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Municipal Court

Hocking County Seal

Judge Frederick T. Moses

(740) 385-2250

Traffic Division

General Information Regarding Traffic Division

You may contact the Traffic Division during the office hours of 8:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday through Friday. Please review carefully all information on both the front and back of the citation that was issued to you. The waiver schedule can be accessed through this site under Bond Schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I call to request time to pay my fine?

No, you must appear in court on or before the court date and set up a payment plan.

I forgot to show my insurance card to the officer and was told if I bring it in, I can just pay my fine. Is this correct?

Yes, if you have a waiverable citation you can mail or bring in a copy of your insurance card or policy showing coverage for the date of your violation.

Will my fine be different if I come to court? How do I know how much money to bring?

The Judge determines the fine amount in court and there is no way of knowing what you will pay prior to your court appearance. The Judge reviews the records, listens to your comments, and bases his decision on all the information given. If you do not have money on the day of your appearance, the Court will generally allow you additional time to pay your fine. This is referred to as a payment agreement. The minimum payment is generally $40.00 per month. Some offenses are required to be paid off within six months and your payment arrangement will be adjusted accordingly.

I did not have insurance on the day I received my citation. Will my license be suspended? For how long?

Contact the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Can I get driving privileges while my license is suspended?

Contact the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Payment of Fines

The Court accepts payment by cash, check, money order or Visa/Mastercard (Visa/Mastercard is only accepted for payments through the Court's website). Checks and money orders should be made payable to the Hocking County Municipal Court, and can be mailed. Please include a copy of the citation or the citation number on the check.

Court costs are a minimum $99.00 for moving violations and $75.00 for non-moving violations (including charges that can be waived). These costs CANNOT be waived if a person is found guilty.

If you go to trial, there may be additional costs incurred for subpoenas, witness fees, etc. These fees are in addition to the minimum court costs.

To Plead "Not Guilty"

If you wish to plead not guilty you must either:

  1. Appear in court on the date and time specified on the citation and enter a verbal not guilty plea, or
  2. Enter your not guilty plea in writing by the date and time on the citation along with a time waiver. You must have the citation number, your complete name and address and a phone number at which you can be reached. Based on the not guilty plea the court will set a trial date and will notify you by mail of your date. The written not guilty and time waiver form is available through this site under Forms. You cannot file a written not guilty plea for OVI or any violent offenses. You must appear in court for your arraignment.

Extensions

You must request a continuance in writing, prior to your court date, explaining the reason for the request along with a time waiver. You must contact the Court the next day to see if your continuance is granted. If you have an attorney, please contact him/her regarding your court date.

Mandatory Appearances

If your citation requires a mandatory appearance, report to the Clerk's office on your stated court date and time (arraignments are at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesdays) which is listed on the lower right hand corner of the citation copy given to you by the officer. You are to report directly to the Court Bailiff and sign in.

If you have been cited for one of the following violations, you are REQUIRED to appear in court on the date listed at the bottom of your citation:

  1. Drag racing
  2. Two prior traffic convictions within the last year
  3. Willful fleeing
  4. Driving with impaired alertness or ability
  5. Fictitious unauthorized, display or no front plate
  6. Vehicular homicide
  7. Hit skip
  8. OMVI
  9. Driving Under Suspension
  10. No Ohio License Expired operator's license or registration (greater than 6 months)
  11. Drug paraphernalia and some other drug offenses as indicated by the officer

 

FAILURE TO APPEAR FOR YOUR SCHEDULED ARRAIGNMENT WILL RESULT IN A WARRANT BEING ISSUED FOR YOUR ARREST, SUSPENSION OF YOUR OPERATOR'S LICENSE AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL COSTS.

What To Bring With You To Court

  • Proof of insurance for the vehicle and driver for the date shown on the citation;
  • Adequate funds to pay for fines and costs;
  • Additional costs.

Failure To Appear

Failure to appear in Court as required will result in the following actions:

  • Warrant for arrest for failure to appear. You may be required to post a bond, if arrested.
  • Suspension of operators license.

Driving Privileges Information

If you would like to apply for diving privileges, these items must be turned into the Court before your request can be processed:

  1. A completed driving privileges application with signed approval from your probation officer.
  2. Proof of insurance or SR 22 bond with the date insurance or bond is paid through. Proof should be on insurance company's letterhead. Insurance cards and policies are not acceptable.
  3. Proof of automobile ownership in the form of title or registration for family plates.
  4. Employment: proof of work schedule on company letterhead signed by a supervisor with a telephone number to contact them. 
    ** If you operate a company vehicle during work hours, you must have signed documentation that your employer is aware of your suspension and driving provileges **
  5. School: class schedule and proof of payment
  6. A copy of your last drug/alcohol assessment if your offense is drug/alcohol related (You can obtain this from the probation dept. or the agency at which you had the assessment done.)
  7. $20 filing fee is required at the time of application. A $5 fee is required each time you renew or change your priveleges. If you fail to bring the current certificate with you when seeking to renew your privileges or lose your original copy, you will be charged the initial fee of $20 again.
  8. Reinstatement fee suspension: copy of letter from the BMV stating the amount of reinstatement fees owed.

AFTER ALL of these items have been submitted to the clerk’s office, your application will be submitted to the Judge for his approval. It may take 3-4 days to process your request. You may call the clerk’s office at (740) 385-2250 to see if your privileges have been approved and when to pick them up. No one can pick up your privileges except for you. YOU must sign for them. Privileges are available for pickup Monday - Friday.

We CANNOT issue privileges if you have a:

  • judgment suspension
  • a suspension for non payment of fines
  • a suspension from another court
  • a Permanent ID

If you have any other type of suspension, you can call the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles at (614) 752-7500 or (740) 286-5683 to find out how to clear up the suspension.