Search Lakewood Bench Warrants

Lakewood bench warrants are court orders that judges sign when a person fails to appear in Lakewood Municipal Court or in another court that hears a Lakewood case. You can run a Lakewood bench warrant search through state court tools, the Pierce County LINX system, and the Lakewood Municipal Court page. A name search is the most common way to look one up. Lakewood is in Pierce County just south of Tacoma. The city runs its own municipal court for traffic and small misdemeanors.

Lakewood Municipal Court

The Lakewood Municipal Court hears city code cases. That covers traffic, parking, DUI, and small misdemeanors filed by Lakewood Police. The court page is at cityoflakewood.us/municipal-court. Court staff can confirm if a Lakewood bench warrant is active. They cannot give legal advice. If a Lakewood bench warrant has your name on it, the next step is to call a lawyer.

Felony cases that start in Lakewood move to Pierce County Superior Court. A felony arrest warrant is more serious than a misdemeanor bench warrant. The court rules CrR 2.2 and CrRLJ 2.2 set the steps a judge must follow before signing a warrant. You can read those rules through the Washington Courts site.

Lakewood cases are also searchable through the Pierce County LINX system. The clerk can pull a case file in person or by phone.

Lakewood Bench Warrant Search Tools

The fastest first stop for a Lakewood warrant lookup is the Washington Courts Data Warehouse. The tool runs a name search across most district, municipal, and superior courts in the state. You can filter by court so you only see Lakewood or Pierce County results. The portal shows case number, charge, and warrant flag if one is set.

Try the data warehouse to start a name based Lakewood warrant search.

The portal pulls case info and active warrant flags from courts across Washington, including Lakewood Municipal Court.

You can also use the Odyssey portal for courts that use the Odyssey case system. The portal lets you run a name search and view case status.

DOC Warrants and Wanted List

Some warrants are not in court tools. The Washington Department of Corrections runs its own warrant list under RCW 9.94A.716 on apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw. If a person from Lakewood is on community custody and breaks the rules of release, the DOC can put a warrant out. The DOC warrant search is free and open to the public.

Visit the DOC warrant page to see active community custody warrants tied to Lakewood cases.

The DOC warrant search returns a list of people with active corrections warrants tied to RCW 9.94A.716 violations.

The DOC also runs a wanted and absconder list.

Note: Always call 911 or local police if you spot a wanted person; never try to detain or confront the subject of a Lakewood bench warrant on your own.

WATCH and Criminal History

The Washington State Patrol runs WATCH at fortress.wa.gov/wsp/watch. WATCH is a name based search of the state criminal record system. There is a small fee for the full record. WATCH does not show every Lakewood bench warrant, but it does show prior charges that can help confirm a person's record.

Visit the WATCH portal to start a name based criminal history check.

WATCH gives the public a name search of the Washington State Patrol criminal history system.

You can read more on the WSP criminal history page.

How to Clear a Lakewood Warrant

If you find an active outstanding warrant in your name, do not wait. The first step is to call a lawyer. A lawyer can ask the court to quash the warrant and set a new court date. The judge may set bail or just reset the case. This is faster than getting picked up at a traffic stop. Forms for motions to quash are on the Washington Courts forms page.

You can find court contact info on the Washington Courts directory. The directory lists every court in the state with phone, address, and clerk hours.

Lakewood Police and Pierce County

Lakewood Police make most of the arrests in the city that lead to a bench warrant. After a booking, most cases move to Lakewood Municipal Court within a day or two. The court sets bail and the next hearing date. If a person fails to show, the judge can sign a new bench warrant. The Pierce County Jail in Tacoma holds people picked up on a felony or a serious misdemeanor.

The Pierce County Sheriff also runs warrant tools that cover Lakewood. The county can pick up a warrant from any court in the state.

Public Access to Lakewood Records

Most Lakewood court records are public. The state Public Records Act, RCW 42.56, sets the basic rule that state records are open. Court rule GR 31 says case files are open unless a judge seals them. You do not need to give a reason. You do not need to show ID. Juvenile warrants are not in the public system. Sealed cases do not show. Social security numbers and bank info are redacted.

Note: A Lakewood bench warrant stays active until the person is arrested, the court quashes it, or the case is closed by a judge.