Reviewed and updated October 7, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every fact on this page was taken from the office that keeps the record, on its own website, on October 6, 2026.
Every warrant in Santa Barbara County comes from a judge of the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Barbara, which sits in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and Lompoc, and is served by whichever agency finds the person, in this county or anywhere in the state. The court took 2,568 new felony cases and 7,730 new misdemeanor cases in the year ending June 30, 2025, and a missed date in any of them brings a warrant.
This guide covers kinds of warrants, what a warrant carries, checking for a warrant, clearing a warrant, missed traffic dates and common questions.
The other Santa Barbara County guides cover the county's public records offices, arrest records, inmate search, criminal records, court records, police reports, traffic tickets, DUI, divorce records and property records. SearchSystems also has guides for the cities of Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Goleta, Carpinteria, Guadalupe, Solvang and Buellton.
Arrest Warrants and Bench Warrants
- An arrest warrant is signed on a complaint or an investigation, before the person has been in court. When a judge issues one, the bail is set from the countywide schedule.
- A bench warrant is issued when someone misses a court date. The court's Criminal Division page says plainly that if you fail to appear on the date of your hearing, the judge will issue a warrant for your arrest.
- A civil bench warrant can be issued in a lawsuit, most often against a judgment debtor who does not come to a court-ordered examination. The creditor asks the court to recall it on form SC-2037, and the order is addressed to the Sheriff.
- A probation warrant follows a broken sentence: the court's DUI sentencing order warns that failing to pay, set up a payment plan, arrange work service or report to jail within 60 days results in a warrant for violating probation.
The Bail on a Warrant
A warrant names a bail amount, taken from the 2026 Felony and Specified Misdemeanor Bail Schedule in force since June 2026, unless the judge sets a different figure. Any felony not listed is $20,000 and any misdemeanor not listed is $2,500; the schedule's amounts for the common charges are in the arrest records guide. A warrant for violating felony probation, parole or post-release supervision carries no bail at all, and one for violating misdemeanor probation carries $15,000, so the person waits in custody for the judge.
The bail on a warrant can be posted at the jail by a bail agent or in cash, but after the first court appearance the amount is up to the judge, who can raise it, lower it or release the person on their own recognizance.
How to Check for a Warrant
Santa Barbara County has no public online warrant search, and the court's Court Records page says an online criminal index is not available. The court's files are open to view on the public access terminals in the lobbies of three courthouses, all open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.:
- Figueroa Division, 118 East Figueroa Street, Santa Barbara, in the records lobby on the lower level, for south county cases.
- Miller Division, 312-M East Cook Street, Building E, Santa Maria, for Santa Maria area cases.
- Lompoc Division, 115 Civic Center Plaza, Lompoc, for Lompoc and Santa Ynez Valley cases.
The court does not confirm a party's date of birth, address, driver's license number or other personal details over the phone or by email; a written search goes on the Copy Request Form to South County Records, southcountyrecords@sbcourts.org, (805) 882-4778, or North County Records, northcountyrecords@sbcourts.org, (805) 614-6414, with a $15 fee for a search over 10 minutes. If you know a case number, the court's Public Portal shows the register of actions, the list of events in the case, including a warrant that was issued.
The Sheriff posts a short list of about 20 people wanted on felony charges on its Most Wanted page, with a tip line at (805) 681-4191; it is not a complete list of warrants. The city police departments do not post warrants. The District Attorney's branches will say whether charges were filed after an arrest, at (805) 568-2300 in Santa Barbara, (805) 346-7540 in Santa Maria and (805) 737-7760 in Lompoc.
How to Clear a Warrant
A warrant is recalled only when the person appears in court and the judge orders it recalled. The Criminal Division page lets you put a warranted case on the calendar yourself: call or come to the clerk by noon the day before you want to appear. There are no walk-in arraignments, because the calendar is prepared a day ahead, and other requests to calendar a case must reach the clerk at least two days before the date. Clerks can move a hearing earlier but cannot postpone one.
- Santa Barbara, Figueroa Division, criminal and traffic: (805) 568-3959, phone hours 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Santa Maria, Miller Division: (805) 614-6590.
- Lompoc Division: (805) 737-7789.
- Bring identification, the citation or notice, and any bail or court papers you have, and plan on several hours at the courthouse.
A lawyer can clear a misdemeanor warrant without the client appearing. The court's fax and counter arraignment procedures let a privately retained attorney arraign a client in any misdemeanor or infraction case by sending the court's form, at any hour; if the court accepts it, the clerk recalls an outstanding failure-to-appear warrant with no fee and sets a pretrial conference within 30 days. The procedure is posted for the Lompoc Division, fax (805) 737-5441, and the Miller Division in Santa Maria, fax (805) 614-6591. It is not available when the warrant has been outstanding for more than 30 days, when a probation violation case is attached, or when the DUI charge carries a blood alcohol level of 0.15 or more; those clients come to court.
A person without a lawyer can ask the Public Defender's office, or the Lawyer Referral Service of the Santa Barbara County Bar Association, (805) 569-9400, which refers callers to a criminal lawyer for a first consultation of up to 30 minutes and does not give free help.
A Missed Traffic Ticket
A traffic ticket that is never answered becomes a failure to appear. The court adds a civil assessment of up to $100, refers the case to its collection agency, Enhanced Court Collections, which can garnish wages and levy bank accounts, and may send it on to the Franchise Tax Board. The court can drop the assessment if you show good cause within 60 days of the notice. The court's installment plan form SC-8023 warns that missing a payment on an installment plan can also bring a warrant and penalties of up to $100. Of the 38,958 traffic infractions filed countywide in the year ending June 30, 2025, 22,997 were closed by paying the bail. See Santa Barbara County traffic tickets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I check for a warrant online in Santa Barbara County?
No. The county has no public online warrant search and the court has no online criminal name index. Use the public terminals at the Figueroa, Miller or Lompoc courthouse, send the court's Copy Request Form, check a known case on the court's Public Portal, or have a lawyer check.
How do I get a bench warrant recalled in Santa Barbara County?
Put the case back on the calendar with the clerk by noon the day before, then appear; the judge recalls the warrant in court. For a misdemeanor in Lompoc or Santa Maria, a retained lawyer can arraign you by fax and the clerk recalls the warrant without a fee, if it is less than 30 days old.
How much is bail on a warrant in Santa Barbara County?
The June 2026 schedule amount for the charge: $20,000 for an unlisted felony, $2,500 for an unlisted misdemeanor, $15,000 for a misdemeanor probation violation, and no bail for a felony probation or parole violation.
Will the police tell me if I have a warrant?
The city police departments do not post warrants. The court decides warrants, and the court will not confirm personal details over the phone; the District Attorney's branches will say whether charges were filed.
Does the Sheriff list warrants online?
Only a short Most Wanted list of about 20 people with felony charges, not every warrant in the county.