Municipal Court

Our Jurisdiction

  • Violations of the city charter and city ordinances
  • Traffic and criminal violations

PLEASE NOTE: The Manitou Springs Police Department also writes citations into El Paso County Combined Courts. Carefully, review your ticket for the Court information.  El Paso County Combined Courts are located at 270 S. Tejon, Colorado Springs, CO. You may reach them by phone at (719) 452-5000 or via their website

By paying the fine instead of appearing in court, the defendant surrenders all the legal rights to which they are entitled. Payment is a plea of guilty to the offense(s) charged. Penalty points will be assessed against one’s driving record by the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). If the defendant does not wish to plead guilty, they should not pay the fine and their court appearance is required in order to request a trial.

Court Clerk Office:

The Court Clerk’s office is open from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Tuesday through Thursday, closed on all Federal and local holidays.   The main Phone Number is (719) 685-2544. The Court Clerk can explain how the court works, answer questions on Court procedure and take money for fines and costs. The Court Clerk cannot give legal advice, fill out forms or tell you what to say or write. A copy of all City of Manitou Springs ordinances, the State of Colorado Model Traffic Code and a Schedule of Fines are located in the clerk’s office and are available to the public.

Summons:

Summons and Complaints may be paid if the officer has marked a payable amount on the front of the summons form. The court must receive all payments made before the court date indicated on the summons. If there is no payment amount indicated, the summons is not payable and a court appearance is required.

Court Costs:

A court cost of $30 is applied to all payments made on or after the court date. Additional costs or fees may be assessed if the person charged fails to appear in court. Failure to appear in court will also result in the issuance of an arrest warrant and the person could be taken into custody at any time. An outstanding warrant may additionally cause the revocation of a Colorado driver’s license.

Court Session:

Municipal Court sessions are held on the third Tuesday of the month except on Federal and Local holidays.  Court stay dates and further proceeding start at 8:30 a.m. in Council Chambers. Arraignments start at 8:30 a.m. in Memorial Hall located in City Hall. Court Trial start at 11:30 a.m. Pre-Trials conference will be held on the court date with the Prosecuting Attorney.