Brookhaven Municipal Court's amnesty for bench warrants and license suspensions ends Friday, Oct. 30. Thursday is the last walk-in session. Who qualifies.
People with an old Brookhaven traffic case have until Friday to clear a bench warrant or a suspended license without being arrested. The Municipal Court’s limited amnesty ends Friday, Oct. 30.
The court has run the program all month. It is for people who missed a court date, so that their case went into failure-to-appear or bench warrant status. The terms are on the city’s Limited Amnesty 2026 page.
The aim is to settle old cases, restore lawful driving privileges and cut arrests, the city said in its release announcing the program.
“Failure to appear in court initiates consequences that are distinct from the original offense and, in some cases, more impactful to daily life,” said Dominiqui Southall, chief clerk of Brookhaven Municipal Court. “This amnesty program is an invitation to rejoin the judicial process, address outstanding court matters, and bring unresolved cases back into good standing.”
Who qualifies
Both the case and the person must meet the court’s rules. According to the amnesty page:
- the violation is filed with Brookhaven Municipal Court
- the case is in failure-to-appear or bench warrant status
- the missed appearance date was on or before Sept. 30, 2026
- the person contacts the court themselves to ask for amnesty
- the person has no other misdemeanor or felony warrants anywhere in Georgia
- police have not had to be used to pick the person up
Outstanding probation violation warrants are not covered, the release says.
What you get
The outcome depends on the case, the court says.
| If you have | What the court offers |
|---|---|
| A bench warrant | Pay a reduced appearance bond instead of the full bond. The warrant is withdrawn and you get a new court date. |
| A license suspension from a traffic case | Pay the overdue fine or ask for a new court date. The court then sends a withdrawal of the suspension to the Georgia Department of Driver Services. |
The city has not published the size of the reduced bond.
How to apply before Friday
Fill in the Limited Amnesty Participation Request form. You can hand it in at the court, mail it, or use the online version of the form.
The court is at 1793 Briarwood Road. It is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., the release says.
The court accepts cash, money orders, cashier’s checks and credit or debit cards. It does not accept personal checks.
During the amnesty only, people can also walk in and have their case heard at the 3:30 p.m. arraignment session. The last of those sessions is Thursday, Oct. 29. You must check in at the Court Services window by 3:15 p.m. Only cases added to the calendar will be heard, the court says.
What it means for you
If you missed a Brookhaven court date for a traffic ticket before October, you can deal with it this week without the risk of arrest that a bench warrant carries. If your license was suspended over an unpaid Brookhaven ticket, paying the fine or getting a new court date starts the process of getting it back.
You have to make the first move. Questions go to the court at (404) 637-0660.
The court is separate from DeKalb County’s courts, and the amnesty covers Brookhaven cases only. For Brookhaven police reports and arrests, see our Police and Fire log.
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