Superior Court Judge Elden Fox issued the bench warrant in Beverly Hills, but Lohan will remain free pending a Friday court hearing, according to officials from Los Angeles County Superior Court.
A message left with Lohan's attorney was not immediately returned.
Lohan confirmed on her Twitter page last week that she failed a court-ordered drug and alcohol screening.
Lohan spent two weeks in jail this year after violating probation stemming from convictions involving her 2007 arrests for drug use and driving under the influence. She spent another 23 days undergoing rehabilitation at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
Fox had threatened her with 30 days in jail for each probation violation. Fox must now decide whether to send her back to jail or back into treatment.
Lohan posted a series of Twitter messages last Friday acknowledging her drug problem.
"Regrettably, I did in fact fail my most recent drug test," she tweeted.
She also said, "substance abuse is a disease, which unfortunately doesn't go away over night. I am working hard to overcome it."
Lohan often posts updates with the account that's verified by Twitter as belonging to the actress.
