Pay Traffic Ticket in Florida

What It Means to Pay Your FL Traffic Ticket

Paying your traffic ticket means you admit you’re guilty, or you’re willing to plead no contest or nolo contendre.

Choosing this option means:

• You might get the option to plead to a lesser offense; probably, you’ll have to make a court appearance for this option.
• You can avoid a trip and pay your traffic ticket online via the county’s website.
• Depending on your violation, you can enroll in and complete a state-approved Basic Driver Improvement Course to avoid incurring points on your driving record. (Florida’s vehicle code and point system provide further details.)
• The same Basic Driver Improvement Course can prevent your auto insurance company from increasing your rates.

Florida handles traffic tickets on a county basis, which means you’ll pay a ticket at the county traffic court. Some traffic courts allow online payment with a credit card.

Note that if:

• You’re under age 18 and accumulate six or more points in a 12-month period, you’ll receive a restriction allowing you to drive for “Business Purposes ONLY” for one year. This restriction is extended for 90 days for every point you accumulate after that.
• Your ticket is a red light violation, you’ll receive a notice of violation within 30 days of the infraction, and a traffic citation within 60 days if you don’t send payment. Typically, red light violations don’t incur driving record points.

Generally, you have 30 days to respond to your traffic ticket. Some counties allow 90 days if you don’t plan to pay online; others give you 30 days initially, but allow you to apply for a 60-day extension if you can’t make the payment in 30 days. This extension comes with a fee.

If your ticket doesn’t state how many days you have to respond, contact the court in the county you received the ticket.

Plead Guilty as a FL CDL Driver

Generally, Florida CDL holders handle non-criminal traffic tickets the same way other drivers do; however:

• They must inform their employers within 30 days of receiving a conviction.
• They must inform the FL DHSMV within 30 days of receiving a conviction in another jurisdiction.
• Drivers with Class A, B, or C licenses can’t elect to enroll in a Basic Driver Improvement Course after a moving violation.

For more information related to FL CDL holders, consult the Florida CDL Handbook.

Plead Not Guilty

If you don’t want to plead guilty, no contest, or nolo contendre, you can fight the ticket in traffic court.

Generally, contesting a traffic ticket means you surrender any possibility that the judge might allow you to plead to a lesser offense. Sometimes, fighting a ticket means incurring additional court costs and lawyer fees, too.

Check our section on fighting your FL traffic ticket for complete details.

Pay Your Florida Traffic Ticket Online

Depending on the county in which you received the ticket, you might be able to pay online. Check the county’s traffic court website to find out.

Your ticket will include information about which county you were ticketed in; if you misplaced your ticket, check our section on lost FL traffic tickets.

If paying online is an option for you, you can skip down to our sections on points and insurance to learn about how your ticket will affect your driving record points and car insurance rates―and what you can do about it.

Visit the Proper FL Website

Check Florida’s Clerks of Court website for complete contact information―including Web addresses―for the traffic court applicable to you.

From there, you can visit the traffic court’s website for information about paying a ticket, or call the court directly.

Pay Your FL Traffic Ticket

Some Florida counties allow drivers to pay their traffic tickets online; others require payment in person, by mail, or over the phone.

When you visit your traffic court’s website or contact the court via telephone, be sure to find out:

• Payment methods applicable to you (online, over the phone, in person, or by mail), as well as modes of payment (credit cards, money orders, personal checks, and cash).
• Whether the Basic Driver Improvement Course is an option for you, and if you can enroll via your traffic court.

Get Points Removed from Your Driving Record

Traffic tickets put points on your driving record; however, under most circumstances, Florida allows drivers to enroll in a state-approved Basic Driver Improvement Course} to reduce or avoid those points―which can help you avoid license suspension or revocation in the future.

Note that if you want to use the Basic Driver Improvement Course option, you must notify the court within 30 days of receiving the ticket, but prior to actually attending the course. Also, you must pay an election fee to that county.

Check Your Driving Record

Driving record points can negatively affect you in ways varying from knocking you out of certain jobs to putting you at risk for license suspension or revocation.

Whether you plead guilty and accept the points or complete a Basic Driver Improvement Course to reduce or avoid them, always check your driving record to make sure it accurately reflects the points you should or shouldn’t have.

Learn more at our section on the FL point system.

Shop for Better Auto Insurance Rates

Usually, traffic tickets are associated with increased auto insurance rates; however, Florida drivers who take a Basic Driver Improvement Course can avoid such increases.

Still, because it depends on factors like the nature of the violation, the course isn’t always an option. Drivers who receive citations and can’t protect themselves with the Basic Driver Improvement Course are at risk for higher car insurance rates once renewal time rolls around. For these drivers, comparing insurance quotes online is imperative to keep their rates affordable.