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Seatbelt Citation Options

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Seatbelt Citation Options
If you are cited to appear in the Tigard Municipal Court for a seatbelt violation, you have the following options:

Seatbelt Diversion Class
Violations Bureau
Not Guilty Plea
Appear before the Judge

NOTICE
Please wait one week after receiving your citation before you contact the court regarding any of these options. The court will not be able to assist you until the original citation has been filed by the police officer.

OPTION 1: SEATBELT DIVERSION CLASS
In order to be eligible for this program, you must have:

No prior seatbelt convictions in Tigard or any other jurisdiction; and
No traffic convictions of any kind in Tigard or any other jurisdiction for the last five years.

In order to enroll in the Seatbelt Diversion Class, you must follow this procedure:

Appear in person at the Tigard Municipal Court counter during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday);
Pay a reduced fine to the court;
Arrange to attend the class according to the schedule that the court clerk will provide to you at the counter. The class costs $20, payable in cash to the organization sponsoring the class.
Attend the class within 90 days of the date you appear in court.
Make sure the certificate of attendance at the class is filed with the court before the 90-day deadline has expired.

If you attend the class, follow the required procedures, pay the reduced fine, and do not get any new violations within a six-month time period, your citation will be dismissed. No conviction will appear on your DMV record.

If you fail to attend the class or pay the required fees within the time allowed, the conviction will be forwarded to the DMV. You will not have the option of re-enrolling in the Seatbelt Diversion Program.

OPTION 2: VIOLATIONS BUREAU
If you are not eligible for the Seatbelt Diversion Class or if you choose not to take the class, you may have your citation reviewed by the Violations Bureau during regular business hours. This also applies to other traffic citations.

Under Oregon law, the clerks of the Violations Bureau have the authority to reduce your fine based on your driving record. You must plead "guilty" or "no contest" to exercise this option. If you would rather see a judge, you may appear in court at the time noted on the front of your citation for your arraignment. See Option 4 below for more information about this option.

OPTION 3: NOT GUILTY PLEA
You may enter a "not guilty" plea in writing, as described on the back of your citation, or in court at your arraignment. If you plead not guilty, the court will not consider your explanation until the time set for your trial. The officer will be required to appear at your trial, which will take place within a three-month time period.

OPTION 4: APPEAR BEFORE THE JUDGE
The judge will be available to hear your explanation or concerns when you appear in court for arraignment at the time stated on the front of your citation. Please be aware that the judge cannot reduce the fine more than 25% below the Base Fine on the front of your citation.

You do not need to see the judge for arraignment if you want to plead "not guilty" or enter the Seatbelt Diversion Class. If you want to choose one of those options, tell the clerk at the time you check into court for arraignment. Be sure to check in with the clerks if you decide to talk to the judge, since cases are called in the order of appearance.

When the judge calls your case, you will be asked to enter a plea of "guilty" or "not guilty." If you plead "guilty" or "no contest," the judge will consider your explanation and driving record in determining your fine. The judge's decision is final.

If you fail to appear or take other action on the citation, a default judgment can be entered and the court will order a suspension of your right to drive in Oregon.

PAYMENT OPTIONS
Payment options can be found here.