All traffic trials are scheduled during the day. When you appear at the courthouse for your trial, you will need to be prepared to present your case at the time listed on your trial notice.
On the day of trial, go to the second floor of the courthouse, Room 200, to find out the courtroom assignment.
For violations, if you are going to hire an attorney to represent you, you must let the court know before your appearance date.
Upon entry of the courthouse you will be screened at a security station, similar to airport screening. For additional information about this and for a more detailed list of what is not allowed in the courthouse, please go to our Security at the Courthouse page.
- The following are courtroom rules:
- Shirts and shoes are required;
- Caps and hats must be removed when entering the courtroom;
- Food and drinks are not allowed in the courtroom;
- Weapons are not allowed in any area of the courthouse;
- Cell phones, pagers, and all other electronic devices which may disrupt the proceedings must be turned off;
- Audio and tape recording is not permitted without prior approval of the court.
If you desire to appeal a judgment of this court, an appeal must be filed with the Oregon Court of Appeals in Salem. An appeal must be filed within 30 days of the date the judgment was entered into the trial court record.
Appellate Court Records Section
1163 State Street
Salem, OR 97310
503.986.5555
Default Judgment
If you fail to appear on your traffic citation, a default judgment will be entered against you. You can appear on your citation by choosing and completing one of the options outlined on the
Traffic Violations/Citations page.
If a default judgment is entered against you, it will be for the full fine amount written on your citation, plus additional fines, restitution and other costs.
- If you do not pay the full cost of the ticket in advance and you do not appear, the court may enter a conviction and a judgment against you for more than the presumptive fine and up to the maximum penalty allowed by law for the charged offense(s) including the maximum fines, restitution, and other costs.
- If you were charged with a crime and you fail to appear at the date and time, the court may issue a warrant for your arrest.
License Suspension
- If you do not appear or you do not follow the instructions found either on the back of the citation or at the end of the citation, the court may issue notice to the Department of Transportation to suspend your license if you fail to appear on a citation for a traffic offense.
- The record of conviction will be sent to the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles and the licensing authority of the state where you are licensed to drive, if other than Oregon, to decide if a license suspension is appropriate.
Additional Resources