How to Search California Wants & Warrants (Start Here)
Active warrants in California are maintained by law enforcement at state, county, and local levels. There is no single database of all warrants in California.
What this page covers: California state warrant databases, most-wanted lists, and county-level warrant search tools where available. What it does not cover: Federal warrants (those are handled by the U.S. Marshals and FBI).
Where to start: Check the state law enforcement agency first for statewide warrant searches. For county-level warrants, contact the county sheriff. Many county sheriffs post active warrant lists on their websites.
Common mistake: Most-wanted lists only show high-priority fugitives. If you need to check whether someone has any active warrant, a most-wanted list is not enough — contact the county sheriff or clerk of court directly.
Statewide warrant search
Most wanted list
Sex offender registry
California Sex Offender Registry
State police / DPS
US Marshals district
Number of counties
58 counties
Population
39,431,263
Households
13,628,600
Median Income
$96,334
Median Home Value
$715,900
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by Sam Rokni — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: California wants & warrants URL verified against the official state publisher at oag.ca.gov on the review date. 7 primary .gov sources cited below.
California Wants & Warrants — Key Facts (2026)
Outstanding warrants, fugitive lists, and active sheriff's warrants for California — what's public, what isn't, and how to verify in 2026.
Public
Public-facing fugitive list
Yes (state portal)
Sealed
Active arrest warrants
Often non-public until executed
NCIC
Federal warrant index
Law enforcement only
$0
Cost of public warrant lookup
Free in most states
24-48h
New filings lag
Typical processing delay
Sheriff most-wanted list
100%
State fugitive portal
90%
NCIC (federal index)
0%
Sealed arrest warrant
0%
FBI Top-10 (national)
100%
Unit: % publicly searchable.
What Changed in 2026 — California Wants & Warrants
2026
California wants & warrants portal active
The official California portal at oag.ca.gov continues to serve as the canonical entry point for wants & warrants in 2026.
2026
Latest federal complement for wants & warrants
The FBI Most Wanted Fugitives at www.fbi.gov provides federal-level context that complements California state records.
2026
California access in 2026
For 2026, California continues to publish wants & warrants information through state-authorized portals; check oag.ca.gov for current fees and processing times.
2026
Federal records framework refresh
Federal record types (federal liens, federal land, federal vital statistics) continue to live OUTSIDE California's state portal — see the Primary Sources below for the .gov complement.
The 3-Path California Warrant Search
1
Path 1 — Sheriff most-wanted
Most California sheriffs publish a 'Most Wanted' page on the county sheriff's official .gov or county site.
2
Path 2 — State fugitive portal
California's statewide fugitive/warrant list is published by the state law enforcement agency.
3
Path 3 — Federal fugitives
FBI Most Wanted (fbi.gov/wanted) and U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted (usmarshals.gov) are the public federal lists.
Five Things People Get Wrong About California Wants & Warrants
❌ Myth: "No warrant online = no warrant exists."
✓ Truth: False. Many California counties never publish active warrants online. Call the sheriff or court clerk to confirm.
❌ Myth: "NCIC is searchable by the public."
✓ Truth: False. NCIC is law-enforcement only. The public cannot directly search the national crime index.
❌ Myth: "FBI Most Wanted = all federal fugitives."
✓ Truth: False. The Ten Most Wanted is symbolic. Thousands of federal fugitives exist; many never appear publicly.
❌ Myth: "Sealed warrants are deleted."
✓ Truth: False. Sealed warrants still exist — they just don't appear in public search. Law enforcement can still see them.
❌ Myth: "Private warrant lookup sites are official."
✓ Truth: False. Only California state and county .gov sources are authoritative; third-party sites often have stale or incorrect data.
Primary Sources (All .gov / Official)
- oag.ca.gov — Official California Wants & Warrants — State portal for California wants & warrants
- FBI Most Wanted Fugitives — Federal fugitive list (national)
- U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted — U.S. Marshals top fugitives
- DOJ Wanted Fugitives — Department of Justice component agencies
- ICE Most Wanted — Immigration & Customs Enforcement
- DEA Most Wanted Fugitives — Drug Enforcement Administration
- ATF Most Wanted — Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Related Wants & Warrants Resources
📍 Other California records:
- California Court Records →
- California Criminal Records →
- California Property Records →
- California Vital Records →
- California Voter Records →
- California Licenses →
- California Recorded Documents →
🇺🇸 Wants & Warrants in other states:
- Alaska
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- District of Columbia
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- Maine
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Mississippi
- Montana
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- New York
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Vermont
- Washington
- Wisconsin
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
National: U.S. Wants & Warrants hub →
Related Public Records
More California records: Court records · Criminal records · Property records · Vital records · Voter records · Licenses · Recorded docs
National view of this topic: All states: Wants & warrants
Wants & Warrants Databases
29 official California wants & warrants sources.
Wants & Warrants
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Most Wanted Suspect Arrested – Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office
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California Counties
58 California counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net — top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I check the California most-wanted list?▼
California's statewide wanted-persons and active-warrant information is published by the Official California Wants & Warrants. View the current list at oag.ca.gov. Additional federal fugitives can be reviewed on the FBI Most-Wanted portal.
How do I know if I have an outstanding warrant in California?▼
Most warrants in California are issued at the county or municipal level by the local court or sheriff. The Official California Wants & Warrants (oag.ca.gov) publishes statewide and felony-level warrant data; for misdemeanor and traffic warrants you generally must contact the clerk of the issuing court directly. Sheriffs in each county also maintain local active-warrant pages.
Can a private person serve or enforce a warrant in California?▼
No. Only sworn law-enforcement officers can serve and execute warrants in California. Civilians who locate a wanted person should report the information to the Official California Wants & Warrants or local law enforcement at oag.ca.gov rather than attempt direct contact. Some California warrants also carry a reward administered by the issuing agency.
How do I clear an old California warrant?▼
A California warrant generally must be cleared through the court that issued it — by appearing in person, hiring counsel, or filing a motion to quash. The Official California Wants & Warrants can confirm whether a warrant is currently active in the statewide system at oag.ca.gov, but only the issuing judge can recall or quash it.
Does California share warrant data with other states?▼
Yes. California warrants that meet entry criteria are uploaded to the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC), making them visible to law enforcement nationwide. The Official California Wants & Warrants at oag.ca.gov manages California's NCIC interface and entry standards.