Form AO 442, Arrest Warrant, is the arrest warrant form of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO) for United States district courts. It commands any authorized law enforcement officer to arrest a named person and bring that person before a United States magistrate judge without unnecessary delay. The front page is completed by the issuing officer and carries a Return for the arresting officer; page 2 holds personal identifiers for law-enforcement use only. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original form is published by the AO at uscourts.gov.
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What is AO 442?
Form AO 442, Arrest Warrant, is the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts form on which a United States district court commands any authorized law enforcement officer to arrest a named person accused of an offense or violation and bring that person before a United States magistrate judge without unnecessary delay.
The front page opens with the court caption: the district, the title "United States of America v." the defendant, and the case number. It then names the person to be arrested and requires the issuer to identify the filed document on which the warrant rests. The printed choices are:
- Indictment or Superseding Indictment;
- Information or Superseding Information;
- Complaint;
- Probation Violation Petition or Supervised Release Violation Petition;
- Violation Notice;
- Order of the Court.
A line then asks for a brief description of the offense. The issuing officer dates the warrant, signs it, and prints a name, title, city and state.
Below that, the Return records the date the warrant was received, the date and place (city and state) of the arrest, and the arresting officer's signature, printed name and title.
Page 2 is a separate sheet of identifiers: defendant or offender name, aliases, residence, employment, physical description, associates, FBI number, vehicle, investigative agency and pretrial services or probation contact. It is marked "Not for Public Disclosure" and says it should not be filed in court with the executed warrant unless under seal. The revision printed on the form is AO 442 (Rev. 11/11).
Who needs to file AO 442?
The form is used inside a federal court case. The issuing officer completes and signs the front page after a charging or violation document has been filed with the court. The form does not say who may act as issuing officer; it prints only "Issuing officer's signature" and a line for printed name and title.
- Issuing officer: enters the district, case caption, case number, the name of the person to be arrested, the filed document type, a brief description of the offense, the date, the signature, and the city and state.
- Arresting officer: completes the Return after the arrest with the date the warrant was received, the date and city and state of arrest, signature, printed name and title.
- Officers or staff preparing page 2: supply the personal identifiers the sheet asks for, which the form says are for law-enforcement use only.
The warrant is addressed to "Any authorized law enforcement officer," so it is not tied to a named executing officer. The form says nothing about who may sign for someone else. It is not an application or a request that a member of the public files for themselves; it is the court's command to arrest.
When to file AO 442
The form is completed when a person is accused of an offense or violation in a document already filed with the court: an indictment, superseding indictment, information, superseding information, complaint, probation violation petition, supervised release violation petition, violation notice or order of the court. The issuing officer dates the warrant on the front page. The Return is completed afterward, when the warrant has been received and the person has been arrested. No separate due date or validity period is printed on the form, so any timing beyond this follows the rules of the court that issues the warrant.
How to fill out AO 442
Enter the court and district
In the caption, write the name of the district in the "__________ District of __________" line under United States District Court.
Enter the case caption and number
Under United States of America v., enter the defendant's name and the Case No.
Name the person to be arrested
In the command "YOU ARE COMMANDED to arrest and bring before a United States magistrate judge without unnecessary delay," enter the name of the person to be arrested.
Mark the filed document type
Check the box for the document on which the accusation is based: Indictment, Superseding Indictment, Information, Superseding Information, Complaint, Probation Violation Petition, Supervised Release Violation Petition, Violation Notice or Order of the Court.
Describe the offense
On the line beginning "This offense is briefly described as follows," give a brief description of the offense or violation.
Date and sign as issuing officer
Enter the Date, the issuing officer's signature, the city and state, and the issuing officer's printed name and title.
Complete the Return after arrest
Under Return, the arresting officer enters the date the warrant was received, the date of arrest and the city and state, then the date, signature, printed name and title.
Fill in page 2 identifiers
Enter the defendant or offender's name, known aliases, last known residence, prior addresses, last known employment, telephone numbers, place and date of birth, Social Security number and FBI number. Fields on this page are for law-enforcement use only.
Add description and contacts
Complete height, weight, sex, race, hair, eyes, scars or tattoos, history of violence, weapons or drug use, known associates, description of auto, investigative agency and address, and pretrial services or probation officer details if applicable.
Review and download the PDF
Check the front page and page 2, keeping in mind that page 2 is not to be filed with the executed warrant unless under seal. Then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF.
How to submit AO 442
Form AO 442 names no mailing address, online portal or office for delivery; it is a court-issued command addressed to "Any authorized law enforcement officer."
- Issuing: the issuing officer completes and signs the front page, entering the date, city and state, and printed name and title.
- Executing: after the arrest, the arresting officer completes the Return with the date received, the date and city and state of arrest, signature, printed name and title.
- Page 2: it contains personal identifiers for law-enforcement use only and should not be filed in court with the executed warrant unless under seal.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels of the court that issues the warrant.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Filing page 2 in court with the executed warrant. The form says that sheet is not for public disclosure and should be filed only under seal.
- Entering personal identifiers such as date of birth or Social Security number on the front page instead of the law-enforcement-only page 2.
- Leaving the filed-document choice unmarked, so the warrant does not show whether it rests on an indictment, information, complaint, petition, violation notice or order.
- Skipping the line that briefly describes the offense.
- Signing without dating, or omitting the issuing officer's printed name, title, city and state.
- Leaving the Return incomplete: the dates the warrant was received and the person was arrested, and the city and state of arrest.
- Treating the warrant as addressed to one named officer; the form is addressed to any authorized law enforcement officer.
Frequently asked questions
What is an arrest warrant on Form AO 442?
Form AO 442, Arrest Warrant, is the federal court form that commands any authorized law enforcement officer to arrest a named person accused of an offense or violation and bring that person before a United States magistrate judge without unnecessary delay.
What documents can an AO 442 arrest warrant be based on?
The form lists nine: Indictment, Superseding Indictment, Information, Superseding Information, Complaint, Probation Violation Petition, Supervised Release Violation Petition, Violation Notice and Order of the Court. The issuing officer checks the one filed with the court.
Who completes the Return section of Form AO 442?
The arresting officer. The Return records the date the warrant was received, the date and city and state of the arrest, and the arresting officer's signature, date, printed name and title.
Should page 2 of the arrest warrant be filed in court?
Not with the executed warrant, unless it is filed under seal. Page 2 holds personal identifiers provided for law-enforcement use only and is marked "Not for Public Disclosure."
What information is on page 2 of Form AO 442?
Page 2 asks for aliases, last known residence and employment, telephone numbers, birth place and date, Social Security number, physical description, known associates, FBI number, vehicle, investigative agency, and pretrial services or probation contacts where applicable.
Can I fill out Form AO 442 online?
Yes. You can fill out the fillable PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file or deliver the warrant; it follows the channels of the court that issues it.
What revision of the arrest warrant form is this?
The form printed here is AO 442 (Rev. 11/11), published by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts at uscourts.gov, with page 2 of the same revision carrying the personal identifiers sheet.
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