warrant in Jefferson County
If you think a Jefferson County warrant may be out for you, the safest move is direct contact with the Warrant Division and a lawyer. The Sheriff does not run a public list, so a friend, a former employer, or a background screener cannot give you a clean answer. Each warrant has its own court, case number, and bond status.
- Do not rely on third-party warrant sites. They are not the Sheriff's record.
- Call the right warrant division: Birmingham (205) 325-5725 or Bessemer (205) 481-4201 or (205) 481-4210.
- Ask which court issued the warrant, the charge or case number, whether a bond is set, and where to appear.
- If the warrant is from a missed court date, contact the court or your attorney the same day.
- If you are out of state, ask whether Jefferson County will extradite or release on bond.
- For juvenile pick-up orders or sealed matters, expect limited public detail; an attorney can request the file.
Jefferson County Warrant Volume and Transport
The Sheriff's Court Services page says the division serves about 250,000 civil processes and over 20,000 arrest warrants each year. Warrant officers travel thousands of miles a year transporting prisoners arrested on Jefferson County warrants by other agencies, plus state prisoners to court. Volume matters because it tells you why a warrant can sit for weeks before service: deputies pace the load by priority.
For arrests already in custody at the jail, see inmate records for the public roster. For the underlying case file once a warrant has been served, see court records or arrest records.
After Arrest on a Jefferson County Warrant
Once a warrant is served and the person is booked into the Birmingham or Bessemer jail, the process moves into Sheriff custody and Pre-Trial Release. The Sheriff's Corrections page says the Pre-Trial Release Office operates out of both facilities to help eligible inmates qualify for release and to assist the public in posting bonds for those who do not qualify. Birmingham Pre-Trial Release: (205) 325-5716. Bessemer jail: (205) 481-4160.
Bail and release rules come from Alabama Code Title 15, Chapter 13. After booking, the next step is usually an initial appearance where bond is set or reviewed. From there the case moves to district or circuit court depending on the charge. Misdemeanors usually run in district court; felonies usually move to circuit court after a preliminary hearing.
If you are out of state and have a Jefferson County warrant, ask the Warrant Division whether the county will extradite. Some warrants are local-only; others carry an extradition radius that brings you back even from a long distance.
Civil Process and Court Services
The Sheriff's Court Services Division serves civil papers as well as arrest warrants. That work includes summonses, subpoenas, writs of attachment, eviction notices, and orders from Family Court. The division also runs transport orders from Family Court and Criminal Court and moves state prisoners between facilities and court.
Court Services does serve out-of-state papers for a minimal fee, but it does not serve federal court papers because federal process runs through the U.S. Marshals Service. Service of process fees and timelines vary by paper type; the local circuit civil fee page lists service by the Jefferson County Sheriff at $10.00 per defendant.
Note: The Sheriff does not give legal advice about whether a warrant is valid, what to do about a charge, or how to fight a service. For those questions, contact a lawyer.
Victim Services Linked to Warrants
Many Jefferson County warrants come out of cases that have a victim on the other side. The Sheriff's Crime Victims Assistance page lists Birmingham DA Danny Carr at (205) 325-5252 and Bessemer DA Lynneice O. Washington at (205) 497-8610, and links One Place Alabama Metro Family Justice Center at (205) 453-7261 for domestic and sexual violence support. If a victim is not notified of an arrest within 60 days of the initial report, the Jefferson County Crime Victims Officer can be reached at (205) 731-2815.