If you wish to waive your right to a hearing or trial and enter a plea of “guilty”, you may pay your fine, in full, as follows:

1. Mailing your money order/cashier’s check made payable to Recorder’s Court to

   Recorder's Court of Columbus, Georgia

   ATTN: Cashier
   702 10th Street
   Columbus, Georgia, 31901
   
   
   Be sure to include your citation number with your payment.

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2. Paying online using our always available Payment Portal. Be sure to include your citation number with your payment.

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3. Paying in person by cash, money order/cashier’s check, or certified check made payable to Recorder's Court of Columbus, Georgia at

   Recorder's Court of Columbus, Georgia

   702 10th Street
   Columbus, Georgia, 31901
   
   
   Hours: You may pay your fine between the hours of 8:15 A.M. and 4:15 P.M., Monday-Friday. Please note that our office is closed for lunch from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM daily.

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4. You can call the Clerk’s Office at (706) 653-4256 or visit the court’s Fine Calculator to determine the amount of the fine. If you wish to appear in court to enter a plea of “guilty” or “no contest” to the charge(s) against you, appear in court on the date and time shown on the front of the citation. If you enter a plea of “not guilty” at this hearing, your case will be assigned to a bench trial date, and you will be asked to return to court on the trial date. Personal appearance in Court is required for some charges. You can review the list of charges that require in-person payment on the Pay In-Person Only Charge List above. You may NOT pay your fine online for these traffic charges.

Guilty

Pleading guilty is saying that you admit to the violation(s) that have been alleged against you. Depending on what you are charged with, if you plead guilty to a traffic offense, points may be assessed on your Georgia license, or your privilege to drive in Georgia may be suspended as a result of your plea.

Nolo contendere (no contest)

Pleading nolo contendere (no contest) is saying that you do not admit to the violation, but you do not want to fight or contest the violation. A nolo plea may have certain benefits to you. In a traffic case, it may prevent points from being placed on your Georgia driver’s license or it may prevent the suspension of your privilege to drive in Georgia. However, nolo pleas are only accepted in certain limited circumstances.

Not Guilty

Pleading not guilty is saying that you would like to have a trial in your case. If you are charged with a state misdemeanor, misdemeanor traffic violation, or motor vehicle violation, you have a right to a trial in front of a judge only (called a bench trial) or a judge and jury. If you choose to have a jury trial, your case will be transferred to either the State or Superior Court of Muscogee County.

You can reschedule your case if you have a medical emergency or death in the immediate family. Please email your full name, date of birth, case number and/or citation numbers, court date, and the reasons explaining why you must miss court. Please attached any documents that support your proof of your emergency with your request. Email all this to the Recorder’s Court Clerk’s Office at

ContactRecordersCourt@columbusga.org

to get approval for a continuance BEFORE your court date. Alternatively, you may bring this information to

Recorder's Court of Columbus, Georgia

702 10th Street
Columbus, Georgia, 31901

If you are not able to obtain pre-approval before court because of your emergency, then you may be held in contempt of court for the court date you missed. However, you should immediately call the Recorder’s Court at (706) 653-4256, and advise the Clerk of your emergency, and reschedule your case. This phone call may not relieve you of your obligation to appear in court on your scheduled court date. The judge will have to decide based on the documentation/proof of your emergency you bring to court on your rescheduled court date. Otherwise, cases cannot be continued without the Judge's approval.

Some citations require a mandatory court appearance (review our reference chart for more details). If you have a citation that requires a mandatory court appearance, you may wish to consult with or hire legal counsel if you are unable to attend court.

Please see our guide on using the Online Portal; which should lead you through the process step-by-step.

In accordance with the O.C.G.A 50-18-90 "Georgia Records Act." (Ga. L. 1972, p. 1267, 1) issued by the Office of Secretary of State, the Recorder's Court of Columbus does not keep records of disposed citations once all court requirements have been met and the citation reaches the required retention period. If the record that you need has been destroyed and you can provide your driving history showing that the case was in Recorder’s Court of Columbus, the Clerk's Office will issue a letter stating that the disposition is not available.

Otherwise, certified copies of cases are provided at a cost of $5.00 for each ticket. Recorder's Court Clerk's Office DOES NOT accept checks, so please include a money order or cashier's check.

If you need to give your employer or school proof that you were in court, you can provide your employer with a copy of your witness subpoena or citation. Alternatively, you may get a form showing that you attended court when you come to Court.

If you have been involved in an accident, you do not have to appear in Court unless you are subpoenaed. If you have been subpoenaed to Court, below is some information that may be helpful:

• If for some reason the case you are called to be a witness is continued, you will receive a new subpoena by mail.
• Victims of a traffic accident should understand that this Court can only resolve the issue of whether the accused violated the law charged on his or her citation. This Court cannot impose damages for personal injuries, property damage, emotional distress, lost wages, etc. Those are civil matters that must be taken up in a civil court. Recorder’s Court only addresses the traffic violation, i.e., whether the accused followed too closely in violation of Georgia law.
• In civil cases witnesses are paid a fee according to Georgia law. However, in criminal cases witnesses are not paid a fee as this is a civic duty.

You have the right to be represented by an attorney in all criminal proceedings against you. If you are not financially able to employ an attorney of your own choice, you have a right to have the Court appoint an attorney to represent you.

An attorney can help you:

1. Understand the charge or charges against you;
2. Determine whether a legally sufficient accusation has been filed against you;
3. Determine whether you have any defense to the charge or charges against you, possible defenses may include but are not limited to self-defense, alibi, misidentification, accident, and reliance on the presumption of innocence and the State’s burden to prove you guilty on all elements of the charge or charges against you beyond a reasonable doubt;
4. Prepare and conduct any trial held on the charge or charges against you;
5. Determine what evidence is legally admissible against you;
6. File motions and make objections to exclude evidence which is not legally admissible against you;
7. Determine what evidence you would be able to present in your defense;
8. File motions to obtain information from the prosecution, such as police reports, scientific reports, witness statements, video or audiotapes, photographs, etc.;
9. Make strategic decisions as to the calling of witnesses and whether or not you should testify at trial;
10. Properly preserve legal issues for appeal in the event that you are convicted at trial;
11. Conduct plea negotiations on your behalf if you desire to plead guilty to the charge or charges against you;
12. Make sure all of your rights as a defendant in a criminal case are protected.

The Georgia Department of Driver’s Services is responsible for the issuance and/or suspension of a person's driving privileges. If you have reason to believe that your license has been suspended by the Department of Driver Services because of a traffic conviction and/or failure-to-appear, you will need to provide the court with the following information:

• Citation number.

To obtain this information, you should call the Georgia Department of Driver’s Services at (678) 413-8400

The State Legislature mandates certain surcharges on fines. The judge does not have any discretion over the amount of these surcharges, nor can the judge delete such surcharges. Thus, your fine may be more than the amount initially stated by the judge. These surcharges are imposed by state statute and have been passed over time to collect money for the benefit of the criminal justice system and victims of crime. Thus, for example, if your fine is $100, then the total fine with surcharges may be $155 or more.

Pursuant to Georgia Code 17-6-11, if you have been issued a Court summons and fail to appear to answer the charge(s), a warrant will be issued for your arrest and/or your driver’s license or driving privileges may be suspended by the Georgia Department of Driver’s Services. Furthermore, you may be held in Contempt of Court, which may require you to pay a Contempt fine.

Refer to our Pay In-Person Only reference table to see the list of all traffic offenses that must be paid in-person.

The Recorder’s Court of Columbus has notified the Georgia Department of Driver’s Services that you failed to appear before the court to answer to the charges alleged by the officer issuing you a citation. As a result, the Georgia Department of Driver’s Services may have suspended your driving privileges. This suspension will remain active until the Department receives notice from the Court that you have met all sanctions imposed by the Court.

If you are licensed by another state, contact the licensing authority of that state. Once you satisfy the sanctions imposed by the Court, you will be given the “Defendant’s Receipt” (pink receipt) of the suspension notice.

If you are licensed by the State of Georgia, you must present this copy to the Georgia Department of Driver’s Services. You can do this by taking this receipt to your local Driver's License Office. If you are licensed by another state, contact the licensing authority ofthat state. As a result of this suspension, the Georgia Department of Driver’s Services requires that you pay a reinstatement fee before your driving privileges will be reinstated. The Court will notify the Georgia Department of Driver’s Services that you have satisfied all sanctions imposed. However, the reinstatement process will move faster if take your “Defendant’s Receipt” to the Georgia Department of Driver’s Services or local Driver's License Office.

If you are licensed by another state, contact the licensing authority of that state. If you have any questions regarding your driving privileges, you should contact:

Georgia Department of Driver’s Services

Columbus Office
8397 Macon Rd
Midland, GA
Phone: (678) 413-8400

Hours:
Sunday - Monday: Closed
Tuesday - Friday: 08:00 am - 06:00 pm
Saturday: 08:00 am - 12:00 pm

All in Eastern Time Zone

Georgia Department of Driver’s Services

Main Office
2206 East View Parkway
Conyers, GA 30013-5755
Phone: (678) 413-8400

The Georgia Points System may be accessed at the link below or see O.C.G.A. § 40-5-57.
Points Schedule | Georgia Department of Driver Services

• If you have received a citation for "no proof of insurance", you must provide the court with proof of insurance showing that the vehicle you were driving was insured at the time the citation was written. Bring that documentation with you to court and have it ready to present to the judge.
• If the vehicle you were driving was not insured, you must appear in court on your court date.
• If the vehicle you were driving is covered by a "fleet policy", you must appear in court and present the insurance card to the judge and testify that the vehicle is covered by the policy referenced on the card.

The assistance of counsel is your right under the 6th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. However, we cannot advise you as to whether you will need an attorney. If you desire the assistance of a public defender, you must come to court on your court date.

No. All trials in Recorder’s Court are bench trials. Bench trials are trials in which evidence is presented to a judge, and in which the judge renders a verdict. However, if you desire a jury trial you can have your case ‘bound over’ or sent to State Court.

If you are charged with a local city ordinance violation, then that charge will be resolved by lea or a bench trial in Recorder's Court.

To allow time for your citation to be processed, please wait 3 to 4 weeks for your payment to be put in the system. All citations are subject to a fine. Depending on the agency issuing the citation, the following information may appear on the back of the citation issued to you. For further information, call The Recorder’s Court of Columbus at (706) 653-4256.

Yes. The court accepts Visa, MasterCard, and debit cards. The court also accepts cash, money orders and certified checks.

A processing fee of 2.50% plus $1.00 will be applied to credit/debit card payments