Court Information

Safe Surrender Program

The Safe Surrender Program starts today and runs through July 31, 2020.

During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, rather than surrendering to law enforcement or Court in person, any person with an outstanding arrest warrant for a non-violent offense, bondable warrant, or who has not complied with a payment plan may now surrender via email at dmc@defiancemunicipalcourt.com, or by calling the Court at 419-782-5756 Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., or by mailing their information to the Clerk of Court, 665 Perry Street, Defiance, OH 43512.

The person must provide the Court with his/her current mailing address, email address, current phone number, last four digits of his/her social security number, date of birth and all known case numbers.

The Court will recall any warrants immediately upon verified contact and upon the scheduling of a telephone conference within 48 hours to attempt to resolve the matter without an in-person Court appearance.

Why you should safe surrender:

• You will be free of the warrant and possible arrest;
• You will be able to reinstate driver’s licenses with the Ohio BMV;
• You will receive acknowledgment for accepting responsibility at the time of sentencing;
• You may ask the Court to re-evaluate unpaid fines/costs due to the impact of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency;
• You may be returned to probation to complete rehabilitative programs rather than going to jail;
• You will clear up your legal problems so you are ready to go back to work at the end of COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.