Arrest Warrant under the Interstate Compact Agreement
An arrest warrant under the Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision (ICAOS) is a nationwide, no-bond order issued by a sending state for a supervised individual who has absconded, violated conditions, or committed new crimes. These warrants, entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), allow immediate detention in any member state, bypassing standard extradition processes due to the offender’s prior waiver.
If you are being held under the Interstate Compact Agreement for a Violation of Probation (VOP) warrant issued in another state, then none of Florida’s normal procedural or substantive rules necessarily apply. For example, you might never be brought before the court for a first appearance hearing.
Instead, the courts follow the Interstate Compact Agreement which gives the home state that issued the warrant 30 days to pick the person up. In those cases, the booking sheet or docket might show the following notation:
“INTERSTATE COMPACT AGREEMENT (ADMIN012): NN, Bond: $0.00.”
You should hire an attorney in the jurisdiction where the warrant was issued. Your attorney can obtain a copy of the warrant issued in the other state and contact the prosecutor in that state to see if they will agree to ask the court there to lift the warrant temporarily so you can voluntarily travel back to that state and avoid being transported in a prison van from one state to another which is more expensive, time consuming, and dangerous.
The sending state that issued the arrest warrant for the absconder or person who failed to return, requires the receiving state to detain them.
The receiving state (where the offender is currently located) has the authority to arrest and detain the person, often treating them as a “fugitive from justice.”
The arrest warrants are tracked and recorded in the Interstate Compact Offender Tracking System (ICOTS), ensuring real-time visibility for law enforcement.
The interstate contact has the following procedural rules:
- Rule 5.101-5.103: Cover mandatory retaking for violations, new felonies, or violent crimes.
- Rule 5.101 – Discretionary Retaking by the Sending State
(a) Except as required in Rules 5.101-1, 5.102, 5.103 and 5.103-1 at its sole discretion, a sending state may order the return of a supervised individual. The sending state must notify the receiving state within 15 business days of their issuance of the directive to return. The receiving state shall request return reporting instructions under Rule 4.111. If the supervised individual does not return to the sending state as ordered, then the sending state shall issue a warrant no later than 15 business days following the failure to appear in the sending state.(b) Except as required in Rules 5.101-1, 5.102, 5.103 and 5.103-1 at its sole discretion, a sending state may retake a supervised individual via warrant. The sending state must notify the receiving state within 15 business days of the issuance of their warrant. The receiving state shall assist with the apprehension of the supervised individual and shall notify the sending state once the individual is in custody on the sending state’s warrant.
References:
ICAOS Advisory Opinions
13-2006 [Retaking of an undocumented immigrant is at the sole discretion of the sending state unless the offender comes within the exceptions provided in Rule 5.102] - Rule 5.102 – Mandatory Retaking for a New Felony or New Violent Crime Conviction
(a) Upon a request from the receiving state, a sending state shall retake a supervised individual from the receiving state or a subsequent receiving state after the individual’s conviction for a new felony offense or new violent crime and:completion of a term of incarceration for that conviction; or
placement under supervision for that felony or violent crime offense.
(b) When a sending state is required to retake a supervised individual, the sending state shall issue a warrant no later than 15 business days and, upon apprehension, file a detainer with the holding facility where the individual is in custody. - Rule 5.103 – Supervised Individual Behavior Requiring Retaking
(a) Upon a request by the receiving state and documentation that the supervised individual’s behavior requires retaking, a sending state shall issue a warrant to retake or order the return of the individual from the receiving state or a subsequent receiving state within 15 business days of the receipt of the violation report.(b) If the supervised individual is ordered to return in lieu of retaking, the receiving state shall request reporting instructions per Rule 4.111 within 7 business days following the receipt of the violation report response.
(c) The receiving state retains authority to supervise until the supervised individual’s directed departure date. If the supervised individual does not return to the sending state as ordered, then the sending state shall issue a warrant, no later than 15 business days following the individual’s failure to appear in the sending state.
(d) If the sending state issues a warrant under subsection (c) of this rule, the receiving state shall attempt to apprehend the supervised individual on the sending state’s warrant and provide notification to the sending state. If the receiving state is unable to locate the supervised individual to affect the apprehension, the receiving state shall follow Rule 4.109-2 (a) and (b).
- Rule 5.101 – Discretionary Retaking by the Sending State
- Rule 4.109-1: Authorizes receiving states to arrest offenders violating supervision conditions.
When the person agrees to the interstate compact, they sign an agreement that includes a waiver of formal extradition proceedings if a warrant is issued. If the supervised individual is arrested on a new charge in the receiving state, they may be held until the sending state decides to retake them.
Attorneys for VOP Warrants Related to Interstate Compact Probation
If you were put on felony probation in a county in Florida, but then transferred your supervision out of state under the interstate compact, you will need an attorney in Florida if you violate that probation.
The attorneys at Sammis Law Firm understand the special rules that apply to violation of probation cases when supervision is transferred to another state. We can help you while you are being held in another jurisdiction and after you return to the home state for the VOP hearing.
We have offices in Tampa for Hillsborough County, New Port Richey for Pasco County, and Clearwater for Pinellas County, Florida.
Let us put our experienced to work for you.
Call 813-250-0500.
This article was last updated on Friday, January 30, 2026.
