Frequently Asked Questions

A: The traffic citation has a court date to come to court. If you miss the court date the court will automatically continue the case for one week.

Most traffic violations are waiverable. This means you waive your right to come to court by signing the statement on the back side of the traffic ticket and paying the fine and court costs from the waiver schedule and mailing it to the Lakewood Court with a check or money order. The total amount due for your citation is set out in the waiver schedule.

You can also waive your court appearance by paying the fine and court costs before the court date on your ticket:

• In person at the Lakewood Court.
• With a credit card by phone during court hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).
• At the Lakewood Police department during non-court hours.
• Online by the following steps:

1. Go to Court Docket page and Search by party name. Type in your name and click "search".
2. All cases with your name will appear. Under "case", click the case you are paying.
3. Click "Pay Balance" (Blue Tab) and complete transaction.

Note: If you did not show proof of insurance at the time of the offense, you are required to show proof of insurance to the court by the next business day after payment. The payment screen will show if proof of insurance was shown under vehicle.

If you have any questions about your court appearance, the amount due or time limits for waiver, please call the Clerk’s Office at (216) 529-6720.

A: Ohio law requires proof of insurance to be shown for the date of the traffic offense. Proof of insurance must show the beginning and ending dates of the insurance coverage period. A copy of the insurance policy or an insurance bill may not have this information.

The police officer will mark on the citation if proof of insurance was shown at the time of the stop. If proof of insurance is not shown, you are required to provide it when you:

1. Come to court, or
2. By the next business day when you pay the fine and court costs without coming to court.

All courts in Ohio are required to inform the BMV that proof of insurance was shown for any traffic offense. If proof of insurance is not shown, the BMV will suspend your driver’s license. This is not a court suspension and it can only be undone by going to the BMV.

If you have any questions about your court appearance, the amount due or time limits for waiver, please call the Clerk’s Office at (216) 529-6720.

A: You may file a Small Claims complaint in the Clerk's Office during normal office hours. See the Divisions page. The monetary limit is $6,000.

Forms may be downloaded via the Court Forms page. The filing fee is $56 for one defendant and $20 for each additional defendant. Also see the Fee Schedules pages.

A: Yes. The Small Claims complaint must be signed and notarized. It must be returned with the Request for Service form (see Court Forms) and with the proper filing fee.

A: The defendant must reside in Lakewood or the action must have taken place in Lakewood.

A: See our Court Forms page or contact the following forms companies:

Ohio Legal Blank Co.
www.ohiolegalblank.com
9800 Detroit Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44102
(216) 281-7792

Michalske Printing
5808 Clark Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44102
(216) 631-0567

A: You may sue for up to $15,000.

A: You may be eligible for a one-week continuance. Please see the Divisions page.

A: Yes. Please go to the Divisions page and contact the appropriate division involved. There are fees associated with public record information.

A: See the Divisions and Fee Schedules pages. We accept cash, checks, credit cards and money orders.

A: Yes. Jurors receive $25 per day. See our Jury Duty Information page.