Rhode Island Arrest Records and Warrant Search

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All your options for a Rhode Island Arrest Records & Warrants Search!

Arrest records from RI are often confused with other information related to criminal history. Ditto for information on arrest warrants. Although these are, in essence, criminal records, they are not the same. Hence, searching for one will definitely not get you the other.

Also, there is the small matter of how the law does not treat both of these as public records. So, while you will get access to the local arrest log, you may not be able to get your hands on details pertaining to all the recent arrests in RI that involved your subject.

As far as a warrant check goes, that is a totally different ball game. In a nutshell, before you initiate an arrest inquiry, it would help you to understand exactly what it is that you are looking for and the right agency to approach for the information.

Continue reading to get answers on everything you need to know about RI arrests, records, and warrants. As with all topics, it’s best to start with the basics, so here it goes…

What are RI arrest records?

The term refers to all the information pertaining to the arrests of a specific individual. Make no mistake; the results of an arrest inquiry are not the same as that of a criminal background check. It goes without saying that criminal history information will undoubtedly include details on all arrests in RI or a specific county.

That said, arrests records are quite literally the information captured by the law enforcement office at the time of arrest and after. In other words, it will have:

  • Arrest mugshots and fingerprints.
  • Contact information.
  • Name, age, and date of birth of the detainee.
  • Details that can be used to identify the arrestee.
  • Information pertaining to the criminal matter in connection with which the arrest was made.
  • The charges against a said individual.

This information is not a part of court records. So, it is not available to the public, at least not in its entirety. In fact, even if you were to do a court case search, you would still not get some of the information that is a part of arrest records.

Why should you consider looking for details on recent arrests in Rhode Island?

Generally, people have two reasons to initiate an arrest inquiry. The first is to find out if their subject has had a recent involvement in a criminal act. The second is to find out if a person who is missing or has not shown up is being held in the county jail.

Of course, this information can also be used as the start of a more extensive inquiry into the criminal background of a subject. However, when the police offer details on arrests in RI, these seldom go back to more than a few weeks. Simply put, if your aim is to base professional or personal decisions on your findings about the criminal involvement of a person, this kind of inquiry just won’t be enough.

Is an arrest report from RI the same as police records?

Not, it isn’t! An arrest report is simply another term used for arrest records. So, it contains all the information listed above. As opposed to these, police records are aggregations of all matters handled by the officers of a particular law enforcement agency through the course of the day.

Think of these as a compilation of all the data held in the police blotter. Typically, you can find details on all incidents, whether of a criminal nature or not, that was handled by or attended to by officers. For instance, police records will not just contain details on arrests in RI but will also have information on auto accidents, serving of bench warrants, and any other occurrences that demanded the presence of police officers on the scene.

Are Rhode Island arrests records free?

That depends on who you approach for the arrest inquiry and also on what kind of information you need, plus, how far back you need it to go. Moreover, the purpose of your inquiry will also make a difference.

 For example, if you are only seeking information without an official standing for it, you can likely find it without having to pay for it. Similarly, if you are exclusively interested in recent arrests in RI, this data too will come to you free of cost; case in point the arrest list is posted on the website of many local police departments.

But, if you want a certified copy of the arrest records, somebody has to pay for it. Before you fish out your wallet, you need to understand that official criminal history records are only available to first parties and through signed consent to certain employers.

How is information on RI arrests different from criminal records?

A criminal history report is more elaborate and has complete information on the subject’s involvement in criminal acts and how things transpired both before and after arrest. In Rhode Island, criminal history records are made available by the Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI).

This is the central repository and interface for all descriptive and demographic information pertaining to criminal incidents. BCI has details on the perpetrators of crimes, arrests made in connection with criminal and non-criminal incidents, the issues of active warrants and bench warrants and criminal convictions.

A division of the Office of the Attorney General of Rhode Island, the BCI holds well over 2 million individual crime history records. Their database contains information on arrests and convictions based on fingerprints and other identification data obtained through the participation of local law enforcement and justice agencies.

Can you approach the local police for the arrest log?

Actually, of the 48 police departments across RI, several offers the facility to look for arrest records online through their websites. If the local law enforcement agency in your area does not offer this facility, yes, you can get in touch with them for information on RI arrests.

However, if you head out to the precinct, chances are that you will be given information on whether a specific person was recently detained by the police instead of an arrest list. So, where possible, conduct your arrest search online.

How do I find my criminal records in RI?

If you are looking for information on arrests from within your county/town/city, approach the local police department for the arrest inquiry. The majority of police departments do accept requests for criminal records involving local, state-level and national-level inquiries. However, some may point you toward the office of the BCI for your arrest records.

Because the BCI operates at a state-level, you can get arrest records from RI as well as from across the country through this agency. That said, you get three options for a criminal background search through the BCI:

Personal/First party arrest records: The applicant can launch the inquiry in his own name by mailing the request to the agency or taking it down to their office at The Office of the Attorney General, Customer Service Center, 4 Howard Avenue (corner of Pontiac Ave. and Howard Ave.)Cranston, RI 02920. For a personal inquiry, you merely need to show up with a state issued photo ID such as a driving license, passport etc. You will be charged $5 for the inquiry.

Third party criminal background check: If you are conducting the warrant search in the name of a third party, you will need a signed information release form. This can be downloaded at http://www.riag.ri.gov/documents/bci/bcidisclaimer.pdf.

Do not forget to get it notarized. You will be charged $5 for the search and if you want to receive the results by mail also include a self-addressed stamped envelope in the package. The fees will have to be paid by check or money order.

Fingerprint based- arrests records inquiry: These are only conducted when you need a warrant search done at the national level. These inquiries have to be initiated by the owner of the arrest records. You will need to pay $15 in fingerprinting costs and $35 for the inquiry.

Furnish a copy of your photo ID card along with your set of fingerprints. If you need the results to be attested and intend to use them for an overseas trip or immigration, let the agency know of this, so that the arrest records are offered in the required format.

More information on the procedure on conducting an arrest records check for overseas visits/employment, links to forms and other details can be found at http://www.riag.ri.gov/BCI/index.php.

How do I find jail records from RI?

Inmate information in Rhode Island is made accessible by the Department of Corrections which is in charge of managing all the incarceration facilities in the state. The DOC offers the facility to find arrest records of prisoners through their website.

This is a personal identifier inquiry, so you will need to furnish details about the subject, such as his/her name or the DOC number, race, gender, age and last known address. The results will include detailed information about the charges filed against the prisoner, status in the correctional system and more.

The inquiry can be launched free of charge. If for some reason you would like to launch the investigation in person, you could always visit the DOC office at the address listed below.

Online arrest inquiry: Go to the Department’s website at http://www.doc.ri.gov/inmate_search/index.php. Provide the required information and simply click on search to reach the results page. You will find information such as all the charges filed in the name of the prisoner along with the description of the crime, bail type and amount and the disposition date. Apart from this, you can also learn about sentencing information, such as the release date, time spent in prison, possibility of parole, etc.

Offline arrests records search: For victim services and to find information on inmates through mail or by approaching the DOC in person, you can write to/go to 40 Howard Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920 or call on 401-462-1000.

What is a RI warrant search?

As the name suggests, this is an inquiry for the arrest warrants issued against a person or a search for all the warrants issued in an area. Now, these could be warrants that have been issued recently or have been languishing in the system for a while or they could be warrants that have already been served.

Arrest warrants are issued by the judiciary but they are executed by the police. So, information on these orders is a part of both police records and judicial records. Another thing to note about warrants is that once these orders are issued, they stay in effect till the alleged offender is apprehended.

In fact, most states, including RI have several warrants against individuals who have long since left the state and even some against those who are no longer alive.

Are arrest warrants in Rhode Island the same as active warrants?

 Yes, they are! The terms “arrest warrants” and “active warrants” can be used interchangeably in most cases. Another term that you are likely to hear is “outstanding warrants”.  As far as their meaning is concerned and even the actual order of the judiciary that the document contains, these three are the same.

The difference is in terms of the timeline. While active warrants is a term that would be used to denote an arrest order that has been issued recently, usually in the last few days/weeks or months, an outstanding warrant is an older order. Typically, outstanding warrants are a few years old. But, arrest warrants never lose their teeth, so to speak.

Will bench warrants be included in a RI warrant list ?

Yes, they will, and surely by now, you are wondering what these are all about. Well, bench warrants are also orders for arrest but they are issued by the judiciary without the police making a request for them. More specifically, these are arrest warrants that get issued when you fail to show up in court or do not obey a court issued order, including not paying up fines linked to traffic and municipal violations.

To answer the question, yes the warrant database has information on all orders for arrest, including bench warrants. In fact, you are more likely to find information on bench warrant than on orders issued for arrest in connection with felony crimes. Having said that, arrest warrants, if needed, will be issued in case of both felony and misdemeanor offenses.

What does it mean if there is a warrant out for your arrest?

In very simply words, a warrant is an order issued by the judiciary for your arrest. It clearly states that the person in whose name the order has been issued has to be taken into custody immediately on contact with the police in any way.

At the least a warrant will have state-wide jurisdiction. What this means is that arrest warrants from RI are valid all across the state and not just in the county of issue. For example, if you have an active warrant in Providence County, you can and will be arrested in Newport County if you have a run in with the local police department.

Depending on the crime that led to the issue of the warrant, the order could have nation-wide validity. Generally, when such orders are added to the national warrants database, it is clearly mentioned whether the state will pay for extradition or not.

Of course, this does not mean that you won’t be arrested. In fact, because things get real messy when active warrants are served out of state, you may be in for a long haul if you are detained outside the area in which the warrant was issued. In a nutshell, wherever you go, that warrant will follow you!

Can you do a RI warrant check for free?

Yes, you can. The thing to remember about warrants is that the judiciary is involved in the issue of all arrest orders, regardless of the crime/infraction in question. So, you can always initiate a warrants search by going to the local courthouse or by using the RI Court Connect system.

The judicial database can be searched by using the tool at  https://publicportal.courts.ri.gov/PublicPortal/Home/Dashboard/29. The smart search feature allows you to the use several search criteria to launch the inquiry. You can find information by using either the name of the subject or the record number.

The results will include the complete criminal court docket of a case/cases against the subject. The information offered includes:

  • The case summary and information, including details on arrests.
  • Details about the subject, including full name and address.
  • Data on disposition, including sentencing information such as fines imposed and criminal sentencing.
  • Date-wise case events.
  • Hearings related information, including details on arraignment and sentencing.

If you are specifically looking for information on arrest warrants, use the advanced search featured of the tool to filter the results.

Can the police help with a warrant lookup in Rhode Island?

Yes, they certainly can, but will they is a whole different matter. Basically, if you approach the local law enforcement agency with a question about possible active warrants against one subject, there are very good chances that they will be happy to help you with your warrant search.

However, if you are looking for a warrant list for RI or even for that specific city/county, you may not get this information from the local police department. At best, you may find details on some absconders and suspects from the most wanted list of the agency.

Some police departments do provide the most wanted list for RI on their website. This contains not just the names of the alleged offenders and details pertaining to the crime/crimes that they are being accused of but also the photographs of these individuals.

Another problem that you may encounter when going to the local precinct for a warrant search is that they will ask you to submit some proof of identification. Consider this, if there is a warrant in your name in their database, you are basically walking into the jail cell. Ditto if you are approaching the local courthouse for details on warrants.

You have to understand that a warrant gives the police the authority to detain you on the spot and to hold you till such time that you are released on bail by the court. So, don’t go to the police unless you are very sure that there are no outstanding warrants out against you or you know that the warrants are linked to trivial infractions, like traffic offenses, and you will be allowed to go after you pay the fine.

What do I do if I have a warrant in RI?

There are ways to handle the situation if you have an active warrant from RI against you. But running away is not one of them, nor is hiding from the police. After the discussion above, it must be clear that warrants are a sticky business.

Once they are issued they can cause a lot of harm and anxiety unless they are dealt with expeditiously. Remember that if you try to escape, you will have to constantly look over your shoulder because even a simple traffic stop can put you in jail.

Depending on the criminal offense that led to the issue of the warrant, you may have to spend weeks or even months in jail before you are extradited to the state in which the warrant was issued. Even if you are not arrested in another state, rest assured that you will be taken into custody as soon as you get back to Rhode Island and have a run in with a law enforcement officer.

Plus, that arrest warrant will forever be in your criminal history records. In fact, the issue of a warrant will in itself be the start of your criminal history. This means that outstanding warrants can seriously impact your ability to work in certain industries as well as to travel outside the country.

 So, if you have a warrant against you, get the matter resolved by consulting a lawyer. Bench warrants are best dealt with by showing up in court as ordered or paying up court ordered monies. In any case, remember that you cannot run away from this situation, so you might as well resolve it at the earliest.

What is RI defendant search?

A RI defendant search is a search for information on a defendant in Rhode Island, such as criminal history, outstanding warrants, and court cases. It can be used for background checks, legal research, or to apprehend a fugitive and can be conducted by police agencies, legal professionals, or the general public.