Bannock County

Bannock County Courthouse, Bonds and Fines
624 E. Center, Room 215
Pocatello, ID 83201
Phone: (208)236-7271 | Fax: (208)236-7293

Make checks payable to Bannock County

PAY INFRACTIONS AND PAYABLE MISDEMEANORS

1. Pay online at https://courtpay.idaho.gov or click on the button below.
2. For 24-hour and seven-day-a-week service, please call 1-888-462-1148 . You will need your credit/debit card and your ticket number.
3. You can call (208)236-7271 or visit Bonds and Fines to pay your fine using a Visa or MasterCard credit/debit card. Please note that a technology fee will be applied to your transaction.

*Note that there are convenience fees applied to your charge by the company handling your online payment.

PAYMENT BOX IN FRONT OF COURTHOUSE

The payment drop box is located in front of the courthouse at 624 E. Center, Pocatello, Idaho. Please sign the back of your ticket, attach your payment, and place it in the box. We empty the drop box every business day.

MAKE A PAYMENT ONLINE

You may mail in your citation with the fine amount to the above address, pay online, or come to Bonds and Fines, Room 215.

To enter a not guilty plea and be set for a pretrial conference where you will have to appear and meet with the prosecuting attorney, come to Bonds & Fines or send in the citation with the denial box checked on the back of the citation. YOU DO NOT ATTEND TRAFFIC COURT.

If you had insurance coverage at the time that you received the ticket, but did not have your ‘Certificate of Liability” in your car, you may bring the UoriginalU ‘Certificate of Liability’ to Bonds and Fines on or before your scheduled appearance date. We will NOT ACCEPT COPIES of ANY insurance information but will accept a fax from your insurance company to (208)236-7293. Once you plead guilty or are found guilty, you may be subject to the Automatic License Suspension Law administered by the Department of Driver’s Services.

Under the Age of 18

If you have a ‘misdemeanor’ charge and are under the age of 18, then you will be required to appear before the judge as scheduled on your citation.

Adult

If you are charged with one of these ‘misdemeanor’ charges: I.C. 18-7905 – Stalking; I.C. 18- 918 – Domestic Assault or Battery; IC 18-4506–Custodial Interference; IC 18-1501- Injury to a Child & IC 18-6710 & 18-6711- Telephone Harassment; you must come to Traffic Court, Room 119, on or before your scheduled court date at 1:15 p.m. You may plead not guilty to misdemeanors unless listed above at Bonds and Fines, Room 215, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. You can plead guilty and pay misdemeanor charges without appearing before the judge. Please call Bonds and Fines at (208)236-7273 to see if your misdemeanor charge is payable.

If you want to apply for a public defender, you must apply in person, to the Judicial Enforcement Office, Room 103. In order to apply, you must bring your most current pay stub, proof of social security income, proof of unemployment benefits, other documentation verifying your current income, and other household income, including your spouse’s income.

Because of courthouse security, it is easiest to enter the courthouse with only your pen, paperwork, and money. Leave your purses, backpacks, bags, cell phones, pagers, Palm Pilots, etc. in the car.

Remember, all your actions must be completed on or before your scheduled court date. Failure to do so may cause a warrant for your arrest to be issued or your license to be suspended or turned over to a collection agency! It is your responsibility to provide the courts and the Department of Driver Services with your most current address. Any written information that may be sent to you will be sent to the latest address on file. If you have any further questions, please call (208)236-7273 or (208)236-7356. Thank you.

All court trials are prosecuted by an attorney from the County or City Prosecutor’s office. Most court trials will involve yourself, the Prosecutor, the officer who wrote the citation, the judge, and the judge’s clerk. You must bring to court any witnesses you think have information relevant to your case.

All penalties (fines and costs) for infractions are set by the Idaho Supreme Court. The magistrate judge who will hear your case does not have the authority to increase, decrease, or suspend that penalty. Remember, a judge cannot change the amount of the penalty.

If the court finds that you committed the offense you have been charged with, or if you enter an admission, or if you fail to appear in court at the time, date, and place set forth in your citation or any subsequent notice from the court, judgment will be entered against you for the amount of the penalty for that particular offense.

If you change your plea and intend to pay your citation, please notify the court in writing at least one (1) week prior to your court trial date. Thank you.

If you admit to the offense charged or the court enters judgment against you after the trial, you must pay the full penalty immediately. If you need time to pay, you must contact the Clerk of Court located in the courthouse, and he or she can discuss a payment agreement with you.

If you fail to pay the judgment or fail to pay as required in your payment agreement with the Clerk of Court, a default judgment will be entered against you, and the Idaho Department of Transportation will suspend your driver’s license for ninety (90) days, but your license will not be reinstated until the penalty and a reinstatement fee has been paid in full.

If you request and are scheduled for a court trial, you still have the right to change your mind and pay the penalty. You may have your case closed simply by mailing in the required amount or paying it at the courthouse before your scheduled trial date.

You have the right to contest the charges filed against you by asserting any defense that you believe is a legal defense.

The following examples are not considered legal defenses and do not constitute an excuse:

• The citing officer was rude or disrespectful.
• Others were driving faster than you were.
• You admit speeding, but not as fast as the officer alleged.
• Clerical or grammatical errors in the citation.
• You cannot pay the fine right now and need some time.

Again, these are NOT considered to be defenses against infraction citations.

As your case is called, you should step forward and sit at the table labeled “Defendant” or some other place as instructed by the presiding judge. If you are not present in the courtroom at the time your case is called, a default judgment will be entered against you.

All parties are encouraged to keep their testimony brief and to the point. Parties should not argue or interrupt. The judge cannot give legal advice to either party and will not tell you what questions you should ask or what testimony you should present.

The officer who wrote the citation will present the State’s evidence first. After he is finished, the judge will allow you to question the officer. Your questions must be limited to the facts of the case. You will not be allowed to argue with the officer. You will then present your evidence. At this point, you may testify, if you so desire, or call witnesses on your own behalf. When you have completed your evidence, the judge may allow the officer to “rebut” your evidence by offering further testimony.

After hearing all the evidence, the judge will generally make a decision immediately. The judge does have the right, however, to take the matter under advisement and later issue a written decision.

If the judge finds beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed the offense, you will be required to pay the fixed penalties. If the judge rules in your favor, the citation will be dismissed and your case will be closed.

If the judgment is entered against you, you have the right to appeal that decision to the District Court. You have forty-two (42) days to file this appeal, and you must comply with all requirements set forth by the Idaho Supreme Court rules in filing and completing your appeal.

According to Section 49-1208 of the Idaho Code, before your driving privileges can be restored after a suspension or revocation, you must provide the Idaho Transportation Department with proof of insurance or another form of financial responsibility. This proof must be maintained for a period of three (3) years starting from the date your suspension began.

You may comply with the financial responsibility laws in any of the following ways:

• The most common method of compliance is to furnish an SR-22 Insurance Certificate. An SR-22 is a form that usually comes from your insurance company and is NOT the same form you are currently required to carry in your vehicle. If you do not own (or have) a specific vehicle to insure, you must comply by filing a non-owner SR-22. (If you wish this form of compliance, you should contact your insurance agent as soon as possible to make arrangements for the filing.)
• Furnish a Surety or Property Bond endorsed by two (2) real property owners.
• Deposit cash or securities in the amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00).

According to Section 49-328 of the Idaho Code, before a suspended or revoked license can be reinstated, you must pay a reinstatement fee. The Idaho Transportation Department charges a separate fee for each suspension. If you have multiple suspensions or are unsure of the total amount owed, please contact Driver Services.

Please note: If you fail to maintain continuous insurance coverage, it may lead to re-suspension if Driver Services receives notification from your insurance company that your policy has been canceled. You must maintain this coverage for three (3) years.

For questions regarding reinstatement requirements, fees, and how to obtain a reinstatement application, please contact the Driver Services Section of the Idaho Transportation Department at 3311 West State Street, Boise, Idaho 83703; (208) 334-8736.