Island and Skagit County District Courts are offering amnesty to people who haven’t paid tickets or fines.

The Collection Amnesty, which continues until Nov. 30, is a program in which the lower courts and the collection agencies have agreed to waive interest and a large portion of collection fees on tickets or fines currently in collection.

That can mean a big savings to a big number of people on the island who haven’t settled their traffic tickets and other fines. But the program takes a little legwork.

If a defendant is interested in paying off tickets, he or she needs to contact the court. Court staff will help individuals to determine which court the cases reside in and direct them to the appropriate collection agency. The defendant will then need to contact that collection agency and pay off the original ticket in full by Nov. 30.

Once the ticket is paid, the defendant may contact any Skagit or Island County District Court with proof of payment in full from the collections agency to obtain adjudication (release of hold on a driver’s license) slips, which then need to be taken to the Department of Licensing.

The Island County District and the Oak Harbor Municipal Court can be reached at 675-5988. The court building is located on SE Eighth Street in Oak Harbor.

Some collection agencies will be sending out notices regarding the amnesty program. Brochures on the Collection Amnesty are available at court offices.