The City of Kirkland Municipal Court is joining more than 100 Washington State courts of limited jurisdiction in Debt Reduction Programs through the month of May.

The programs are designed to help those with outstanding traffic tickets and fines by the courts and their collection agencies to waive interest and a significant portion of collection costs on tickets that are currently in collection. While each participating court program will differ slightly, most courts – including Kirkland Municipal Court – are offering debt reduction through May 31. Those with delinquent fines through the City of Kirkland should contact AllianceOne Collection Agency at 1-800-456-8838, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Kirkland’s program provides for the removal of credit bureau ratings when the delinquent amount is paid in full. Kirkland’s program excludes all legal accounts such as garnishments.

The program assists citizens with regaining their driver’s license after being revoked due to unpaid fines and fees. Once tickets are paid in full and reported to the court, the court will notify the Washington State Department of Licensing to clear the driving record. The driver may be able to obtain a valid driver’s license 48 hours later if no other offense on the driving record prevents it. Drivers can confirm if their driving privilege is clear by visiting their Website and entering their driver license number.

Washington’s district and municipal courts held a similar program back in October of 2002, closing more than 10,000 cases and collecting $1,850,000 in revenue. A list of participating courts is also available online.