To check for tickets in Florida, go to the Clerk of Court website for the county where you were pulled over and use its traffic citation search. There is no single statewide database that shows every ticket in your name, because each of Florida’s 67 counties handles its own citations. If you don’t know which county issued the ticket, the state’s free driver license status check will tell you whether an unpaid ticket has already put your license in trouble, and a multi-county portal covers roughly half the state in one search.
Speed matters here. You have 30 days from the date of a ticket to act on it before late fees, a lost right to traffic school, and eventually a license suspension start stacking up.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Traffic Citations
Search the County Clerk of Court Website
Every Florida traffic ticket is filed with the Clerk of Court in the county where the violation happened, not the county where you live. The clerk’s site is the authoritative place to confirm the citation exists, see the fine amount, and check whether it’s still open.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Traffic Citations
Most clerks offer a traffic citation search on their website. To run it, you’ll usually need at least two of the following:
- Citation number, printed on the ticket itself
- Driver’s license number
- Name and date of birth
- License plate number
If you’re not sure which county to search, think back to where the stop actually took place. A ticket issued on I-95 through St. Lucie County goes to that clerk, even if you live three counties away.
Try the MyFloridaCounty.com Portal
About 35 counties feed their traffic citation data into MyFloridaCounty.com, a shared portal where you can search and pay in one place instead of hopping between clerk sites.2MyFloridaCounty.com. Find Your Ticket Participating counties include Hillsborough, Duval, Lee, Volusia, and Escambia, among others.
Miami-Dade, Broward, Orange, and Palm Beach are not in the portal and run their own systems, so if your stop happened in any of those, go straight to that county clerk’s website. To search the portal, select a county and enter at least two identifying details, such as citation number and date of birth.
Check Your License Status Through FLHSMV
If you think there might be an unpaid ticket floating around but don’t know where it came from, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles offers a free driver license status check at services.flhsmv.gov/dlcheck/. Enter your driver’s license number, complete the CAPTCHA, and the tool will tell you whether your license is valid or suspended. When a suspension appears for an unpaid ticket, the result typically names the county involved, which gives you a place to start.
This check won’t display the citation itself, the violation type, or the amount owed. It’s a status indicator, not a ticket lookup. For a full driving history, you can order a driving record from FLHSMV for a fee.
Call, Mail, or Visit the Clerk
You don’t have to do this online. Calling the Clerk of Court in the county where the ticket was issued works well if you have your driver’s license number or the approximate date and location of the stop. Staff can pull the record and read you the current status.
An in-person visit makes sense when the ticket is already past due, because the clerk can total up the current balance, including any late fees, and explain what options you still have. Bring photo ID and any paperwork you have from the stop.
Written requests by mail are the slowest route. Include your full name, date of birth, and driver’s license number, and expect at least a couple of weeks for a response.
Red Light Camera Notices Won’t Show Up Here
Red light camera violations aren’t handled the same way as officer-issued citations. The registered owner of the vehicle receives a notice of violation in the mail, and the fine is $158; because the violation is non-moving, no points attach to your record.3Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 316.0083 – Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Program
Because these notices don’t go through the traffic citation process, they usually won’t appear when you search the Clerk of Court portal. The mailed notice sends you to a vendor site (often violationinfo.com), where you enter the notice number and PIN to view the video and pay. If you suspect a camera caught you and no notice arrived, call the police department that runs the camera program in that city or county.
Reading the Details Once You Find the Ticket
A citation record shows the citation number, the violation, the date and location of the stop, the fine amount, any scheduled court date, and a status label. “Open” means it’s still waiting for a response. “Delinquent” means the 30-day window has passed and you’re now dealing with penalties on top of the fine. “Paid” or “closed” means it’s handled.
Note the issue date carefully. The 30-day clock runs from the date the ticket was written, and that’s what determines whether you can still elect traffic school or contest the ticket without extra consequences.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Traffic Citations
What to Do Once You’ve Found It
Within 30 days of the ticket date, you have three choices: pay the fine, contest the ticket in court, or elect a state-approved Basic Driver Improvement Course to keep points off your record.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Traffic Citations
Paying the fine is fastest but counts as an admission of guilt, so points post to your record and your insurer may raise your rates. Contesting means notifying the clerk in writing within 30 days and appearing at a hearing; if the judge rules against you, the penalty can be higher than the listed fine.4Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 318.14 – Noncriminal Traffic Infractions; Exception; Procedures Traffic school keeps points off and blocks most insurance surcharges, but you can only use it once every 12 months and no more than eight times in a lifetime, and it’s not available to commercial driver’s license holders.5Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Driver Improvement Courses FAQ
If the 30 Days Have Already Passed
When 30 days go by without action, the clerk notifies FLHSMV and a license suspension order goes out, taking effect 20 days after it’s mailed.6Official Internet Site of the Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 318.15 – Failure to Comply With Civil Penalty or to Appear; Penalty The chance to elect traffic school for that ticket is gone permanently, and late fees (usually $16 to $25 depending on the county) get tacked on.1Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Traffic Citations
Driving on a suspended license in Florida is a criminal offense, so clearing the suspension quickly matters. To lift a “D6” suspension from an unpaid ticket, pay the full amount owed to the Clerk of Court in the county that issued the citation and get a clearance form, then pay a $60 reinstatement fee to FLHSMV.7Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Court Suspension In Effect – Court Requirements Not Met You can pay the reinstatement fee at any Florida driver license office or mail a check to FLHSMV at PO Box 5775, Tallahassee, FL 32314-5775. Allow three to five business days after receipt for your record to update, and then verify with the license check tool that the suspension has cleared.