COLUMBUS, Ga. - A traffic ticket written in Columbus usually ends up in Recorder's Court, at 702 10th Street next to the Muscogee County Jail. The court's website spells out how to pay a fine, which charges require a trip to court and what happens to drivers who ignore a citation. This guide follows those pages, the Columbus Police Department's citation page and the Georgia Department of Driver Services, step by step.

Step 1: Read the citation for your date and place

The court date and time are printed on the front of the citation. The court's Traffic Court page says traffic cases are usually heard in Courtroom II at 702 10th Street. The Annex page says all Columbus Police traffic patrol cases are handled at the Recorder's Court Annex, 1000 Fifth Avenue, where sessions run Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and no traffic sessions are held on Fridays.

Step 2: Find out what you owe

The court runs an online fine calculator that covers most traffic citations. Drivers pick the offense from a list, and for speeding they enter the posted limit and their speed. For tickets issued on or before Oct. 1, 2023, the court says to call the clerk's office at 706-653-4256 for the amount.

The total is usually higher than the base fine. The court's FAQ page says state-mandated surcharges are added and that the judge cannot waive them. Its example is a $100 fine that totals $155 or more.

Step 3: Check whether you must appear

Most traffic fines can be paid online, in full, before the court date, according to the court, which does not take partial payments. The exception is a list of 23 code sections that cannot be paid online and must be resolved in person. A driver cited under one of them has to come to court on the date on the ticket.

• Driving without a valid license, or while a license is suspended or revoked
• No insurance or failure to show proof of insurance
• Driving on a suspended, canceled or revoked registration
• Speeding 25 mph or more over the limit
• Passing a stopped school bus
• Racing, laying drag, reckless driving, reckless stunt driving and aggressive driving
• Hit and run, or failure to report an accident
• DUI, and fleeing or eluding an officer
• Homicide, feticide or serious injury by vehicle

Step 4: Pay one of four ways

The court lists four ways to settle a fine: online, by mail, in person or in court on the scheduled date. Card payments carry a processing fee of 2.5% plus $1, and the court requires a photo ID and telephone number with them. The court's pages are not consistent about personal checks, so a money order or cashier's check is the safer choice.

The court's pages also differ on office hours. The main page lists weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the FAQ page lists 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., with a lunch closing from noon to 1 p.m. on both. The police department's page adds that cash bonds must be posted at least one day before the hearing and are not accepted on the hearing day.

Step 5: Know what court looks like

Visitors go through a security screening and cannot bring weapons, food or drinks, according to the Traffic Court page. The police department's page lists a dress code that bars shorts, cut-offs, halter tops, hats and flip-flops, and it says cellular phones are not allowed in the courtroom. A list of names is posted on the door, and anyone not listed should ask at a clerk's window.

When a case is called, the driver can plead guilty, guilty with an explanation, not guilty or, in limited circumstances, no contest. The court says jail is generally not imposed in Traffic Court and that most cases end in a fine or community service. A driver who cannot pay in full is placed on supervised probation, with a monthly fee, until the fine is paid. Trials in Recorder's Court are bench trials before a judge, and a driver who wants a jury can ask to have the case bound over to the State Court of Muscogee County.

Step 6: Count the points

A conviction can add 2 to 6 points to a Georgia license, and a driver who reaches 15 points in 24 months is suspended, according to the Department of Driver Services. The department says no points are added for speeding less than 15 mph over the limit. It also says non-Georgia residents do not receive Georgia points.

Georgia residents can ask the department to remove up to 7 points once every five years by finishing a certified driver improvement course. The department says the course runs six hours, costs $95 and cannot be taken online for license purposes. The police department's page says finishing such a course before the court appearance may also cut the fine by up to 20%, once every five years.

Step 7: Do not skip the date

Missing a court date can bring an arrest warrant, a license suspension by the Department of Driver Services and a contempt charge with its own fine, the court warns, citing Georgia Code section 17-6-11. The court says it will reset a case for a medical emergency or a death in the immediate family, and only with a judge's approval. Requests go by email to [email protected] before the court date.