Court FAQ
Sandy Springs Municipal Court Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The court staff will be happy to assist you with any procedural matter you may have questions about, including information on any bond posted at the time of arrest. Please remember that our court staff cannot answer legal questions, or give you advice about what to do with your case. If you need legal advice, please consult with an attorney.
Your court date (i.e. arraignment date) is listed at the bottom of the front page of the citation. This is the date by which you are required to either appear in court or pay your fine. If you choose to pay prior to your court date, you may do so by visiting here, or by appearing in person at Municipal Court Services (for address and directions, click here). Citations are typically processed and available for payment within 7-10 calendar days of your violation.
Citations are typically processed and available for payment within 7-10 calendar days of your violation. You may pay online by visiting here. or you may pay in person at Municipal Court Services (for address and directions, click here). Online payments must be made by credit card. Acceptable methods of in-person payment are Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Cash, Money Order, and Cashier’s Check. (Personal or business checks are not accepted).
If the violation is not a must appear offense (for the list of must appear offenses, click here), you may pay the fine to avoid an appearance in court. By paying the fine, you are entering a plea of guilty, which will be recorded by the court and, in the case of traffic offenses, the Georgia Department of Driver Services.
Citations are typically processed and available for payment online within 7-10 calendar days of your violation. Online payments must be made at least 24 hours prior to your court date. You may also pay in person by 5:00 p.m. on your court date. If you fail to pay your fine by one of these methods and do not appear in court on your court date, you will be issued a Failure to Appear warrant.
The Sandy Springs Municipal Court allows one courtesy extension for citations that are not “must appear” offenses (for the list of must appear offenses, click here). Extensions must be requested in person at the Sandy Springs Municipal Court (click here for a map to the court).
"Must appear" offenses are those for which a defendant is required to appear before the judge in court. Examples include but are not limited to DUI, Possession of Marijuana, Disorderly Conduct, Suspended License, Suspended Registration, Aggressive Driving, City Code violations, and No Insurance. The complete list of must appear offenses can be found
here.
Please be on time for your scheduled court date, as the judge will provide valuable information at the opening of the court session.
If you plead not guilty, you will be given the option of having a jury trial (in Fulton County State Court) or a non-jury trial by our judge in the Sandy Springs Municipal Court. Your trial will not be on the arraignment day (initial court appearance) – you will be given another date so that all witnesses, including the officer, may be subpoenaed to testify in the trial.
It is not necessary to hire an attorney to represent you; however, you may hire an attorney to represent your case and have them file an entry of appearance with the court. If you are unable to afford an attorney and would like one, you may be interviewed by the Judge during your arraignment (initial court appearance) to see if you qualify under federal guidelines to have an attorney appointed to represent your case.
Accident reports may be obtained through the police department. Call (770) 551-6900 or visit the Sandy Springs Police Department at 7840 Roswell Road, Building 300 / Sandy Springs, GA 30350 (click
here for a map).
If you request a trial by jury, your case will be transferred to the Superior Court of Fulton County. Only state misdemeanor charges can be transferred for jury trials. No Sandy Springs City Ordinance violations may be transferred - they must first be tried in Sandy Springs Municipal Court by operation of law.
If you do not agree with the judge's decision of your case you may appeal it through the Superior Court of Fulton County. Contact the clerk's office in Fulton County Superior Court for further information by calling (404) 613-5313 or by visiting their website online.
Spanish interpreters are provided for all court sessions. If you require translation for any other language, please inform the clerk's office prior to the court date by calling (770) 206-2075.