Who has the authority to serve a warrant issued by a magistrate?

• A. Any private citizen
• B. Any peace officer or someone named in the warrant
• C. Only the sheriff
• D. The marshal

Answer: (B)

The authority to serve a magistrate-issued warrant comes from being a law enforcement officer or from being specifically named in the warrant. Peace officers—such as police, sheriffs, marshals, and other authorized officials—have the power to execute warrants. If the warrant itself names a particular person who is authorized to execute it, that person can serve as well. This is why the correct answer is that any peace officer or someone named in the warrant can carry out service.

Private citizens generally don’t have authority to serve warrants, and while a sheriff is one example of a peace officer who can serve, the rule isn’t limited to the sheriff. Marshals and other qualified peace officers can serve warrants within their jurisdiction.