Municipal Ordinance Violations

Municipalities such as Hoover have the authority to create their own criminal offenses. Municipal ordinance violations come in two general varieties:

• A municipality can adopt a state offense as a municipal ordinance.
• A municipality can also define its own offenses. For example, the City of Hoover has created a Animal Running At-large Ordinance (§4-20) that does not appear in the state criminal code.

In either circumstances, the city can fully prosecute violations of the municipal code as offenses against the city.

Prosecuting Violations

The Hoover Municipal Court handles city ordinance violations that occur within the city limits. Some violations result in a non-traffic uniform citation that requires payment of fines, which may be settled by entering a guilty plea and paying your fines prior to your court date.

You may also choose to plea not guilty by notifying the court at least 24 hours before your scheduled court date or by appearing in court on your scheduled date. Other violations will result in you being arrested and taken to jail. If you have been arrested, it is mandatory that you appear in court on your court date.

Outstanding Warrants

If you have an outstanding warrant, you must turn yourself in on the warrant and post the appropriate bond. If you have any questions concerning a warrant, you may contact the Hoover Municipal Court office at 205-444-7526.

If you wish to obtain a warrant, you must first file a police report.

Legal Advice

The court office cannot provide legal advice. If you have a question concerning a legal aspect of your case, you must contact an attorney. If you are unsure about how to acquire an attorney, you may contact the Birmingham Bar Association at 205-251-8006.

Hoover's municipal code is ordered and modified by action of the Hoover City Council. The Municipal Code Corporation maintains the Hoover Municipal Code and provides an online copy for your convenience.

Parking Citations

The Hoover Municipal Code authorizes City of Hoover police officers to issue parking citations. Parking citations may be paid by mail or in person.

Fines for parking citations are as follows:

• Improper parking: $25
• Parking in handicapped zone: $100