Municipal Court

Your court date is shown at the bottom of your citation.  Make sure that you have been cited to the Manchester City Court, as opposed to the General Sessions or Juvenile Courts of Coffee County, so that you do not waste time driving to the wrong court location.

Manchester City Court is located on the 2nd floor of City Hall at 200 W Fort Street., Manchester, TN 37355  

Manchester City Court cost is $157.00 per violation and the fine amount varies.  Find the amount due for your citation. 

Paying your citation before court cancels your court date but is an admission of guilt. Any moving violations that you pay will be reported to the Tennessee Department of Safety, and points will be added to your driving record.  

Payment of fines and court costs is due at the time of your court appearance. If you need a payment plan or would like to submit an affidavit of indigency, please contact the court clerk's office.

Pay Your Citation On-Line

You may also pay in person at 200 W Fort Street., Manchester, TN 37355.  The court office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  *Please note the court office closes for lunch from 1:45 to 2:45 each day. No payments can be processed during this time.

You may be eligible to attend driving school to keep a moving violation off your driving record. 

You must attend court so that the Judge can determine your eligibility for driving school. The Judge will consider your past driving record, as well as the new violation, to determine if you are eligible to attend driving school. The length of the class (4 or 8 hours) and the type of class (on-line or in-person) are also determined by the Judge. If you are offered the driving school option, the Judge will waive the fine and taxes for your violation and only assess court costs. You will be given 60 days to complete driving school and submit the certificate from that school to the court clerk. You will have to pay for the driving school, and that cost is separate from any fines/fees/costs you owe the court.  

Commercial Driver's License holders are not allowed to attend driving school. State and Federal Laws prohibit “masking,” which includes deferring judgment or allowing diversion programs like driving school for CDL holders.

If you had insurance in effect at the time of your traffic stop, but you did not have your insurance card in your vehicle, please email a copy of your insurance card to the court clerk at dadams@cityofmanchestertn.gov. If you do not receive a reply email within 24 hours, please call the court office.

If you obtained insurance after your traffic stop, the Judge cannot dismiss your citation.

The Manchester Municipal Court enforces rules of procedure and decorum for the professional, efficient and respectful operation of our court. These rules are enforced out of respect for all of those who participate in the operation of our court, whether they be citizens, attorneys, law enforcement officers, court staff, witnesses, observers or the judge.

General Courtroom Rules

General courtroom rules and dress code are applicable to all:

• Court sessions begin promptly at 8:00 A.M. Litigants should arrive at court no later than 7:45 A.M. to be processed through court security. 
• Persons arriving late to court will be put at the heel of the docket or their matter will be continued to a future date by the court at the judge's discretion.
• No chewing gum, food, or drink is allowed in the courtroom.
• No lights, matches, or smoking are allowed in the courtroom.
• All persons entering the courtroom for an official proceeding are subject to search.
• No weapons or explosives of any kind are allowed in the courtroom. The intentional, knowing, or reckless carrying of a weapon inside any room in which a judicial proceeding is in progress is a Class E felony under Tennessee law and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. T.C.A. 13-17-1306.
• Conversations, noise, and/or disruptive language and/or behavior that distract from court proceedings are prohibited, and persons engaging in such will be asked to leave the courtroom.
• Cell phones are to be muted or turned off during court sessions. Cell phones that activate during court sessions will be collected by court security and held for a 24-hour period after which time they may be returned to the owner by our clerk's office.
• Gentlemen wearing shirts are to tuck their shirts into their pants while in court. Pants are to be worn at the waist level.
• No baseball caps or sunglasses are to be worn in the courtroom. All hats must be removed.
• No revealing clothing (shorts, halter tops, etc.), bedroom shoes, or pajama tops and/or bottoms are to be worn in the courtroom.
• While the Manchester Municipal Court highly respects all persons' First Amendment freedoms, t-shirts with inflammatory messages that could incite violence in court are highly discouraged. Please use your wisdom and discretion. Our courtroom is a public place where all Citizens are welcome and should feel at ease around others.
• The determination of what clothing is inappropriate will be made by the judge. Please dress in a manner that is thoughtful of others.
• Children are welcome in court. Court can be an instructive learning experience for children. However, parents and guardians are expected to control their children and keep them quiet during court sessions. Cases in which a litigant is accompanied by a small child will be heard first on the Docket for the comfort of parent and child, and out of consideration for other court participants.
• When you approach the center podium when your matter is called, do not lean or slouch on the podium.

If you wish to plead not guilty - to contest your citation - you must do so in person on your court date.  The Judge will schedule your trial.