Poulsbo Municipal Court

Due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) some of the Poulsbo Municipal Court Services have been suspended. Please see the attached Emergency Orders for more information:

Beginning May 20, 2020, hearings will be held using video conferencing and teleconferencing options. Litigants will receive information by mail and email.

Pursuant to these emergency orders, the following applies to court operations:

COURT COUNTER CLOSED TO IN-PERSON APPEARANCES: To support public health and health of the court staff, the courts counter is closed to the public. However, the court remains open for business. Clerks will be available by phone and email. Starting May 20 until further order of the court, hearings will be held using video and teleconferencing.

CRIMINAL CASES: Most pending criminal cases where the defendant is out-of-custody were continued to future date in May or June. New arraignments and pending criminal cases will be scheduled using video and teleconferencing options. Call or email the clerk to make sure we have your address and email on file if you have an upcoming case.

TELEPHONIC/ VIDEO APPEARANCE AT HEARING: The court will be using video and teleconferencing to hold hearings. Information about video and teleconferencing will be mailed and emailed to participants. If you have an upcoming hearing, call the clerk to make sure we have your mailing and email address on file. Any member of the public can email or call and obtain the meeting code for the hearing they wish to attend and participate in that way.

An excellent tutorial and instructions are found HERE. Test your connection and audio well in advance of your hearing. First time users may be prompted to download the Zoom software, and should plan accordingly.

All participants are reminded you are appearing in a virtual courtroom. Your demeanor and your surroundings should reflect the serious nature of court proceedings. There is no lessening of appearance standards and especially not for Officers of the Court (Attorneys, Interpreters, etc.). All proceedings are recorded. Attorneys are expected to appear by video.

Upon entering the video courtroom participants (Video and phone) will enter a “waiting room” until admitted into the proceedings by the Judge or Court Staff. Remain in the waiting room. We are aware of your presence and will admit you when ready.

To join conferencing by phone (no video) call (253) 215-8782. At the prompt, enter the Meeting ID, then the password that was provided for your hearing.

JAIL REPORT DATES: Due to concerns of the Jail regarding the COVID-19 outbreak, all jail report dates issued by order of the Poulsbo Municipal Court have been continued. Contact the clerk to obtain a new commitment order.

PROBATION REQUIREMENTS: All probation requirements are still in effect. However, many treatment agencies have modified their services significantly. Probationers shall work with their treatment agency to access any available services or obtain permission for any delay in services.

BENCH WARRANTS: During the COVID-19 outbreak, bench warrants hearings may be scheduled by calling the clerk by 3pm on Tuesday’s to schedule a video or teleconference to go before the Judge on Wednesday mornings. Warrant quash orders will be returned to the defendant by email or mail along with a future court date by telephone/video conferencing.

PROTECTION ORDERS: Requests for emergency protection orders will be heard by the Court. Paperwork to request these orders is available on the court website: Contact the clerk to apply for a protection order and receive further direction. A petitioner may request to pick up paperwork if download from the website is not possible.

PAPERWORK: All paperwork should be delivered to the court via email, fax, or mail whenever possible. If this is impossible due to time constraints or lack of technology, the clerk may permit in person delivery of paperwork (particularly for protection order requests.

Click HERE for instructions on how to sign digitally with an iPhone.
Click HERE for instructions on how to sign digitally with a computer.

The Poulsbo Municipal Court is a court of limited jurisdiction. The Municipal Court Judge is authorized by Washington State Statute to preside over the following types of cases: non-traffic infractions, traffic infractions, parking infractions, criminal misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors occurring within the city limits of Poulsbo, and orders for protection for victims of domestic violence. Court sessions are open to the public. We welcome all to view our judicial system at work.

To look up your court date online, opens in a new windowfind my court date.

Having to appear in court for an infraction or citation can be an upsetting experience. It is our hope that we can provide some information here that will be of help in guiding you through the process and take some of the mystery out of the procedures.

If you received a ticket from the State Patrol or the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Department please contact opens in a new windowKitsap County District Court 360.337.7109