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Traffic & TriMet Citations

 



 Traffic Citations Office Location and Hours 

 Mailing Address:

Multnomah County Circuit Court
Traffic Citation Office
P.O. Box 114
Portland, OR 97207



Please check your notice to confirm your start time
Start Times 8:30 am, 10:30 am, 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm:
Today's Downtown Traffic Trials Link

Start Times 9:30 am,2:30 pm:
Today's Downtown Traffic Trials Link

Today's ECC Traffic Trials 
East County Courthouse trial dockets take place on Mondays and Fridays





Did you receive a Notice of Entry of Judgment for Failure to Appear? Here are your options…

If you received a Notice of Entry of Judgment for failing to appear, you have one of three options:

  1. Navigate to our ePay website and pay your fine.
  2. Set-up a payment plan by calling 971-274-0560 or emailing Mul.FinancialDept@ojd.state.or.us.
  3. File a Motion for Relief from Default Judgment.
    Or
    Click here to file a Motion for Relief from Default Judgment  electronically.
Instructions for Motion for Relief from Default Judgment
  1. Fill out the linked form above in its entirety. On the declaration page, explain why you did not respond to your citation by your appear by date. You may include any proof or documents you would like the judge to review with your Motion.
  2. Pay the full amount of the fine with your motion. The full amount of the fine is due with your filed Motion. If you cannot pay the full amount of the fine, please write why in your declaration.
  3. Submit your documents and payment. When your paperwork is complete, mail your documents and payment to: Multnomah County Circuit Court PO Box 114 Portland, OR 97207. Payments should be made in the form of check or money order. DO NOT SEND CASH. Make your check or money order payable to the State of Oregon and include your case number on your payment. 
    You may also file your Motion and payment in person. Go to the East County Courthouse or Downtown Courthouse between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM, Monday – Friday.
Once the court has received your paperwork and payment, a clerk will route your motion to a judge for review.
Please allow 90 days for full processing. You can find more information about the Motion for Relief from Default Judgment (Failure to Appear) below! 

 

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Re​quest for Review – Traffic Citation Form​


​Use the Request for Review Traffic Citation Form​ to submit documentation that you have completed what the officer told you to do to resolve your citation.  The court must be able to verify the officer’s instructions through written notes on the citation filed with the court. If there are no notes or instructions that verify what you were told, your case will be set for trial.  
  
Please note: the court does not have the authority to allow someone to take a class or grant any other remedy to earn a dismissal or discharge. If the officer did not tell you to do one of the things below and/or if the officer did not submit to the court notes indicating their instruction to you, you will need to do one of the following: plead not guilty and request a trial, pay the full amount of your fine, or see if you are eligible for a fine reduction based on your driving history. 
  
Most Common Scenarios:   ​

You were charged with: 

The officer noted that they told you to, and you are submitting proof of completion: 

Making an Illegal U-Turn 

Provide proof of completion of U-Turn 180 and/or National Traffic Safety Institute Course Level 1 and earn a dismissal, sentence of discharge or fine reduction. 

Driving a Motor Vehicle While Using a Mobile Electronic Device – First* 

Provide proof of completion of one of the approved Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) safety courses and earn a sentence of discharge.* 

Failure to Register a Vehicle 

Provide proof of current registration and earn a dismissal, sentence of discharge, or fine reduction.  

Failure to Display Registration Plates 

Provide photos of properly mounted license plates to earn a dismissal, sentence of discharge, or fine reduction. 

Failure to Properly Use Safety Belts – MV Passenger 

Provide proof of completion of Share the Road Safety Class and earn a dismissal, discharge, or fine reduction. 

Driving Uninsured 

Provide proof of financial responsibility and valid insurance coverage on the date of the incident to receive a dismissal, sentence of discharge, or fine reduction (this is not just providing a copy of your insurance card). This requires a letter from your insurance carrier validating insurance coverage on the incident date.

Failure to Carry Proof of Compliance** 

Provide proof of financial responsibility and valid insurance coverage on the date of the incident to receive a dismissal (this is not just providing a copy of your insurance card). This requires a letter from your insurance carrier validating insurance coverage on the incident date.

General “Fix-It” Ticket: taillight is out, headlight is out, etc. 

Provide photographic proof (with license plate in the photo) that the broken item has been fixed for a dismissal, sentence of discharge, or fine reduction. 

Other 

If the officer gave you instructions for some other course of action to resolve your citation, explain your situation in the comment box on the form. You must attach documentation and the court must be able to verify the officer’s instructions by reviewing the notes on the citation file with the court. 

 

* When you are charged with Driving a Motor Vehicle While Using a Mobile Electronic Device, first you must plead no contest to earn a sentence of discharge. In accordance with ORS 811.507 (8)(A), the officer does not need to tell you that you are eligible to take one of the approved courses to receive a sentence of discharge. A sentence of discharge will still enter a conviction on your driving record, but you will not be charged a fine. If you are submitting proof of completion of one of the approved ODOT Distracted Driving Avoidance Courses to request a sentence of discharge, than you must plead no contest.
You can plead no contest using this form by checking the no contest plea box that appears for this charge.​
 
** When you are charged with Failure to Carry Proof of Compliance, the officer does not need to instruct you to provide proof of financial responsibility for your ticket to be dismissed. The court has the authority to dismiss with your documentation. Please note: a copy of your insurance card will not be accepted. You must provide a letter or statement from your insurance carrier that indicates you had valid insurance at the time of the incident (the date and time you were cited). 
 
If you believe your citation should be dismissed and the fine waived in full but the court is unable to do so, you will need to plead not guilty and request a trial. Please submit your not guilty plea and request for trial by signing option 3 on the back of your citation and mailing to PO BOX 114, Portland, OR 97207. 


Link to online request for review case submission


Not Guilty / Request for Trial – Traffic Citation Form​​


If you have received a traffic ticket and would like to request a trial, you may use this form​ to do so. You must plead not guilty to request a trial. Once you submit your request with your not guilty plea, a court clerk will set a trial. The clerk will then mail notice to both you and the officer that issued the ticket. Please make sure you are including your current mailing address with your request.  

Link to online not guilty / Request for trial case submission


Motion for Relief from Default Judgment

If your case has been convicted for “Failure to Appear," that means a judgment has been entered against you. This is a “Default Judgment" and you are now responsible for the full amount of the fine. Additionally, your license may be suspended.

You may have been defaulted for one of the following reasons:

  • You did not file a response to your citation.
  • You filed a response, but your response was missing information and could not be processed.
  • You did not appear at the court hearing you requested.

 
Oregon allows you to request the Default Judgment be set aside. You can do this by filing a Motion for Relief from Default Judgment. There are requirements when filing this motion.

If you were pulled over and received a citation, you have one year from the judgment date to submit a motion. If you received a citation in the mail from a camera, you have three years from the judgment date to submit a motion.

The balance on the case must be paid in full when filing a Motion for Relief from Default Judgment (SLR 16.065). Payment may be made online at www.courts.oregon.gov/epay. A judge may waive this requirement due to financial hardship. You must include a statement about your inability to pay if you cannot pay the balance with your motion. If you submit your motion without payment or a payment plan, your license can still be suspended. Additionally, any monetary collection action(s) will continue.

Please read before continuing:

When filing a Motion for Relief from Default Judgment online, the form is in two parts. In the first part, explain to the judge why you did not respond or appear to resolve the citation by your appear by date. This is what the judge will use to decide whether to grant the motion.

In the second part of the form, give your response to the citation and explain what you would like the judge to do for you. The judge will only review this part of the form if your motion to set aside the default judgment is granted. Please be aware the judge may not grant your specific request.

Click here to file a Motion for Relief from Default Judgment​ electronically. ​

Certificate of Innocence (Individual)​

If you received a citation in the mail from a camera and you were not the driver of the vehicle at the time of the citation you may submit a Certificate of Innocence form.  


The form is due 30 days from the date the citation was mailed to you. If you are past the allowed time to submit you can plead Not Guilty and request a hearing.  

The Certificate of Innocence form must be submitted by the person who is named on the ticket. You must include a photocopy of your state issued driver’s license (front and back).  

The Certificate will be verified by comparing the violation photo with your driver’s license photo. The citation could be reissued to you if the photos match.  


Please note: If you have already submitted a Certificate of Innocence and the citation was reissued to you, you may not submit another Certificate of Innocence for the same incident. 

Affidavit of Non-Liability (Business) ​

If your business received a camera violation for speeding or running a red light, you may submit an Affidavit of Non-Liability form. 


The form is due 30 days from the date the citation was mailed to you. If you are past the allowed time to submit you can plead Not Guilty​ on behalf of the business and request a hearing. A representative of the business will be required to attend the hearing. 

All information must be filled out completely and accurately or the citation will not be dismissed, and your business will be responsible for the citation.  


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Prior to the court appearance date noted on your citation, you must complete one of the options listed on the citation. Unfortunately, you are unable to enter your plea over the phone and the appearance date noted on your citation cannot be rescheduled. Be sure to read your options carefully. If you submit incomplete information, the court will consider this missing your court appearance date.

The court must receive one of the below options prior to your court appearance date:

Option 1: Enter a plea of no contest and pay the court the amount of the presumptive fine written on the front of your citation.

Option 2: Enter a plea of no contest, send a letter of explanation, and pay the court the amount of the presumptive fine written on the front of your citation. A judge will review your letter of explanation. You will need to follow-up with the court’s Traffic Department to check the status of your case.

Option 3: Enter a plea of not guilty and request a trial. The court will give you notice of the time and place when you must appear in person.

Option 4: Trial by Declaration 

If the cited vehicle is registered to a private individual (vs. a company), there will be a Certificate of Innocence included in your mailing. If you are submitting a certificate, you must do all of the following:

  • Submit the completed certificate,
  • Sign and date the certificate, AND
  • Include a legible copy of the front of your driver’s license.
All information must be received by the court within 30 days of the mailing date of your letter from the Portland Police Bureau notifying you of your photo enforcement citation (ORS 810.439). You should follow-up with the court a couple of weeks after mailing in your documentation to ensure the documents were received and processed. If your documentation is received beyond 30 days from the mailing of your letter from Portland Police Bureau, your ticket will not be automatically dismissed.

If the cited vehicle is registered to a company, there will be an Affidavit of Non-Liability included in your mailing. If you are submitting an Affidavit of Non-Liability, you must do all of the following:

  • Complete either Section 1 or Section 2
  • Complete the Declaration section
The affidavit must be received by the court within 30 days of the mailing date of your letter from the Portland Police Bureau. You should follow-up with the court a couple of weeks after mailing in your documentation to ensure the documents were received and processed.

If you have lost or are in need of a copy of your citation packet, please contact the photo radar agency at 1.800.799.7082 option 0. You will need to provide your citation number for them to send you a copy of the citation packet; which will include the certificate of innocence form.

If you submit incomplete information, your case will remain on for first appearance on the date and time on your citation.

If you wish to proceed by pleading not guilty and your identity is not an issue, Trial by Declaration​is an option. However, if identity is an issue, then trial by declaration is not an option.

Please note: The court does not have a copy of the photo or letter you received notifying you of this offense. Only the complaint charging you with the offense is filed with the court. The letter and photos are sent only to the registered owner that is on file with the Division of Motor Vehicles.

​​Trials are set when the court receives your not guilty plea. The court will notify you how to appear. If you need to setover your trial date, you MUST submit your request to reschedule in writing AND the court must receive your request 14 days prior to your trial date.

​When you receive your trial notice in the mail, and you need to reschedule your trial date, you must write a letter to the court requesting your trial date to be rescheduled. You may provide dates in your request that you know will not work for you.

Mail your request to: Multnomah County Circuit Court, Attn: Criminal Calendaring, PO Box 114, Portland, OR 97207. You can also turn in your request in person by going to ​the Central Courthouse Customer Service Area on the 2nd Floor..

The request for setover must include the following:

  • your case or citation number
  • the date of your trial
  • an explanation why you need the trial date rescheduled
  • your current mailing address and phone number
  • your signature and date of request

First time reschedule requests, received by the court 14 days before your trial date, will be granted. You will receive a new trial date in the mail within 2-3 weeks of your request.

Second time reschedule requests or requests received less than 14 days before your trial date will be reviewed by a judge. To check on whether or not your trial date has been rescheduled, please call High Volume Case Processing (See link to ​for phone number)


What if my trial date was not rescheduled?

If you cannot make your scheduled trial date, you may submit a completed “Trial by Declaration” allowing you to appear in writing. Instructions are included within the packet.​


If your case has been convicted for “failure to appear," that means a default judgment has been entered against you. You are now responsible for the full amount of the fine. Additionally, your license may be suspended. You may have been defaulted for one of the following three reasons:

  1. You did not file a response to your citation.
  2. You filed a response, but your response was missing information and could not be processed.
  3. You did not appear at the court hearing you requested.

Below are the three options you have available to resolve your citation:

  1. Navigate to our ePay website and pay your fine.
  2. Set-up a payment plan by calling 971-274-0560 or emailing Mul.FinancialDept@ojd.state.or.us.
  3. File a Motion for Relief from Default Judgment.
    Or​
    Click here to file a Motion for Relief from Default Judgment​ electronically. ​
    ​

Instructions for Motion for Relief from Default Judgment

  1. Fill out the linked form above in its entirety. On the declaration page, explain why you did not respond to your citation by your appear by date. You may include any proof or documents you would like the judge to review with your Motion..
  2. Pay the full amount of the fine with your motion. The full amount of the fine is due with your filed Motion. If you cannot pay the full amount of the fine, please write why in your declaration.
  3. Submit your documents and payment. When your paperwork is complete, mail your documents and payment to: Multnomah County Circuit Court PO Box 114 Portland, OR 97207. Payments should be made in the form of check or money order. DO NOT SEND CASH. Make your check or money order payable to the State of Oregon and include your case number on your payment. 
    You may also file your Motion and payment in person. Go to the East County Courthouse or Downtown Courthouse between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM, Monday – Friday. 

Once the court has received your paperwork and payment, a clerk will route your Motion to a judge for review. Please allow 90 days for full processing. 

You should contact the court at 971-274-0545, option 2, or send an email to Mul.TrafficDept@ojd.state.or.us, to find out the status of your motion 3-4 weeks after your documents were filed.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Motion for Relief from Default Judgment Process:

My license has been suspended, how can I get that removed?

The license suspension will only be removed once you have either: (1) paid the full amount of the fine; or, (2) set-up a payment plan and made a down payment. 

Why do I have to pay the full amount of the fine to file a Motion for Relief from Default Judgment?

Supplemental Local Rule (SLR) 16.065(3)(b) says: The motion must be accompanied by full payment of any fines and accumulated fees owing on the judgment. This requirement may be waived if the motion is accompanied by evidence of indigence or the recipient presents the motion in-person to a judicial officer and the judicial officer exercises his or her discretion to waive payment.*

*Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not currently holding walk-in court for Traffic Citations. If you submit your Motion with information about your financial situation and why you were unable to pay the full amount of your fine with your Motion, the Motion will be routed to a judge for review.

Are there any fees associated with a payment plan?

Yes. If your payment plan will last longer than 12 months before the balance is paid in full, the Court will impose a $25 for fee in accordance with ORS 1.202(1) and ORS 1.202(2).

How can I set-up a payment plan?

You can set-up a payment plan by either calling 971-274-0560 or emailing Mul.FinancialDept@ojd.state.or.us.

Am I eligible for a fine reduction?

No. Once a default judgment has been entered against you, you are no longer eligible for a fine reduction.

But what if this was my first ticket?

Unfortunately, once a default judgment has been entered against you a fine reduction based on your driving history is no longer an option.

Can I take a class?

No. Once a default judgment has been entered against you, you are no longer eligible for any class offers you may have had available to you.

What happens if my Motion for Relief from Default Judgment is Denied?

If your Motion is denied, you will be held responsible for the full amount of the fine.

What happens if my Motion for Relief from Default Judgment is Granted?

If your Motion is granted, the judge may order you to do one or more things. The next step in your case will depend on what the judge orders. They may order you to appear for trial, pay a reduced fine, or submit more documentation. If the judge wants the case set for trial, you will receive a trial notice in the mail at the address we have on file, once the trial has been set.

How do I know how the judge ruled on my Motion?

You should contact the court at 971-274-0545, option 2, or email at Mul.TrafficDept@ojd.state.or.us, 3-4 weeks after you submitted your Motion. 

I never received the original citation, why do I have to go through this process?

Unfortunately, if you are the named driver and a default judgment has been entered, your only option to challenge the citation is by filing a Motion for Relief from Default Judgment. ​

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The court does not offer traffic classes. If you have been directed by an officer to attend a class, contact the agency that cited you for more information. Once you have successfully completed the class, you will be given a certificate of completion. You must appear, with the certificate, on or before the time and date of appearance indicated on the front of your citation.

​Once a judge has heard your case and the court has entered a judgment on your traffic citation, if you wish to appeal the judge's decision, you will need to file a notice of appeal in the Court of Appeals. 

For more information, procedures and forms for filing an appeal see Information on Filing a Notice of Appeal​.

After July 1, 2018, if you receive a citation for not having valid TriMet fare, you should visit the Resolve Your TriMet Fare Citation page to review the options for resolving your citation.

If you do not resolve your citation with TriMet within 90 days or were cited for something other than fare violation, TriMet will file your citation with the court. The court will not have any information about your citation until TriMet files the citation with the court.

Once your citation is filed with the court:
The court must receive one of the options below prior to your court appearance date:

Option 1: Enter a plea of no contest and pay the court the amount of the presumptive fine written on the front of your citation.

Option 2: Enter a plea of no contest, send a letter of explanation, and pay the court the amount of the presumptive fine written on the front of your citation. A judge will review your letter of explanation. You can call ​or email to check the status of your case.

Option 3: Enter a plea of not guilty and request a trial. The court will give you notice of the time and place when you must appear in person.

Option 4: Trial by Declaration