FAQ - Municipal Court
When is my court date?
Your initial court date and time is on the citation you were issued. It is near the bottom of the citation above your signature. If you cannot find your court date or the court date is not legible, please contact Cartersville Municipal Court to obtain your court date and time.
What do I do if I missed my court date?
If you have missed your court date, please contact Cartersville Municipal Court immediately.
What happens if I fail to appear for court on my required court date?
If you have not paid your citation(s) prior to your court date or you have a must appear offense, then you must appear in court on your scheduled court date. If you fail to appear on your court date or comply with the judge's orders, a late fee will be assessed to your citation, your driver's license or privilege to obtain a driver’s license will be subject to suspension by the Georgia Department of Driver’s Services and/or bench warrant for your arrest will be issued.
What are “Must Appear” violations?
Must appear offenses are those for which a defendant is required to appear before the judge in court.
Must appear offenses include but are not limited to:
- DUI
- Hit and Run
- Suspended, Canceled, or Revoked License
- Racing
- Aggressive Driving
- Driving on Suspended Tag or Registration
- Shoplifting
- VGCSA
- Reckless Driving
- Speeding 24 mph or more over the speed limit
- Passing on a Hill or in a Curve
- Passing a School Bus
- Boombox/Stereo violation
- Underage Alcohol violations
- Under 21 drivers: any 4 or more point offense
- City Ordinance Violations (including Disorderly Conduct)
- Any citations written for moving violations in which a motor vehicle accident occurs
If the officer did not write "Must Appear" on my citation, do I still have to come to court?
It depends on the violation with which you were charged. Please call Cartersville Municipal Court to verify your court appearance requirement.
Can I reschedule my court date?
Cartersville Municipal Court allows one courtesy reschedule for most cases.
Court staff may continue eligible cases if there has been no other continuance granted for that case.
Court staff will continue eligible cases to the next available court date.
Requests for continuances must be made in writing and received by the court no later than the Tuesday by 4:30 PM before your court date.
Requests should be made in person, or if sending the request via mail or email, you must include a signed statement (signed by the defendant).
Your case cannot be continued by phone.
Court staff cannot continue cases marked as Must Appear except in certain cases. Defendants with must appear offenses may request a continuance from the court on their assigned court date.
Court staff may issue a continuance for a Must Appear case upon written request and presentation of one of the following documents:
- Funeral documents for close relative
- Medical documents for self or dependent
- Proof of Incarceration
- Notice to appear on another court on the same date and time
- Military Deployment
You must appear in court on your schedule court date. However, if you have an emergency that prevents you from attending your court date, you should notify the court immediately and be prepared to provide documentation.
Do you take checks?
WE DO NOT ACCEPT PERSONAL OR BUISNESS CHECKS.
The Cartersville Municipal Court accepts cash, certified checks, cashier’s checks, money orders, credit/debit cards (processing fee applies), or attorney/law firm trust/escrow/IOLTA account checks only.
You may pay in person with cash, money order, or a debit/credit card. If you are paying in person with a card, the cardholder must be present with valid ID. Most violations can be paid online or by phone using credit/debit card.
Can someone else pay my citation?
Yes, someone else may pay your citation as long as they use the approved payment methods. Citations may be paid in person with cash, certified check, cashier’s check, money order, or debit/credit card. If paying with a card, the cardholder must be present with valid ID. Payments may also be made online or by phone using credit/debit card.
When can I discuss my case with the City Solicitor?
The City Solicitor will be available to speak with upon your appearance on your assigned court date prior to you appearing before the judge.
How much is my fine?
Please contact Cartersville Municipal Court to find out your specific fine amount. Five business days after the issuance of your citation, you may call the court office at 770-607-6307 and press 3 to speak with court staff. Please be aware that there are instances in which fine amounts cannot be determined until your court appearance.
How many points will I get/can I get my driver history?
Conviction of certain moving violations results in points being assessed to your driver history. The Georgia Department of Driver’s Services determines which offenses result in points and the number of points assessed. To determine the possible number of points that could result from a conviction contact the Georgia Department of Driver’s Services.
Cartersville Municipal Court cannot provide you a copy of your driver history. To obtain this information, contact the Georgia Department of Driver’s Services.
What if I need an interpreter?
A Spanish interpreter is provided on every court date. If you need another language, please make the request at your first court appearance. There is no charge for these services.
Can I get an attorney?
You may choose to hire an attorney to represent you and have that attorney file an entry of appearance with the court.
If you are unable to afford an attorney, in certain circumstances, you may be eligible for a court-appointed attorney. Cartersville Municipal Court follows federal poverty guidelines when determining eligibility for a Court Appointed Attorney.
If you wish to request a court appointed attorney, you must do so on your arraignment date. The court will then review your case to determine if you are eligible to submit an application. If eligible to apply, you will be asked to complete an application and provide proof of income.
- There is a non-refundable $50 application fee, payable by cash or money order, imposed to be paid to the Clerk of Court upon the return of the application.
- The judge will give you a deadline to submit the application to the court and your case will be rescheduled.
The judge will review the application and make a ruling concerning the appointment of an attorney.
Your case will not be heard until the application process has been completed.
Who is my Probation officer? How do I get in touch with them?
Supervision Services Inc. provides probation services for Cartersville Municipal Court. Get more information here: Supervision Services, Inc.com (supervisionservicesinc.com)
How do I get a copy of the disposition of my case?
You may request a copy of your disposition in person (be prepared to show valid ID) or via mail or email.
Mail requests to:
Cartersville Municipal Court
P.O. Box 1390
Cartersville, GA 30120
Email requests to:
court@cityofcartersville.org
How do I get a copy of the accident report?
Cartersville Municipal Court does not release police reports. Please contact the Cartersville Police Department or the agency that worked your accident to obtain a copy of your report.
Can you tell me if my license has been suspended?
To determine if your license has been suspended, please contact the Department of Driver’s Services.
What if my address changes before my case is adjudicated?
The address on your citation is the address all official court correspondences will be mailed to. It is your responsibility to ensure the court has your correct information.
Please contact Cartersville Municipal Court to update your information. Address changes should be made in person, or if sending the request via mail or email, you must include a signed statement (signed by the defendant).
