Municipal Court

Docket Types and Times

Find a court appearance time online – check the listing of the Municipal Court docket types and times.

Text Notifications

If you would like to receive text notifications from the Municipal Court reminding you of your upcoming court hearing, please contact us at 785-832-6190 to find out more! See FCE Texting Terms and Conditions.

Appearances

An arraignment is the first court appearance and is the scheduled time for a defendant to enter a plea. At the arraignment you will be given the opportunity to enter a plea. You may enter a plea of guilty, not guilty or no contest.

• Pleading guilty means that you admit to committing the charged offense.
• Pleading not guilty means you deny guilt and that the city must prove in trial that the charges are true beyond a reasonable doubt.
• Pleading no contest means you do not wish to contest the city's charge. Once you plea no contest, the judge will find you guilty and impose a sentence. A plea of no contest is not an admission of fault and cannot be used against you in a civil suit.
• A Municipal Court Clerk may grant a one-time 2 week continuance, on a first appearance, prior to the scheduled court date.
• All other continuances are at the sole discretion of the presiding Municipal Court Judge. A Pro Se defendant may attempt to obtain a continuance, without appearing in court on their case(s), by filing A Pro Se Motion for Continuance (PDF, 69 KB) It is important to note that a defendant is not excused from an appearance until he or she has received an order of continuance signed by the presiding Municipal Court Judge.

If you have missed your scheduled court appearance you can add your name to the court docket any Mon-Fri, from 8:00am – 8:30am. You may also be added to the court docket on the third Wednesday of each month from 5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Zoom Hearings

Some Court hearings may be available via Zoom (administrative order). Defendants or attorneys who wish to participate by video conference must file a Consent to Appear by Video Conference form with the court at least one week prior to the scheduled hearing. Forms may be submitted to videocourt@lawrenceks.org. You may also submit the form through the mail at PO Box 1695, Lawrence KS, 66044. Or you may drop the form off in our dropbox, located at the entrance to our office. Please call 785-832-6190 with questions.

The probation division of the Lawrence Municipal Court establishes payment plans and manages a caseload of individuals with post-sentencing obligations.

The Probation Officer conducts pre-sentence investigations on defendants, which provides criminal history information to the Judge and City Prosecutor that may be pertinent in determining appropriate action or punishment. The probation officer meets with defendants who have been placed on probation or parole regularly to evaluate progress and assess the need for revised recommendations.

If you are convicted in Municipal Court you may petition for expungement. Click here for a printable version of the Petition for Expungement (PDF)

Expungement means that the case information will be considered "erased" and the public will not have access to the information, except in certain situations.

You may petition for expungement after three years of the date the sentence was satisfied. However, some cases require five years since the date the sentence was satisfied - these include Operating Under the Influence, Driving While Suspended, Leaving the Scene, Failure to Report an Accident, Duty Upon Striking, and No Insurance.

There is a $100 non-refundable fee per case due at the time the petition is filed. Refer to KSA 12-4516

The hours for this service are Monday – Thursday, 9:00am-12:00pm. There is a $10.00 fee, per card, payable by cash or check. Customers will need the following:

1. You must bring a letter stating why you need the prints and the directions for submission.
2. Bring a large envelope addressed to the agency the fingerprint cards will be mailed to. The envelope must include sufficient postage, and the address must match the agency listed on the letter.
3. Bring all items that must be mailed, including any payment, as the fingerprint cards will not be returned to the customer.
4. Bring a valid photo I.D.
5. The Municipal Court uses FBI/KBI certified fingerprint cards. You may bring your own card to include with your packet, but the prints will appear on our cards.
6. Please contact us at 785-832-6190 with questions.

If you need fingerprints for conceal/carry permits or firearms, please contact the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. We are not authorized to fingerprint for INS. The authorized sites and directions are listed on the INS website at http://www.uscis.gov/forms/fingerprints.

• Fines for traffic infractions and parking violations must be paid on or before the appearance date indicated on your citation. If you are wishing to contest your ticket, or if you need additional time to pay your fine, you must appear in court on the date indicated. Failure to pay fines may result in a suspension of your driving privileges or a warrant for your arrest, depending on the charge.
• If you have been charged with any offense that carries a possibility of a jail sentence upon conviction, a fine amount will not be listed. You must appear in court on the date specified on your citation. If you have questions concerning the seriousness of the offense you have been charged with, you may contact the Municipal Court office at (785) 832-6190.
• Fines may be paid with cash, check or money order at the Municipal Court office, One Riverfront Plaza, Lawrence, Kansas. The office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday - Friday.
• Payments and correspondence may be mailed to the Lawrence Municipal Court, P.O. Box 1695, Lawrence, Kansas 66044. Please reference the ticket number, docket number or defendant's name, or include the citation with your payment. Please make checks payable to the City of Lawrence. There will be a $35.00 charge on all returned checks.
• Community Service Work is available to everyone.  For every hour worked, $10 will be credited towards fines and fees, with the exception of court costs, restitution and any other state mandated fees.  Contact the court office at 785-832-6190 for more information.
• If payment of reinstatement fees, fines and/or court costs would impose manifest hardship on you or your immediate family, you may submit a Motion to the Court for consideration, pursuant to K.S.A. 8-2110(e), as amended by SB 127.  This is the Motion for Reduction of Fines (PDF)