Information Regarding Court Costs
If you are found guilty after a plea or a trial, the judge will normally impose a fine amount plus “court costs.” Court costs is a term that includes a variety of fixed costs and fees which are attached to every case that is filed with the court. You are charged court costs even if you are cited for a “waiverable” offense which allows you to waive your appearance in Court and pay a fine through the Violations Bureau at the Clerk’s Office window (or on-line) without appearing before the judge.
Court costs can typically add a minimum of $125 in basic local/state costs, in addition to any added fees or costs related to your individual case (see link below). In addition to these costs, your sentence may include a monetary fine amount and a term of probation or jail time, depending on the facts of your case. The exact amount of your court costs depends on the outcome of your criminal or traffic charges in court. You may also have additional costs that have been added during the case, such as witness fees, subpoena fees, warrant fees, etc. Some of these costs are mandated or set in the Ohio Revised Code and some are set by the judges of Kettering Municipal Court.
Here is an example: The judge sentences you to pay a $50 fine plus court costs. When you go to the Clerk’s Office to pay, you are told that the total is $175. That is the $50 fine plus the $125 in court costs.
View current traffic/criminal court costs order effective October 3, 2023.