The following information applies to criminal cases, traffic, or parking citation payments to the court. Before you make a payment on a Traffic or Parking citation, please review all of your options by visiting the
Traffic or
Parking web page.
If the court ordered you to pay fines/fees, they are due on the day of sentencing. If you are unable to pay the balance in full within 30 days from sentencing, the court may allow you to set up a payment plan.
If you are unable to pay in full within 30 days, or have not set up a payment plan, you will accrue additional fees added to your court debt. You also face the possibility of having your driver’s license sanctioned or having your court debt sent to a collection agency. It is advised to pay your debt in full or work with a court clerk to set up a payment plan within the first 30 days of sentencing.
If you have not paid your balance in full, and have not set up a payment plan after sentencing, one or more of the following may occur:
- Assign your debt to an outside collection agency (debt collector);
- Your wages may be garnished
- A warrant could be issued
- The court may order you to appear in front of a judge to explain why you are not making payments, or not set a payment plan, and why you should not be held in contempt of court
- For unpaid parking citations, your vehicle could be towed.
You may either come in person, or contact the Customer Service Department, on or before your payment due date.
If you have set up a payment plan, and you believe you will have trouble making your payment, please contact the Customer Service Unit. Failure to make the payment may result in one or more of the following:
- Your debt may be assigned to an outside collection agency (debt collector);
- If you have a payment plan agreement in place, the court may terminate your agreement and require balance to be paid in full;
- The court may order you to appear in front of a judge to explain why you are not making payments as you agreed to under your payment agreement and why you should not be held in contempt of court;
- Your wages may be garnished.
- A warrant could be issued.
- For parking citations, your vehicle could be towed.
If you were notified by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that your license was suspended due to unpaid citation(s) (suspension requested before October 1, 2020), or due to failing to appear you will you will either need to pay in full, or set up a payment plan on those citation(s), in order to reinstate your license. You will need to obtain a “clearance" from the court. Please contact the Customer Service Department for more information, and we ask that you please have your case/citation number to better assist you
Oregon law (ORS 1.202) requires the court to add a fee to any judgment that includes money owed to the court; Examples: filing fees on a civil or family law case, traffic fines, parking fines, criminal fines. This payment plan fee is subject to be added when the court establishes a payment plan that lasts longer than 1 year to pay the total balance in full. A collections fee will also be added to any case balance that gets referred out for collections.
You can make payments in the following ways:
- Online. OJD Courts ePay is an online electronic payment service which allows you to make payments on most court cases and accounts. By using OJD Courts ePay to make a payment on a violation case, you will be entering a plea of no contest, which means you cannot request a trial or ask that your fine be reduced. If you want to request a trial or ask the court to reduce your fine, do not use OJD Courts ePay. Follow the instructions on the citation you received or visit the Traffic or Parking pages for more information.
- By Mail. The court accepts checks and money orders via mail. DO NOT SEND CASH through the mail. Make your check or money order payable to the “State of Oregon” and include your case or citation number.
Mail to:
Traffic or Other Court Fines
Multnomah County Circuit Court
PO BOX 114
Portland, OR 97207
Parking Payments
Multnomah County Circuit Court
PO BOX 78
Portland, OR 97207
- By Phone. The court accepts debit and credit card (Visa, Mastercard, and Discover) payments over the phone. Please have your case or citation number ready when you call. Visit the courts Contact Information page for phone numbers and business hours.
- In Person. The court accepts cash, checks, money orders, debit and credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover). Please bring picture ID. ID is required for all transactions.
If the court ordered you to pay fines/fees, they are due on the day of sentencing. If you are unable to pay in full the balance, a payment plan may be established.
If a payment plan is set up to take longer than 1 year to pay in full the entire balance on the case(s), a fee per case could be imposed.
The Customer Service Department will set up and monitor your payment plan; working with you to establish a monthly payment, and due date. The court will do it's best to work with a person's financial situation to establish a plan that can be fair and successful to all. The court can send monthly reminders that your payment plan payment is due, but only by text if you opt in at the time you set up the plan.
Your payment plan may be set up by contacting the Customer Service Department in person, over the phone, and via e-mail at Mul.FinancialDept@ojd.state.or.us.
You must have a payment plan established in order to make a partial payment online.