Want 50% off your Columbus traffic ticket? What to know about process, upcoming deadline
Time is running out for those with Columbus traffic tickets to get a 50% discount on their fines and court fees while the COVID-19 pandemic suspends traffic court hearings.
The offer approved last year has been extended to April 2, with traffic court set to resume April 5, said Clautretta Williams, the chief clerk of Columbus Recorder’s Court.
The discount does not apply to all traffic offenses, as some fines are set by law and can’t be altered. Among those are violations related to distracted driving, seat belts and child-restraint seats.
The offer aims to reduce a backlog in cases caused by the pandemic, which compelled the city to postpone all traffic court hearings. Each court session drew dozens of people to a courtroom that lacked the capacity to seat them all, so they crowded the lobby outside with no room for social distancing.
When traffic court resumes in April, it will limit each session to 40 cases to avoid congestion, Williams said.
For the fines that can be discounted, the related court fees (usually set as a percentage of the fine amount) will be reduced proportionately. Those ticketed can calculate their fine online at www.columbusga.gov/MyFine.
Those who want to pay fines online can do that at www.columbusga.gov/ecourts, if they have their citation number, but they must pay in person to get the discount.
Those paying in person at Recorder’s Court can use a drive-through service window that’s open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at the 702 10th St. building next to the Muscogee County Jail. The window also has an after-hours drop box for payments, and a second drop box is inside the lobby.
Those entering the building must wear masks, to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. They also must pass through a metal detector at a security checkpoint.
Anyone needing more information may call 706-653-4356.