Find Warrants in Pulaski County

Pulaski County warrant records sit with the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office and the Circuit Court Clerk in the town of Pulaski. The Sheriff serves and holds active warrants. The clerk holds the case file once the warrant is served and returned. You can look up Pulaski County warrant records by name through the state case search, by phone with the Sheriff's records desk, or in person at the courthouse. This page covers each office, the state online tools that work for Pulaski County, and the rules that control public access to warrant case files in Virginia.

Where to Find Pulaski County Warrant Records

Two offices share the load on Pulaski County warrant records. The Sheriff's Office handles the active side. Deputies serve fresh warrants, hold paper files for unserved orders, and field calls about open cases. The Circuit Court Clerk keeps the felony files and the warrants tied to indictments and capias orders. The General District Court Clerk holds misdemeanor and traffic warrant case files. Each office sits in or near the courthouse complex in the town of Pulaski, the county seat.

For most public users, the fastest start is the state case search. The Virginia Judicial System runs a free name search at eapps.courts.state.va.us/gdcourts/ that covers Pulaski County General District Court. Felony files for the county show up in the circuit court case search. Both tools are free. Both run all day. You can search by last name, first name, hearing date, or case number.

The Sheriff's records desk is the best stop for active warrant questions in Pulaski County. Some warrant data is held back by design to keep the search safe and fair. A clerk can confirm whether a warrant is on file. The full text of an affidavit may stay sealed until the warrant has been served and returned to the court under Va. Code § 19.2-57.

Pulaski County Sheriff's Office

The Pulaski County Sheriff's Office is the lead agency for warrant service in the county. Deputies cover the entire county and help the courts with civil process and prisoner transport. The Sheriff also runs the New River Valley Regional Jail's local intake for Pulaski County and holds people picked up on local and out-of-county warrants. If you need to ask about an active warrant, the records unit is the right place to call.

The Sheriff serves arrest warrants under Va. Code § 19.2-76, which gives any sworn officer in Virginia the power to serve a warrant issued anywhere in the state. After the arrest, the deputy endorses the warrant with the date and time, then returns it to a magistrate or judge with bail-setting power. That return is the moment the warrant moves from the Sheriff's active file to the court clerk's case file.

You can also ask about civil process, capias orders for failure to appear, and bench warrants from the General District or Circuit Court. The records desk staff will pull what they can share. They will not give out details that could tip off a suspect.

Pulaski Circuit Court Clerk for Warrant Records

The Pulaski County Circuit Court Clerk holds the felony case files. Once the grand jury returns an indictment or a magistrate signs a capias, that paper lives with the clerk. Warrant returns, bond paperwork, and court orders are all part of the file. You can ask the clerk for a paper copy or read the file at the public terminal in the clerk's office.

Pulaski Circuit Court is part of Virginia's 27th Judicial Circuit. Felony cases start in General District Court for a probable cause hearing, then move to Circuit Court for trial if the case is sent up. The Circuit Court Clerk also keeps records of search warrants and the affidavits that back them, once the warrant has been served and returned. Search warrants in Virginia carry a 15-day clock under Va. Code § 19.2-56.

Copy fees are set by state law. The clerk may charge a small per-page fee for paper copies and a flat fee for certified copies. Most file viewing is free if you visit in person.

How to Search Pulaski County Warrant Records Online

The state case search is the main online tool for Pulaski County warrant records. Go to eapps.courts.state.va.us/gdcourts/ and accept the terms. Pick General District Court. Pick Pulaski County from the court list. Type a last name and a first name. The system will list all matching cases. Click any case to see charges, hearing dates, and case status. Cases tagged "capias" or "failure to appear" often link back to a live warrant.

For felony files, run the same kind of name search at the circuit court case search tool. Pick Pulaski County Circuit Court. The system will return felony case results that may include the warrant or capias that started the case. Felony warrants are issued under Va. Code § 19.2-71, which sets the probable cause standard for any arrest warrant in Virginia.

What to have on hand:

• Full legal name of the person
• Date of birth, if you know it
• Approximate case date or charge
• Case number, if any

The state portal is the official tool. It is the same database used by clerks and lawyers across Virginia. Records load on each court's own schedule, so very recent filings may not show up for a few days.

Types of Pulaski County Warrant Records

Pulaski County uses the same warrant types as the rest of Virginia. The most common is the arrest warrant, signed under Va. Code § 19.2-71 after a magistrate weighs a sworn complaint and finds probable cause. Form and content rules are spelled out in Va. Code § 19.2-72. The warrant must name the person, list the charge, and tell an officer to make the arrest.

Bench warrants are signed by a judge when a person fails to show up for a court date. Capias warrants often issue for probation violations or contempt. Search warrants give an officer the right to search a place or seize property. They are governed by Va. Code § 19.2-52 and need a sworn affidavit under Va. Code § 19.2-54.

A Pulaski County warrant file usually has the name of the accused, any aliases, the date of birth, the charge and statute, the issuing court, the date the warrant was signed, the bond amount, and the return of service. After service, most of that content is open to the public under Va. Code § 2.2-3704.

Statewide Tools for Pulaski County Warrant Lookup

State databases pick up where the local search ends. The Virginia State Police runs the Central Criminal Records Exchange, which logs arrests once a warrant has been served and the person has been fingerprinted. You can ask for a name-based criminal history check on Form SP-167 through the Virginia State Police criminal background check page. The fee is $15 per name. Notarization is required.

The image below shows the VSP background page used for Pulaski County and statewide name checks. Visit the VSP criminal background page for forms and mailing details.

The page lays out the SP-167 process used for any name-based criminal history check in Virginia, including Pulaski County records.

The Virginia Department of Corrections offender locator shows people in state custody. The Virginia sex offender registry is a free public search and includes Pulaski County registrants. Federal warrants in Pulaski run through the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia.

Pulaski County Warrant Records and FOIA

The Virginia Freedom of Information Act, found at Va. Code § 2.2-3700 et seq., gives any person the right to ask for public records held by Virginia agencies. That covers most Pulaski County warrant records once the warrant has been served and the file has been returned to the court. A FOIA request to the Sheriff or the clerk must be answered within five working days.

Open criminal investigative files have a longer clock. Under Va. Code § 2.2-3706.1, a public body has up to 65 working days to answer a request for active investigative records. You can ask for help from the Virginia FOIA Advisory Council if your request is denied or stalled.

Public Access to Pulaski County Warrant Records

Most Pulaski County warrant records are open to the public. Once the warrant is served and the file is back with the clerk, anyone can ask for a copy. The clerk will pull the file and let you read it on the spot or make copies for a small fee. You do not have to give a reason. You do not need to be a Virginia resident.

Some parts of a warrant case file may stay closed. Search warrant affidavits can be sealed by court order while a case is open. Files involving juveniles have their own privacy rules under Virginia law. The full text of the Code of Virginia is online at law.lis.virginia.gov.

Nearby Counties

Pulaski County borders Montgomery County to the east, Giles County to the north, Bland and Wythe counties to the west, and Carroll and Floyd counties to the south. The town of Pulaski is the county seat.