Court Summons & Ticket Information

If you have received a ticket (Summons and Complaint) from the Arvada Police Department, read the front and back of your ticket carefully to determine which jurisdiction you are required to appear in. Arvada police officers can write tickets into the Arvada Municipal Court as well as Adams and Jefferson County Courts.

Arvada Municipal Court tickets will begin with one of the following prefixes:

AM tickets are handwritten, yellow, full page with additional information on the back of your copy.
CE tickets are Code Enforcement violations, handwritten, yellow, full page with additional information on the back of your copy.
ET tickets are issued electronically on a long narrow printout
PK tickets are parking tickets in the form of an envelope

Tickets contain:

The offense you are alleged to have committed.
The date, time and location of the alleged offense.
The date and time you are required to appear in court.

Plea Bargains

Please read your ticket carefully to determine if it is a Penalty Assessment or a Mandatory Court Summons.

Penalty Assessment

A Penalty Assessment ticket will allow an officer on the street citing a motorist for a traffic infraction to extend a compromise to the motorist. The compromise follows City Attorney guidelines allowing the motorist to plead guilty to a reduced offense with a known fine and resolve the entire matter by mail or online. The cited driver will not lose any rights but will gain a simplified process for easily resolving certain traffic infractions. Points will be reduced per the City Attorney's point schedule and the driver will not have to appear in court. The process must be addressed by the summons date on the ticket.

Mandatory Court Summons

Some citations require a Mandatory Court appearance. This information will be listed on the summons along with the date and time you are required to appear in court.

Juveniles

All juvenile citations require a mandatory court appearance. If you are under the age of 18 years old, you must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

FAQs

I lost my ticket! Can I get information by phone or email?

No. Information regarding juveniles cannot be provided by phone or email. You must appear in person to get information.

Can my parents come with me?

Yes, in fact, if you are under 18 years old, you must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

What are the Community Service Requirements?

Unless specified in writing by the Judge, all community service must be completed at a Non-Profit (501)(c)(3) organization. There are many organizations that will benefit from your service. To find an organization, browse one of these websites:

How do I reschedule my hearing or ask for a continuance?

To request a continuance or to reschedule any hearing scheduled by the court:

The Defendant must make the request in person, at the court
If the Defendant is a juvenile, a parent / guardian must be present
All requests require signed paperwork indicating knowledge and acceptance of the new court date

For a description of court hearing types, please see the Court Hearing Types page.

Does the City of Arvada have a curfew?

The City of Arvada's curfew ordinance for juveniles can be found in the Arvada Municipal Code at 62-151 through 154. Anyone under 18 years of age is prohibited from being in a public place after 10 pm on Sunday through Thursday nights, and after midnight on Friday and Saturday nights. The curfew is in effect until 6 am the following morning.

The exceptions are:

Accompanied by a parent or someone over 21 who has legal custody of the juvenile
Going to, or returning directly home from, a school activity
Returning directly home from lawful employment
Attending or returning directly from an activity involving the exercise of first amendment rights of free speech, freedom of assembly or freedom of religion
In a motor vehicle with parental consent for normal travel

Juvenile Cases

Anyone under the age of 18 is considered a juvenile, and the following rules apply:

All juvenile hearings require a parent or legal guardian to accompany their child to Court.
Rescheduling a juvenile hearing can ONLY be conducted in person with both the juvenile and parent or legal guardian present.
Information regarding a juvenile case will NOT be provided by telephone. Questions regarding juvenile cases must be requested in person with both the juvenile and parent or legal guardian present.

Where can I take my court ordered classes?

If you have been sentenced to complete a class, you can find information about those classes here.

Institute for Specialized Alternative Education (I.S.A.E.)

Offers classes including Teens and Tobacco, Petty Theft, Violence is Preventable, Violence Intervention, Discovering Better Choices, Young Offenders, and Female Offenders. Visit the ISAE website for more information.

CIMA Remote Education

Offers classes including Responsible Driver, Aggressive Driver, Road Rage, Petty Theft, Resolving Conflict, Anger Management, and Animal Management. Visit the CIMA website for more information.

National Institute for Change

Offers Youth and Adult therapeutic services and one-day classes. Visit the National Institute for Change website for more information.

Can I bring coffee or other drinks to court?

Food and drinks (this includes water) are not allowed in the courtroom. Items may not be stored in a purse, briefcase, backpack, etc., but must be removed from the courtroom, even if in a sealed or unopened container.