Kansas Warrant Search

A Kansas warrant search lets the public find any available warrant under their name or of another person. As part of a person’s criminal history record, warrants are open to the public under the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA). The most common type of warrants in the state are bench warrants, arrest warrants, and search warrants. When performing a warrant search, the following information might turn up from third-party sites or government-funded websites:

Name of the offender
Probable cause for the serving of the warrant
Date and time the warrant was served
The location where the warrant was issued
Issuing judge
Name of the officer who executed the warrant

How Long Does a Warrant Stay Active in Kansas?

Warrants, in general, do not have an expiration, even in the state of Kansas. However, there are cases when a warrant has to be executed immediately, or it will be invalid.

For example, law enforcement officers have to execute a search warrant at least 96 hours after its issuance. If not carried out within the timeframe, the judge will have to issue another search warrant.

Usually, the validity of warrants depends on whether it has been executed or not. The type of warrant also matters. For example, warrants of arrest in Kansas, which also include bench warrants, do not have an expiration. The only way that warrants of arrest will be considered as expired is when the defendant surrenders and appears before a judge or when the subject named on the warrant dies.

Misdemeanor warrants, on the other hand, are treated differently and have 180 days up to one year before a judge needs to reissue a new one. Warrants whose subjects are not found after five years are automatically deleted five years after issuance.

Once a warrant is executed, it is considered expired but will remain on a person’s criminal history record unless they apply for expungement of such records. Note as well that warrants can become invalid when law enforcers fail to execute them or if they executed the warrant outside of the scope and limitations indicated in the warrant.

What Are the Most Common Warrants in Kansas?

Like any other state, the most common warrants in Kansas are search, arrest, and bench warrants.

Search warrants

A search warrant authorizes the search of a thing, place, or person, and the copying, photographing, and even seizure of a property due to the following reasons:

The items or property are considered contraband and are illegal to possess or transport
The items or property searched had been used as instruments of committing a crime, including burglary tools, any weapon, or conducted electrical weapon (CEW) to name a few
The items are considered fruits of one’s crime like stolen goods or money

Under the requirements of the law, a sworn member of an investigating body like the police or a prosecuting attorney must submit an affidavit and written application citing the probable cause for the court to issue a search warrant.

The affidavit must contain the complete address of the items or property to be searched, a clear description of the items, and any justification in case a “No Knock” warrant is needed. As part of the protocol, law enforcement may use reasonable force and must knock and announce the warrant unless under a threat of physical violence or if the person about to be searched tries to destroy evidence or escapes the search, hence the lack of announcement or “No Knock” warrant.

Arrest warrants

Compared to search warrants, an arrest warrant in a Kansas warrant search would mean a more serious offense. However, not all arrests result in a conviction of a crime. Sometimes, law enforcement officers will arrest a person for possible questioning and interrogation.

In general, a judge can issue an arrest warrant for any felony or misdemeanor. Police officers can also make an arrest if the person has an outstanding warrant to their name, even from another state.

In some cases, arrests are possible even without a warrant if a person commits a felony or misdemeanor in the presence of a police officer. A person who may cause injury or harm to others, including damage to property, can be immediately arrested with an arrest warrant to follow.

Bench warrants

Similar to arrest warrants, bench warrants will cause the arrest of a person named on the warrant once it is issued. Compared to other states, the municipal courts in Kansas only issue bench warrants for failure to appear in court. This happens when an offender is given a 30-day grace period to appear in court and yet fails or refuses to show up at their scheduled court hearing.

Bench warrants also apply to refusing to respond to a court summon due to a traffic infraction, which will be considered as a misdemeanor. Aside from a bench warrant, the court may issue license suspensions aside from paying a fine.

If the original charge is a felony and the person named on the warrant fails to appear on their scheduled court date, the offense will be aggravated failure to appear, which is classified as a level 10 nonperson felony.

How To Perform Warrant Search in Kansas

A Kansas warrant search is a quick way to know if a warrant has been issued to a certain person in the state.

The most convenient way to perform a warrant search in Kansas is through third-party sites online which offer free warrant searches. However, the available information from third-party sites may vary and might be limited compared to official government websites.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation also has a list of the Most Wanted individuals in the state, including their personal information, the county where they are wanted, their list of offenses, and a photo of the offender.

Some counties in Kansas also have an online tool to help the public perform warrant searches like the following:

For any other county without any online platform, the public can perform a Kansas warrant search by making a direct inquiry through their local police department or visiting the sheriff's offices.

Since the court issues warrants, the record custodian of the clerks of courts might also provide information on any active warrants.

The Kansas District Court Public Access Portal is also available to the public to search for warrants uploaded in their system. However, requesters must enter a record number or a full name following this format: last name, first name, middle name, and suffix, if applicable; to successfully perform a search.

Filter options are also available to help narrow down search results by location (county), search type (case number, citation number, etc) date of birth, booking number, case status, judicial officer, etc.

Counties in Kansas

List of Content

How Long Does a Warrant Stay Active in Kansas?
What Are the Most Common Warrants in Kansas?
How To Perform Warrant Search in Kansas