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Municipal Court
The Municipal Court is responsible for processing all citations written in the City of Richland Hills. All Court proceedings are conducted under the Code of Criminal Procedures and the Texas Rules of Criminal Evidence as adopted by the Texas legislature.
Pay Your Citation
You can pay your citation online. Please note that Code Compliance and Animal Services violations may not be paid online.
Court Appearance
Your initial court appearance date is printed on your citation. If your citation was handwritten by the officer, an initial court appearance date will be mailed to you. You may appear at the court office or pay your citation online prior to the initial appearance date. If you fail to appear on your initial appearance date, a $50 late fine will be added and a second and final court appearance date will be mailed to you. If you do not appear on the second and final appearance date a warrant and an additional charge of failure/violate promise to appear may be issued for your arrest.
Legal Notice: Please note that nothing from the Richland Hills website should be considered legal advice.
Resets will not be granted over the phone. You may appear at the court office prior to your initial appearance date or print out the reset form and fax or mail it to the court office prior to your initial appearance date. Only one reset will be granted. A full cash bond will be required for any additional court date settings.
With a plea of guilty or no contest, you may be eligible for probation, known as deferred disposition. If you are under age 25, and eligible to take a driver safety course, you must take a driver safety course as a condition of deferred disposition. If you hold a Commercial Driver's License (CDL), you are not eligible for deferred disposition. You may appear at the court office prior to your appearance date to request deferred disposition.
Eligibility
To be eligible for deferred disposition, you cannot have received deferred disposition within the past year. As a condition of your deferred disposition, you must not receive another citation in the City of Richland Hills during your deferral period. At the conclusion of your deferral period, the Judge will dismiss your citation provided you have met all the conditions. This will keep the violation from being reported on your driving record.
If you are charged with speeding 25 mph over the posted speed limit or 15 mph over in a school zone, you must see the Judge to request a deferred disposition.
Request Deferred Disposition
To request a deferred disposition by mail, you must print the Deferred Disposition Form (PDF) and mail it to Richland Hills Municipal Court along with a money order prior to your appearance date.
If you are charged with a moving violation, you may request to take a driver safety course. If you hold a Commercial Driver's License (CDL), you are not eligible to take a driver safety course. You may appear at the court office prior to your appearance date to request a driver safety course and pay the necessary fees.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a driver safety course, you cannot have taken a driver safety course in the past 12 months. A $10 administrative fee plus court cost is paid to the Municipal Court at the same time a driver safety course is authorized. Defendants are required to find their own class. The Municipal Court does not offer driver safety courses. The class must be a Texas Department of Public Safety or the Texas Education Agency approved class. Proof of completion must be submitted to the Municipal Court within the time frame set by the Court in order for your citation to be dismissed.
If you are charged with speeding 25 mph over the posted speed limit or speeding 15 mph over in a school zone, you are not eligible to take a driver safety course.
Request Driver Safety Course
To request to take a driver safety course by mail, you must print out the Driver Safety Course Request Form (PDF) and mail it to Richland Hills Municipal Court along with a money order prior to your appearance date.
All required original documents must be submitted to the court office on time. An extension will not be granted. The court does not accept documents by fax or email; documents must be submitted in person or by mail. For a complete list of required documents, please refer to the affidavit given to you at the time you signed up for the class or print out Driver Safety Course Request Form (PDF). Incomplete documentation will be returned.
If you feel you are not guilty of the offense as charged, you may appear at the court office prior to your initial appearance date, and you will be set for a pre-trial court date with the City Prosecutor. After meeting with the City Prosecutor, you may still request a Bench Trial or Jury Trial. A Bench Trial is a trial before the Judge. The Judge decides the facts and renders judgment. A Jury Trial consists of a jury of six Richland Hills residents who will decide the facts and render judgment.
If you received a citation for No Insurance (Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility), or for Expired Violations (expired drivers license or expired registration), you may be eligible for dismissal if you meet certain requirements. Learn more about dismissals on the Dismissals page.