If You Have a Warrant in Arizona Will You Go to Jail?

Yes. In Arizona, if you are stopped or detained and a warrant comes up in the system, you will be taken into custody. Where you end up depends on the circumstances of the arrest and the nature of the warrant.

In most cases you will be transported to the nearest county jail first. From there, if the warrant was issued in a different county, you may be transferred to the jurisdiction where the warrant originated. That transfer can happen quickly or it can take several days depending on how busy the arresting jurisdiction is and whether the issuing county sends someone to pick you up.

The type of warrant also matters. A bench warrant for a missed court date is handled differently than a felony arrest warrant, though both will result in custody. Misdemeanor warrants sometimes result in a citation and release depending on the jurisdiction, but that is at the officer's discretion and not guaranteed.

If you know there is an outstanding warrant, the smartest move is to address it proactively with an attorney rather than waiting to be picked up at a traffic stop or other encounter with law enforcement. Self-surrender on a warrant is almost always treated more favorably by the court than an arrest in the field.