A Florida traffic citation gives you three options and thirty days to choose one: pay the fine, elect a driver improvement course to keep points off your record, or plead not guilty and contest the ticket at a hearing. The clock starts on the date the officer issued the citation, not the day you got home and read it. Miss the deadline and the state moves to suspend your license, which is far more expensive to undo than the original ticket. This applies to civil (noncriminal) traffic infractions, which cover the vast majority of tickets. Criminal offenses like DUI or reckless driving require a mandatory court appearance and follow different rules.
The 30-Day Deadline Is the Number That Matters
You have 30 calendar days from the issuance date on the citation to notify the Clerk of Court of your decision.1Justia Law. Florida Code 318.14 – Noncriminal Traffic Infractions Whichever path you pick, the Clerk needs to hear from you inside that window. Missing it triggers an automatic $16 late penalty and starts the process that leads to a suspended license.2Online Sunshine. Florida Code 318.18 – Amount of Penalties
Look at your citation now. It lists the specific Florida statute you allegedly violated, the date, and whether the offense is civil or criminal. The base fine is printed on the ticket, or you can confirm it through your county Clerk of Court’s website. Nonmoving violations start at $30, most moving violations at $60, and speeding fines climb from there depending on how far over the limit you were clocked.2Online Sunshine. Florida Code 318.18 – Amount of Penalties County surcharges and court costs push the total above the statutory base.
Option 1: Pay the Fine
Paying is the fastest resolution. You can pay online through your county Clerk of Court’s portal, by mail, or in person. Once you pay, you’re deemed to have admitted the infraction, and the conviction goes on your driving record.1Justia Law. Florida Code 318.14 – Noncriminal Traffic Infractions For any moving violation, that admission comes with points.
Simplicity is the appeal. The cost is that points stay on your record, can push you toward a suspension if you already have others, and typically raise your auto insurance premiums by 20 to 30 percent for three to five years. If the ticket is a nonmoving violation with no points attached, paying is usually fine. For a moving violation, look at Option 2 first.
Option 2: Elect Traffic School and Keep Points Off Your Record
Florida lets you attend a state-approved Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) course in exchange for keeping points off your record. When you make this election, adjudication is withheld, your base fine drops by 18 percent, and no points are assessed.1Justia Law. Florida Code 318.14 – Noncriminal Traffic Infractions You pay the reduced fine plus court costs, then pay for the course itself, which usually runs $20 to $80 depending on the provider. Courses are offered online or in person anywhere in Florida.
Notify the Clerk of Court within the 30-day window, pay what’s due, complete the course, and submit proof of completion. You cannot elect BDI if any of these apply:
- You hold a commercial driver’s license or commercial learner’s permit.
- You were cited for speeding 30 mph or more over the posted limit.
- You already elected this option within the past 12 months.
- You have used the election eight times over your lifetime.
The state tracks both the 12-month and lifetime limits, so the Clerk’s office will know your remaining eligibility.1Justia Law. Florida Code 318.14 – Noncriminal Traffic Infractions When the violation qualifies and you have eligibility left, this is almost always the better move than paying outright.
Option 3: Contest the Citation
If you believe the ticket was issued in error, plead not guilty and request a hearing. Notify the Clerk within 30 days by checking the appropriate box on the citation or submitting a written request. The Clerk schedules the hearing before a judge or magistrate and mails you the date and location.
Requesting a hearing gives up the option to pay or elect traffic school. At the hearing, the state must prove the infraction by a preponderance of the evidence, meaning it was more likely than not that you committed it. That’s a lower standard than the criminal “beyond a reasonable doubt,” so a contested hearing is not an easy win.
If the judge finds against you, the penalty can reach $500 for most violations, or $1,000 for speeding in a school zone or construction zone. The judge can also order a driver improvement course on top of or instead of the fine.1Justia Law. Florida Code 318.14 – Noncriminal Traffic Infractions If you win, the citation is dismissed and nothing goes on your record.
Bring evidence: photographs of the location, dashcam footage, or witnesses. If the citing officer doesn’t appear, many judges will dismiss the case, but that outcome isn’t guaranteed and shouldn’t be your plan.
How Points Affect Your License
Every moving violation conviction carries points:
- 3 points for speeding up to 15 mph over the limit and most other moving violations.
- 4 points for speeding more than 15 mph over the limit, running a red light, reckless driving, or passing a stopped school bus.
- 6 points for speeding that causes a crash, or leaving the scene of a crash with property damage over $50.
Accumulate too many and the license suspension is mandatory:3Online Sunshine. Florida Code 322.27 – Authority of Department to Suspend or Revoke License
- 12 points in 12 months: suspension for up to 30 days.
- 18 points in 18 months: suspension for up to 3 months.
- 24 points in 36 months: suspension for up to 1 year.
Points also drive insurance premiums up, and that increase typically lasts three to five years. Choosing traffic school when you’re eligible keeps a conviction off your record entirely, which means your insurer never sees it.
What Happens If You Do Nothing
Ignoring the ticket is the worst outcome. If you fail to pay, elect traffic school, or appear at a scheduled hearing, the Clerk of Court notifies the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and the DHSMV issues a suspension order that takes effect 20 days after it’s mailed.4Florida Senate. Florida Code 318.15 – Failure to Comply With Civil Penalty or to Appear; Penalty The suspension stays on your DHSMV record for seven years.
Getting your license back means clearing the original fine, the $16 late penalty, any court costs, and a $60 nonrefundable reinstatement service fee to the DHSMV.4Florida Senate. Florida Code 318.15 – Failure to Comply With Civil Penalty or to Appear; Penalty You’ll also need a clearance certificate from the Clerk of Court to present at a driver license office. What started as a $60 moving violation quickly becomes a much larger bill and a suspension on your record.
If You Can’t Afford the Fine
Florida law gives you two options if paying isn’t realistic. You can enter a payment plan with the Clerk of Court to spread the penalty over time, provided you set it up within the 30-day window.1Justia Law. Florida Code 318.14 – Noncriminal Traffic Infractions
You can also ask the court to let you work off the fine through community service if you can show financial hardship. You earn credit at the federal minimum wage rate for each hour worked, and that credit reduces the fine dollar for dollar.2Online Sunshine. Florida Code 318.18 – Amount of Penalties Contact the Clerk of Court before the deadline passes to set either arrangement up.