The program will run from March 23 through April 17, and will give Austinites a limited-time opportunity to address unresolved legal matters.

AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Municipal Court (AMC), in partnership with the Austin Community Court, has announced the return of its Warrant Amnesty Program for 2026 – an initiative designed to help individuals resolve outstanding warrants and unpaid parking citations without fear of arrest or hefty consequences.

The program will run from March 23 through April 17, and will give Austinites a limited-time opportunity to address unresolved legal matters in a supportive and accessible environment.

The major difference with the initiative, according to Court Operations Manager Joseph Mateo, is that there are more resources to handle more cases, and there is a better chance of getting fees waived. It also avoids sending an officer to come pick a person up on a warrant, which the city hasn’t done in years. 

These warrant cases would include Class C offenses, such as public intoxication and speeding.

Mateo encourages people to come to the court so an arrest doesn’t need to be made and fees don’t pile up.

“It’s sad to see because it’s a Class C, so their intent, the intention is just a consequence of fines and fees,” Mateo said. “But because a person did not address it within a reasonable time, now it’s a warrant. So it could affect their job. They’re not going to show up for work. You know it could be on their record.”

According to city officials, in 2025 there were 1,854 outstanding warrants cleared and 17,905 civil parking cases dismissed.

Last year was when the city of Austin raised its parking citations to $75. The KVUE Defenders discovered that the city failed to collect more than $7 million in unpaid parking tickets for delinquent cases over a five-year period.

Mateo said since that revelation, he has noticed more people taking action in taking care of their fees.

If they aren’t taken care of, the consequences can result in a person’s car getting a boot or towed.