For the next month, Atlanta residents who didn’t show up in city court for traffic violations have the chance to resolve their cases without arrest.

The amnesty program runs from March 17 through April 21, and is aimed at reducing court backlog by dissolving warrants for Atlantans who failed to appear for scheduled hearings.

About 30% of residents charged with a low-level crime are not expected to show up to the municipal court, according to city officials. Last year, more than 17,500 people failed to show up to court; this year, it’s been 2,600 people.

“We cannot call everyone every day — 119,000 cases last year — and say ‘come to court,’” Atlanta Municipal Court Chief Judge Christopher E. Ward told City Council members last week. “We have the infrastructure to handle these cases, we just have to have folks coming into court.”

Only residents who failed to appear at their scheduled hearing for traffic offenses are eligible to have their warrants waived during the 27-day time frame. The court is dedicating hearing sessions for those residents who take advantage of the amnesty program.

To check eligibility and find your case, visit court.atlantaga.gov.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Workers, clean up damaged house near Paulding County High School after a storm passed through, Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Dallas. National Weather Service teams will be conducting a damage survey in the Paulding County/Dallas area, which sustained “pretty significant” damage from the storms, NWS Senior Meteorologist Dylan Lusk told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sunday morning. (Hyosub Shin / AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Featured

Superintendent Bryan Johnson (right) interacts with 11-year-old student Ronnie Burks during Sylvan Hills Middle School’s first day of class on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Atlanta. (AJC file)

Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC