COBB COUNTY, GA — Cobb County is launching a new drive-thru court option aimed at reducing congestion and improving convenience as the county sees a growing number of cases.
The drive-thru court will allow people to pay traffic tickets, court fines and fees, and handle other minor issues without going inside a courthouse. Cobb County State Court Clerk Tahnicia Phillips says the goal is to ease overcrowding and offer residents more flexibility.
“Our building is about 30–40 years old. We are busting at the seams,” Phillips said.
Phillips says the county is using an old bank building already owned by Cobb County for the new service, meaning there will be no cost to taxpayers. The drive-thru court is set to open in late February and will also be used by Cobb’s Magistrate Court.
The clerk says the county decided to get creative as case volume continues to increase.
“More specifically, we are handling more school bus stop violations than ever before,” Phillips said.
Phillips says Cobb County Schools installed about 150 new cameras on school buses, which led to an increase in citations being issued.
“So with that came an increase in the number of citations that were being issued,” she said.
The drive-thru court will be for payments only and not for contesting citations. Phillips says the service will allow people to take care of court business quickly.
“People are just looking to be able to pay or handle their business and keep moving,” Phillips said.
Phillips says the drive-thru court will handle payments for “court fees, fines, probation fees, restitution, document retrieval and drop-off.”
County officials say the drive-thru court is a pilot program and could serve as a model for other courts as Cobb County awaits a new courthouse.
WSB Radio’s Jennifer Perry contributed to this story.