General information
Traffic Court is held Wednesday at 8:30 AM. Information regarding your appearance will be mailed to you prior to your court date. If you do not appear, you must contact the Court withing seven (7) days. If you do not contact the Court within seven (7) days, there will be a default judgment entered against you for the entire amount of your fine. You may contact the Court in person at the information/cashier windows, by writing a letter, or by phone.
Pleading not guilty
If you choose to plead not guilty, your case will be set for trial and you will receive notice by mail of the trial date. When pleading Not Guilty you have the option to waive your personal appearance by requesting a trial by declaration. If you want to have a trial by declaration please contact the court in person or by mail and the trial by declaration forms will be mailed to you.
Fine Reduction
Reductions to traffic fines are based upon your driver's history. Oregon driving history is available to court staff. Defendants with out-of-state drivers licenses must submit a paper copy of their driver history before their appearance date if they are asking the Court to consider a reduction in a traffic fine.
Defensive and Distracted Driver Courses
The option of completing a defensive or distracted driver course to reduce or avoid a fine is not offered at the Deschutes County Circuit Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are unable to make the court date shown on the citation, you may appear on any Wednesday at 8:30 AM prior to the date on your citation. When you arrive at the court, please check in at one of the Court Information/Cashier Windows. Your first appearance date can be extended for one additional week. You may request an extension in the “Additional Information” box below
Your citation will have the presumptive fine listed. Based on three years of good driving history, you may be eligible for a reduced fine. The Court only has access to Oregon driving history. If you have an out-of-state driver’s license, you must provide the court with a certified driving history from your state.
Requests to reschedule a trial date must be made in writing and hand-delivered of mailed to the Court. E-Mail and faxed requests are not accepted. Please include a list of any dates that you know you are not able to appear for trial. Trials are generally held on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings in Hearing Room 1. Mail or hand deliver your request to: Deschutes County Circuit Court, 1100 NW Bond St, Bend, OR, 97703. Your letter must include the following information:
- Your full name as it appears on your citation
- Your citation number or case number
- An explanation of why you need the trial date rescheduled
- A list of any dates you are not available
- Your current mailing address and phone number
- Your signature and date of request
Deschutes County Circuit Court does not offer traffic school or other diversions on violations cases.