Civil Citations

About Civil Citations:

A person who has been charged with a violation through an administrative citation shall answer to the charge by appearing in person or through counsel before the hearing officer, located at 2014 Main Street, Dallas, Texas 75201, no later than the 31st calendar day after the date the citation was issued for a Pre-Hearing Conference with the Assistant City Attorney.  At the Pre-Hearing Conference, only the person whose name appears on the citation or their attorney may request a full hearing (Contested Hearing).  

If the 31st calendar day falls on a day when the court is closed, then the person must appear (in person or through counsel) by the next day that the court is open.


If the person charged is a corporation or a business entity, the corporation or business entity must be represented by an attorney.

Mailing in or making an online payment of the penalty amount will not prevent citations from being issued in the future if violations continue on the property. Please note that a lawsuit requesting injunctive relief may be filed against the person charged if such person fails to take all actions necessary to remedy the ordinance violation(s) on the property. This suit would ask the court to order that the property be brought into compliance with the Dallas City Code. Also, note that the City of Dallas may seek civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day for each violation.


Administrative Hearing Officer Court Walk-In Hours:

The Administrative Hearing Officer's Court is open and accessible to the public as a first come first served docket. Sign-in begins at 7:30 a.m. and court opens at 8:30 a.m. There is a limited number of people that can be scheduled per docket. Once the morning docket is full, you can wait on the 1:00 p.m. docket or come back another day.  Once the afternoon docket is full, you can return another business day.

 

Morning Open Court

Afternoon Open Court

Monday:

8:30 am – 10:30 am

1:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Friday:

8:30 am – 10:30 am

No Court in Session


Paying Civil Citations:

Dallas Municipal Court provides various ways for you to make a payment on your citation. See below for a link to the payment options.

  • Online: We accept Visa and MasterCard 

  • Phone: Pay by phone with a Debit Card or Credit Card. Cards accepted are Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

  • Cash: At a select retail store  

  • Mail: We accept cashier's check, money order, and check

I understand that by paying the fine and costs online:

  •  A finding of liable will be entered on my case.

  • Making a payment after court hours, on weekends and holidays, will not post in the system until the following business day.

  • Failure to make arrangements by the due date may result in violations being turned over to a collection agency. 

  • Civil Citations are not eligible for a payment plan online.  They must be requested in-person or by mail.

Pay Online

Contest - (Not Liable):

Plead not liable and request a hearing.


To set a hearing you must be within the first 31 days of issuance of the citation.  You are only able to request a hearing by mail and in-person at the Court. Live chat, phone, and, email are not valid options.


Any request for the Inspector to be present at a full hearing subsequent to the pre-hearing must be in writing and received by the Municipal Court at least 5 calendar days before the scheduled hearing. Failure to timely request the inspector's presence will waive the right to have the inspector present at the hearing.


If the person charged is a corporation or a business entity, the corporation or business entity must be represented by an attorney.


Contest by Mail or In-Person at:

Dallas Municipal Court   

2014 Main St.  Dallas, TX 75201

For hours of operation


What you need to request a hearing: 

The City of Dallas Municipal Court does not have free or dedicated parking for the public. Paid parking options include street-metered parking, daily lots, and private garages.


***When you request a hearing by mail, please note this is a REQUEST ONLY.  The Court will provide a response by mail within 5-7 business days and will utilize the address listed on the request. ***

 

The Court uses the postmark date on the letter (stamped by the postal service) as the received date.  Mailing certified is recommended but is not required.


Found Liable at a Hearing:

  • The defendant has a right to appeal a finding of liability to the municipal court before the 31st day after the date this order is filed with the clerk. 
  • If the defendant does not perfect a timely appeal, this order shall become final. Unless this order is suspended through a properly filed appeal including posting a bond with the municipal court for twice the amount of the administrative penalties, fees, and court costs, the administrative penalty must be paid within 31 calendar days after the date entered below. 
  • If the administrative penalty is not timely paid, the City may refer the administrative penalty to a collection agency and the cost to the City for collection services will be assessed as costs and added to the administrative penalty assessed in this order. 
  • The City may enforce this order by filing a civil suit for collection of the administrative penalty and court costs and/or obtaining an injunction to prohibit specific conduct that violates this order or to require specific conduct necessary for compliance with this order.