Municipal Court
***As a reminder: The Finance Department opens at 9AM on the SECOND and FOURTH Friday of each month. Check your calendars to plan ahead.***
Municipal Court is the Judicial Branch of Municipal Government. The Municipal Court adjudicates violations and parking cases, municipal ordinances, state statutes, and miscellaneous matters as provided by ordinance.
Court Location
Municipal Court is held at City Hall located at 270 Montgomery St. All persons attending court are asked to check in at the Finance Dept. Customer Service window.
Court Fines or Fees Payment
If a fine is imposed, full payment or approved payment arrangements are due upon leaving the Court room.
The court accepts cash, credit or debit cards, money orders, and personal checks. Payments are accepted after the court has received your plea and sentencing has been determined.
- In person payments may be made Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 270 Montgomery St. at the Finance Dept Customer Service window.
- Phone payments may be made with a credit or debit card by calling (503) 982-5222, opt. 1, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Mail check payments or correspondence to 270 Montgomery St., Woodburn, OR 97071, attn: Municipal Court
Court Dates
Municipal Court is held weekly on the first four Tuesdays of each month. Please refer to your Notice or citation document to confirm the date that you must appear, or check with the Court Clerk to confirm the dates that court has been scheduled.
Court Times
1st & 3rd Tuesdays of each month: Court sessions for Municipal Court Arraignments begin at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Check in begins half an hour before each scheduled session.
2nd & 4th Tuesdays of each month: Check in for Municipal Court Arraignments begins at 10:00 a.m. and the Court session begins at 10:30 a.m.
All violation arraignment cases appearing before the Municipal Judge are called in the order of check-in, on a first-come, first-served basis. No one will be added to the docket after the Court session begins.
Bench Trials are scheduled for specific dates and times based on the schedule of the Court. Please refer to the Notice sent by the Court, or check with the Court Clerk, to confirm the date and time your trial has been scheduled.
Court Arraignments
An arraignment is a first appearance in court with a plea being entered by the defendant. Your name will be called in the order that you checked in. Please stand behind the table to speak to the Judge.
You will be advised of the charge(s) and asked to make a plea of Not Guilty, or No Contest (see definitions below). You will be given an opportunity to speak with the Judge after entering your plea and before sentencing occurs. After sentencing, you will need to pay your fine or make arrangements to pay your fine at the Court office.
See Court Documents Menu for a Court Arraignment Procedures document.
If you have Red Light citation, please view your video and pictures before appearing in court or making a plea.
- Use the information on your citation to log onto the PhotoNotice.com website and view your citation video and pictures.
Plea definitions:
Plea of No Contest: You are not admitting that you are guilty but that you do not wish to contest the offense. Please be aware that if you enter a No Contest plea the matter will still appear on your driving record as a conviction.
Plea of Not Guilty: The matter will be set for a trial. You will be sent a Notice when the court date has been scheduled. You will need to return on the date the Notice indicates. You must notify the Court Clerk if your address changes.
Violations Bureau
Persons who qualify to make a plea with the Violations Bureau will be able to appear at the Finance Dept. Customer Service window, beginning ten calendar days after receiving the ticket, up to the day before the appearance date listed on the ticket. The Bureau will operate between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m, Monday through Friday. Check with the Court Office for further information, including requests for the traffic safety diversion program.
See the Municipal Court FAQ page for more information on traffic safety diversion program eligibility.
Language Interpreter
A Spanish language interpreter is available at arraignment on scheduled court dates.
For languages other than Spanish, you must notify the Court in advance. Please notify the clerk when you check in for arraignment that you need an interpreter and which language you need.
For sign language interpretation, please notify the court in advance of your arraignment or trial date so an interpreter may be scheduled.
