Municipal Court

Court Sessions

• The Municipal Court handles Traffic Violations, Town Ordinances and Animal Control Violations
• Municipal Court Sessions are held twice a month on the first and third Tuesdays at 5:45 p.m. in the Town Council Chambers of the Town Hall
• Proper attire is required and cellphones must be turned off during court
• Cases are scheduled by the court

Payment of Fines

Cash, check, money order or credit cards (MC, Visa, American Express) are accepted

    (There is a fee to use a credit card form of payment) – See attachment

ONLINE PAYMENTS – http://www.curiasystems.com/payment/home

Pay by mail:  Fines can be mailed to:  Coventry Municipal Court, 1670 Flat River Road, Coventry, RI   02816

24-hour drop box:  Located outside Town Hall – (Leave in Coventry Tax Collectors drop box)

Unless otherwise noted on the summons, a summons may be paid prior to the court date.

If for any reasonable cause you are unable to appear in court as scheduled, another hearing can be assigned providing you contact the office in advance of your appearance date at 401-822-9187.  If you fail to appear in court on the assigned date and time, your license to operate a motor vehicle may be suspended.

READ THE SUMMONS CAREFULLY.   Some violations are adjudicated and payable in the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal, 670 New London Avenue, Cranston, RI   02920.

If you do not feel you are guilty, you have the legal right to plead “not guilty.”  If you plead “not guilty”, you will have a brief “pre-trial conference” with the court judge to determine if there are extenuating circumstances such that the ticket can be adjudicated that day at arraignment; otherwise, you will be given a trial date, at which time you may bring in any witnesses you may have.  At that time, the officer who issued the ticket will be present, along with any witnesses against you.  The court will hold a trial and do its best to render a fair and impartial decision.

GOOD DRIVING STATUTE – R.I.G.L. 31-41.1-7  Rhode Island law - “Good Driver’s’ Statue (GDS) states that if you have had a driving record free of moving violations for the last three (3) years, you may qualify to have your ticket dismissed.  To use the GDS you must appear in court before the Judge to review your driving record and determine whether you qualify.   If you qualify, the total cost will be $60.00.

Federal law prohibits dismissal under the GDS for those with a commercial driver’s license (CDL).  Likewise, you cannot use the GDS if the traffic ticket was issued in connection with an automobile accident.

For out of state motorists requesting to use the GDS, a copy of your driving record from the state that issued your driver’s license should be brought to court.

NOTICE OF ACTION – If you receive a letter in the mail entitled “Notice of Action,” it means you have failed to appear in court or failed to pay a fine for a traffic violation and your license is in the process of being suspended.  Please contact Municipal Court at 401-822-9187 to pay the fees due. 

If your license is suspended, the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal fee to reinstate your license is $151.00 in addition to the fees owed to the municipal court.