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1. Court Arraignments

An arraignment is a first appearance in court. Defendants will enter a plea and be notified of their rights. If a plea of No Contest is entered, you will see the judge and if a plea of Not Guilty is entered a trial will be set for a future date.

2. I Got a Ticket For a Vehicle I No Longer Own

In 1997, Oregon passed a law which requires the registered owner of a vehicle to notify the Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV) of the sale or transfer within 10 days. If you have not notified the DMV of the sale of your vehicle, you need to contact the DMV ASAP at NOTIFY DMV and select the option "Report Your Vehicle Sold."

Municipal Court has contacted you because you are the listed owner according to the DMV. 

If you no longer own this vehicle: Per ORS 803.112 the seller of a vehicle shall notify the DMV of the transfer/sale within 10 days of the date of transfer. If you did not own the vehicle at the time of the citation, it is your responsibility as the listed owner at the DMV to submit the following to the DMV and to Municipal Court:

• The Official Bill of Sale form from the DMV.
• The Official Notice of Sale or Transfer of a Vehicle from DMV.

At the very least, you will need to provide the new buyer's information to Municipal Court. Failure to do so can result in future citations assigned to this vehicle being listed under your name.

If you have any questions, please contact the Municipal Court at 541-883-5311.

3. Handling Citations Prior to Court

This court requires personal appearances for certain violations. If your citation states; Must Appear, M.A. or Appear you must appear in court to handle. In the event you wish to seek a reduction in fine, or compliance dismissal in relation to a citation for FAIL TO CARRY PROOF OF INSURANCE OR DRIVING UNINSURED, you must provide proof of insurance at least two business days prior to your court date. If the proof of insurance is not submitted prior to the court date, your appearance date will be moved so the insurance may be verified.

For violations that do not require a formal court appearance and you would like to handle prior to the court date, they may be handled by a Court Clerk during regular business hours.

4. Missed Court Date(s)

If you have missed your initial court date a Fail to Appear notice will be sent (to your DMV address of record) with a second assigned court date. A Fail to Appear Fee will also be added to each violation.

If the second court date is missed the presumptive fine of your violation(s) will be imposed along with all FTA fees and a conviction will be sent to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

If the imposed fines/fees are not paid by the due date, your license will be suspended, and the account will go to collections.

5. Trials

Trials are scheduled upon a plea of “Not Guilty,” or as ordered by the court, and are normally scheduled within 4 to 6 weeks of entering your plea. Trials are scheduled based on court and officer(s) availability, with night court being an option that may be assigned.

If you fail to appear at your Trial the court may:

• Issue a warrant for your arrest on criminal citations;
• Take Action to suspend your driver’s license; and/or
• Pursuant to ORS 153.102, determine guilt or innocence without your presence and, if found guilty, impose sentence, which may include a fine in excess of the presumptive fine amount on violation citations.
• Add a Failure to Appear Fee per violation.

6. Payment Options

Once a judgement has been entered and fines have been imposed, you have up to 30 days to pay in full with no additional fee or a payment plan may be set-up with a small fee being added. This option allows for smaller payments to be made over a period of time, up to a year.

• Online Payments:       PAY ONLINE
• Phone Payments:       541-883-5311
• Mail Payments:          Klamath Falls Municipal Court, P.O. Bo 237, Klamath Falls, Oregon 97601                               
• In Person:                  500 Klamath Avenue during regular business hours

In the event you are unable to make the payments as ordered it is recommended that you contact the court to discuss options.

7. Court Room Rules and Dress Code

When appearing in court, please do not wear shorts, thin strap tops, pajamas or swimsuits. And if you bring a hat or sunglasses, please take them off while you’re in court.

• No weapons are allowed in the court room.
• Cell phones, pagers and electronic devices must be silenced or turned off while in court.
• No food or drinks are allowed in the court room.
• Appropriate clothing must be worn in court.
• Children must be under the direct supervision of an adult and must behave while in court. If they are being disruptive you will be asked to leave the court room.

8. Other Contact Information

Klamath County Circuit Court (13^th Judicial)          541-883-5503

Klamath County Justice Court                                541-884-1864

Klamath County Juvenile Department                    541-884-4167

Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles                   503-945-5000

9. Hardship License Application

The DMV offers a hardship permit (or hardship license) which can allow holders to operate vehicles for a limited time while they are in the process of obtaining car insurance or being reinstated. If the judge has recommended that you obtain a hardship license, please fill out the following application and submit directly to the DMV along with their requested payment. The charge is a maximum of $125.

 

NOTE: Municipal Court clerks cannot help you fill out this application; in addition, completing and submitting the application does not guarantee that the DMV will grant you a hardship license. The DMV will determine if your circumstances qualify for a hardship license and will notify you based on their conclusion.

10. Where can I do Traffic School?

Municipal Court approves in-person traffic school or online traffic school through NTSI only. NTSI offers several different traffic school training options, so if you would like to sign up for online traffic school, reach out to Municipal Court to help sign you up for the correct course. Call (541) 883-5311 or submit your request online via the "Submit Information" tab on the Municipal Court webpage.