Check Forrest County Warrants

Active Warrants in Forrest County

A warrant is a signed court order. In Forrest County, judges and the courts issue most warrants, while the Sheriff's Office and city police carry them out. The Forrest County Sheriff's Office, based at 55 Arena Drive in Hattiesburg, serves warrants across the county. Hattiesburg Police handle many cases inside the city. A judge in Justice Court, County Court, Circuit Court, or Hattiesburg Municipal Court can sign one, depending on the charge. Each court keeps its own warrant paperwork in its own files.

Forrest County does not publish one complete list of active warrants online. The Sheriff's Office posts a Most Wanted page and a separate Wanted page for noncompliant sex offenders, but neither is a full warrant database. There is no county warrant app and no single search box that returns every open order. Checking a warrant means working a short chain of phone calls and offices. Start with the sheriff, then move to the court most likely to hold the case.

The reason is simple. Forrest County warrant data lives in court files and law-enforcement systems, not in one shared public website.

Types of Warrants in Forrest County

Not every warrant means the same thing. The name on the order tells you which office signed it and why. Knowing the type points you toward the right court and the right fix. These are the warrants Forrest County residents run into most often.

Arrest warrant

An order to arrest someone based on probable cause that they committed a crime. An officer or prosecutor swears to the facts and a judge signs it.

Bench warrant

Issued by a judge from the bench for a missed court date, contempt, a probation violation, or failure to follow a court order.

Capias

A court order to take a person into custody, often after a failure to appear or after unpaid fines and costs.

Search warrant

Authorizes a search of a place, person, or property. These are usually sealed before they are served, so they are not part of a public warrant lookup.

Fugitive or out-of-state warrant

Used to hold a person for another agency or another state, and it may lead to extradition.

Civil or child-support body attachment

A body attachment can arise from contempt or support enforcement. Public access to these orders varies by case.

How to Check for a Forrest County Warrant

Because there is no single portal, a Forrest County warrant check runs through several offices. Begin with the Sheriff's Office. The main line is (601) 544-7800. For written records, the office takes requests at fcsorecords@co.forrest.ms.us under the Mississippi Public Records Act, which gives the public a right to inspect and copy non-exempt records. The sheriff posts its full request rules on the public records page. If the person may already be in custody, call the Adult Detention Center at (601) 545-6148.

The Sheriff's Office keeps a public Wanted page that flags absconded and noncompliant sex offenders and links out to the state registry.

That page is a starting point, not a complete warrant list, so treat it as one source among several. After the sheriff, move to the court that fits the charge. Calling the clerk goes faster when you have the right details ready before you dial.

• The full legal name, plus date of birth if you are the subject or are authorized.
• Any citation, ticket, or case number you already hold.
• The rough date and type of the offense or the missed hearing.
• The court or city where the matter first started.
• A callback number in case staff need to confirm details.

A written request to the sheriff carries set costs. Black-and-white copies run 15 cents a page and color copies run 25 cents, plus actual cost for staff search, review, and redaction time. Email files under 25MB are free, a USB or CD is $10, and payment is due in advance by cash, check, or money order. A flat $5 report fee may apply for involved parties.

Where Forrest County Warrants Are Held

Forrest County spreads its courts across a few downtown Hattiesburg buildings. The address you need depends on the charge. This directory points each warrant type toward the office that signed and holds the order.

District Attorney Lin Carter handles felony prosecution for Forrest and Perry Counties in the Twelfth Circuit District. For an indictment-related arrest order, the Circuit Clerk and the District Attorney are the right contacts. Once the DA files charges, the full felony file lives in the Forrest County criminal court records.

Note: Court staff can confirm a warrant and set a court date, but they cannot give legal advice or predict how a judge will rule.

What a Forrest County Warrant Record Shows

When a Forrest County warrant does surface, through a court file, the jail roster, or the Most Wanted page, it carries a set of standard details. No single county source publishes all of them in one place, so expect to piece a warrant record together from a few sources.

• Name - the subject's full legal name, shown on the Most Wanted page, the jail roster, and the court file.
• Age and photo - the Most Wanted page lists age and includes images for featured people.
• Charge or offense - a short description of the alleged crime, found on Most Wanted entries and court dockets.
• Issuing court - the court that signed the order, whether Justice, Municipal, Circuit, or Chancery.
• Case number - the reference needed to resolve the matter, kept in the court file or electronic system.
• Bond amount - the dollar figure that may be set at booking or at first appearance.
• Status - whether the order is open or cleared, which only the sheriff or the court can confirm.

Online pages can lag behind the courts. A status shown as open may already be resolved, and a cleared warrant can linger in one system after another updates. When an arrest has settled a warrant, the booking shows up on the Forrest County inmate records and the jail roster. Always confirm directly before you act.

How to Resolve an Outstanding Warrant

Finding out a Forrest County warrant names you is stressful, but it has a clear path. Acting on your own terms beats waiting for an arrest at home or at work. These steps follow the route most Forrest County warrant cases take.

1. Skip relying only on the Most Wanted page. It is selective and leaves out most open orders.
2. Identify the likely court. City tickets go to Hattiesburg Municipal Court, county misdemeanors to Justice Court, felonies to Circuit Court, and support or contempt matters to Chancery or Youth Court.
3. Call that court's clerk. Give your full name, date of birth, and any case or citation number, then ask whether a bench warrant, capias, failure-to-appear, or unpaid fine is on file.
4. Talk to an attorney before you appear if custody is possible. Court staff cannot advise you.
5. Ask how to clear it. A bond, a new court date, or a payment may resolve the matter, or a surrender and booking may be required.
6. If an arrest has already happened, confirm booking and bond on the county JailTracker roster or by calling the Adult Detention Center.
7. Keep your proof. Save any payment receipt, recall order, release paperwork, or dismissal so you can show the matter is closed.

Forrest County Most Wanted and Tips

The Sheriff's Office does publish two public lists worth checking. Neither replaces a full Forrest County warrant search, but both help when you are looking for one specific person.

The Most Wanted page highlights featured fugitives with names, ages, and charges.

Recent listings have included people wanted on assault and bad-check charges, yet the page shows only a handful of cases at a time. The second list deals with sex offenders. The Sheriff's Office maintains registration in the county and points the public to the statewide registry for full details.

The Mississippi Sex Offender Registry lets anyone search by name or area for registered offenders, addresses, and offenses.

If a listed offender appears to be out of compliance, the Sheriff's Office asks the public to report the bad address. The office also takes anonymous tips through its website, which can help locate a wanted person without giving your name. The main line, (601) 544-7800, reaches sheriff dispatch.

Restricted Forrest County Warrant Records

Not every warrant is open to the public. Search warrants are often sealed before they are served, so they do not appear in any lookup. Youth Court matters are confidential under Mississippi law, which keeps records involving children out of public view except for authorized people or by youth-court order.

Some warrants tie to records that are later sealed or expunged. Once a Mississippi court grants an expunction, the case should drop out of ordinary public searches. Investigative details, private identifiers, and certain federal orders may also be withheld or redacted.

When public access is denied without a clear legal reason, the Mississippi Ethics Commission handles complaints under the state's open-records law.