What to Do if You Have an Active Warrant in Minnesota

Have an active warrant in Minnesota? Don’t wait. A defense attorney can help you understand your options, protect your rights, and take control—before the situation disrupts your life. #LegalHelp

What to Do if You Have an Active Warrant in Minnesota

If you learn that you have an active warrant, you should seek legal advice from a competent defense attorney immediately. There are several reasons for this. First, an attorney can help you determine what type of warrant you are facing. For many misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors, the warrant may be a “sign and release” warrant.  

Sign and release warrants do not authorize your arrest.

These are often issued because the court tried to mail you notice of a pending case and you simply never received the mail. If you are the subject of a sign and release warrant, you should be given a new court date and will need to appear at that time.  

If you have an arrest warrant, then an attorney can help minimize any impact on your life.

An attorney may be able to get your warrant “quashed” or dismissed. Otherwise, an attorney can help you deal with the warrant on your terms. For example, one of the biggest consequences of an arrest can be missing work, which can lead to discipline, embarrassment, or even being fired. An attorney can help you navigate and communicate with law enforcement to decide when and where you will turn yourself in. This can help you arrange to have shifts covered or even take care of the entire process on your days off. It can also drastically minimize the amount of time spent in custody.

For any warrant, the underlying accusations will still need to be addressed.

Depending on the type of case, delaying in your response may irrevocably damage your ability to defend yourself. Memories fade. Text messages get lost. Surveillance videos get deleted due to data retention policies. Evidence proving your innocence generally becomes harder and costlier to locate as time goes on. An attorney can help you assess your defenses before responding to the warrant, as opposed to during your phone call from jail.  

If you or someone you know has an active warrant in Minnesota, don’t wait to get the legal help you need. Contact McKinney Defense today by calling (612) 300-1208 or filling out our online form to schedule a FREE consultation. Let me fight for your rights and help you take the first step toward fair representation. 

Copyright © 2025 McKinney Defense PLLC. All rights reserved. 

This blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in Minnesota or your jurisdiction. No information in this post should be construed as legal advice from the individual author or the law firm, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting based on any information included in or accessible through this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country, or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction. 

About Ryan McKinney

Ryan McKinney is a trial-tested defense attorney driven by a deep commitment to justice and a passion for protecting the lives, reputations, and constitutional rights of his clients.