How to Get Rid of an Arrest Warrant in NC: Recall, Surrender and Bond

The correction: North Carolina law speaks of recalling a warrant, not quashing it. A recall stops the paper, not the charge, and a warrant on a new charge is recalled only for lack of probable cause.

Who does it: a lawyer who files the recall motion or plans a surrender with a release argument ready. Attorney Jason Aycoth handles both, depending on the facts of your case.

Have a warrant or a missed court date in Guilford County? Call (336) 379-0539 before you go to the jail or the clerk’s window.

You get rid of an arrest warrant in North Carolina by having it recalled or by resolving the charge behind it. The right route depends on which paper you have.

This guide shows both routes, what “quash” really means here, and what to do today. If you missed court in Guilford County, you can get help with an order for arrest from our Greensboro office.

What Is an Arrest Warrant? Two Papers, Two Routes

In North Carolina, “arrest warrant” usually means one of two papers. It is either a warrant for arrest on a new charge or an order for arrest after a missed court date.

A warrant for arrest states the crime and orders your arrest, based on probable cause under oath (G.S. 15A-304).

An order for arrest tells officers to take a named person into custody. It often follows a missed court date or a probation violation (G.S. 15A-305).

Paper	Why It Is Issued	Who Can Recall It	Usual Way Out
Warrant for Arrest	A new charge, with probable cause under oath.	The official who issued it, if probable cause did not exist.	A planned surrender with a release argument, then defend the charge.
Order for Arrest	Missed court after release, a missed summons or citation date, a probation violation, an indictment.	A judicial official in the court division that issued it, for good cause.	A recall motion and a new court date, or resolving the charge.

Many sites call the second paper a bench warrant. North Carolina law calls it an order for arrest, and both papers are valid anywhere in the State.

For the full path from complaint to court, see what happens after a warrant is issued.

What “Quash” Really Means in North Carolina

North Carolina’s statute on criminal process speaks of recalling a warrant, not quashing it. A recall means the paper stops being served, and the recall is entered in the courts’ Electronic Repository so no new copies print (G.S. 15A-301(g)).

A recall does not end the charge. The charge ends only when the prosecutor dismisses it under G.S. 15A-931, or a court dismisses it on a ground listed in G.S. 15A-954, or the case is resolved.

A typo alone rarely kills a warrant. Under G.S. 15A-304(c), a warrant is not invalid because of a technicality of pleading if it is clear enough to identify the crime.

For an order for arrest, the statute gives the court real reasons to recall it:

“Any criminal process other than a warrant or criminal summons may be recalled for good cause by any judicial official of the trial division in which it was issued. Good cause includes, without limitation, the fact that:

G.S. 15A-301(g)(2)

Steps to Get Rid of an Arrest Warrant in North Carolina

The steps below put the lawyer first, because every later step depends on the paper and the court. Follow them in order.

1Find Out Exactly What Paper You Have

You need the type of paper, the county, the charge and the date. Under G.S. 15A-301(e)(3), the clerk hands a defendant a copy of each process at no cost when asked.

Asking at a window or a jail can lead to the warrant being served right there. A lawyer can check the file first and tell you what you are facing.

2Call a Lawyer Before You Go Anywhere

A lawyer can file the recall motion, ask the assistant district attorney to consent, and set a time for any surrender. That way the first person the court hears from is your lawyer.

We can recall it, go to court for you and handle the case, depending on the facts of your case. If that happens within 20 days of the missed date, the $200 failure-to-appear fee does not apply in any criminal case (G.S. 7A-304(a)(6)).

On a traffic case, acting inside those 20 days also keeps the court from reporting the missed date to DMV, under G.S. 20-24.2(a)(1).

3Missed Court Date? Ask for a Recall

An order for arrest for a missed court date can be recalled for good cause, as the statute above lists. Guilford County uses a local “Motion and Order to Recall Order for Arrest; Order of Forfeiture; and/or Modify the Conditions of Pretrial Release.”

The form can be signed by the defendant or a lawyer, but the judge decides on the reason you give and the ADA’s position. We file it with the reason documented and ask the ADA to consent first, depending on the facts of your case.

A district court judge or the bond forfeiture clerk grants or denies the motion. A granted motion sets a new court date.

A granted recall also helps whoever posted your bond. A bond forfeiture is set aside when the failure to appear is set aside and the order for arrest recalled (G.S. 15A-544.5(b)(1)).

Practice differs from county to county, so the paperwork is best left to counsel. We explain recalling a Guilford County order for arrest step by step in a separate guide.

4New Charge? Plan a Surrender, Not a Surprise Arrest

A warrant on a new charge usually ends with you being served, so the goal is to choose when and how. After the arrest, the officer must take you before a judicial official without unnecessary delay to set release (G.S. 15A-501).

The magistrate must tell you the charges, your right to a lawyer and how you may be released (G.S. 15A-511(b)). If you are held, you see a district court judge within 72 hours or at the next session, whichever is first (G.S. 15A-601(c)).

Before a surrender, your lawyer will want the facts the release decision weighs:

• Proof of your job and work schedule.
• Your address and how long you have lived in the county.
• Family who depend on you or live nearby.
• Your past court record, including any missed dates.

Guilford County has two jails. They are the Greensboro Detention Center at 201 South Edgeworth St and the High Point Detention Center at 507 East Green Drive.

Your lawyer tells you which one to go to, and when.

5Resolve the Charge Behind It

Resolving all the charges recalls every order for arrest tied to them, with no extra court action, under G.S. 15A-301(g)(3). That is why the defense of the charge matters as much as the warrant.

Some minor traffic cases dismissed with leave can be closed by paying the full fines and costs through the clerk.

The clerk then recalls the process (G.S. 15A-932(d1)). A lawyer can confirm whether yours qualifies before you pay.

Bond Planning Before You Turn Yourself In

After a missed court date on most charges, the bond goes up: at least what the order for arrest recommends, or a secured bond at least double the last one (G.S. 15A-534(d1)). Release on a written promise to appear ended for decisions on or after December 1, 2025.

We explain how bond is set after missing court in detail. If the amount is too high, we can talk about asking a judge to lower your bond.

Can an Attorney Get Rid of an Arrest Warrant for Me?

An attorney can do most of the work, but the court makes the decision. A lawyer can file the recall motion, seek the prosecutor’s consent, appear for you where the court allows and arrange a surrender.

Whether a recall is granted depends on the paper, the reason you missed court and your record. A warrant on a new charge usually ends in a scheduled surrender, not a recall.

A lawyer can often turn the arrest into an appointment you plan for, depending on the facts of your case. Attorney Jason Aycoth reviews the file and tells you which route fits before you take a step.

Do not wait to be found at a traffic stop. Call (336) 379-0539 and let us start the recall or plan the surrender.

Potential Consequences of Ignoring an Arrest Warrant

Ignoring a warrant adds new problems on top of the old one. These three hit people who wait:

• A separate crime: willfully missing court after being released on pretrial release conditions (any kind: secured bond, unsecured bond or custody release) is a crime. It is charged under G.S. 15A-543, and we have the separate FTA charge explained.
• The family’s bond money: the person or bondsman who posted your bond faces a forfeiture until the failure to appear is set aside.
• A higher floor next time: once you have missed court, the next release decision starts from tougher minimum conditions.

Hoping the paper fades away does not work either. Read whether warrants ever expire in NC and what an old one can do years later.

Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Address Your Arrest Warrant

Every week you wait closes a door. These are the deadlines that matter most:

• 20 days: appear or dispose of the charge within 20 days of the missed date. Then the $200 fee does not apply, and a traffic case is not reported to DMV.
• Day 60: a traffic license revocation for a missed date starts 60 days after DMV mails the order. A case resolved first leaves no revocation behind and no restoration fee to pay (G.S. 20-24.1(c)).
• The bond: a granted recall lets the bond forfeiture be set aside for the family or bondsman who paid.

A surrender you schedule lets your lawyer bring the release facts to the magistrate. An arrest at a stop does not give you that chance.

If you are not sure which paper you have, talk to us about your order for arrest or warrant today. Once the paper is handled, the lawyers who defend the charge itself take on the case.

Frequently Asked Questions

This article explains North Carolina law in general terms. It is not legal advice about your case, and laws, penalties and court procedures change. Contact an attorney about your specific situation.