Sec. 08.18.118. - Procedure and form of citation issuance and procedure.
(a) A citation issued under this chapter must be in writing. A person receiving the citation is not required to sign a notice to appear in court.
(b) The time specified in the notice to appear on a citation issued under this chapter must be at least five days, not including weekends and holidays, after the issuance of the citation, unless the person cited requests an earlier hearing.
(c) The Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development are responsible for the issuance of books containing appropriate citations, and each shall maintain a record of each book issued and each citation contained in it. Each department shall require and retain a receipt for every book issued to an employee of that department.
(d) The department that issues a citation under this chapter shall deposit the original or a copy of the citation with a court having jurisdiction over the alleged offense. Upon its deposit with the court, the citation may be disposed of only by trial in the court or other official action taken by the magistrate, judge, or prosecutor. The department that issued the citation may not dispose of it or copies of it or of the record of its issuance except as required under this subsection and (e) of this section.
(e) The Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development shall require the return of a copy of every citation issued by the respective department under this chapter and of all copies of every citation that has been spoiled or upon which an entry has been made and not issued to an alleged violator. The departments shall also maintain, in connection with every citation issued by the respective department, a record of the disposition of the charge by the court where the original or copy of the citation was deposited.
(f) If the form of citation issued under this chapter includes the essential facts constituting the offense charged, and if the citation is sworn to as required under the laws of this state for a complaint charging commission of the offense alleged in the citation, then the citation when filed with a court having jurisdiction is considered to be a lawful complaint for the purpose of prosecution.