Search Florida traffic ticket records using the official state and county tools that Florida makes available to all residents. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) works with all 67 county clerks of court to keep every ticket, citation, and court outcome on file.
You can look up a ticket by citation number, by name, by case number, or through your driving record. These records show the fine amount, the court cost, the points added to your license, and the final outcome. Most records stay on file for several years. Anyone can search them. The system is built so you can check a past ticket, pay a new one, or fight a charge in court.
How Florida Traffic Ticket Records Work
Florida traffic ticket records start when a law enforcement officer writes a citation. The officer uses a state form called a Uniform Traffic Citation (UTC). Under Florida Statute 316.650, every police agency in the state uses this same form. The officer writes down your name, license number, the violation, and the location. The citation gets a unique number at the top. This number ties the ticket to a single case in the court system.
The citation goes to the clerk of court in the county where the stop happened. The clerk enters it into the county computer system. From that point, the record stays attached to your name and license. The clerk tracks every step, like your plea, your payment, your court hearing, and the final outcome. The record stays in the clerk file for years. The FLHSMV also gets a copy of the outcome to track points on your driving record.
Who Keeps the Records
County clerks of court keep the official ticket records in Florida. There are 67 counties, and each county has its own clerk office. The clerk handles the court paperwork, collects fines, and runs the public case search system. The FLHSMV keeps the driving record that shows points, suspensions, and ticket history on your license. Both systems work together so the public can search court files and the state can track driver safety.
Why These Records Stay Public
Florida traffic ticket records stay public under the state public records law. The Florida Constitution gives people the right to see most government records. Court case files fall under this rule. Anyone can search court records online through a county clerk website. Insurance companies, employers, and lawyers also use these records. The clerk may seal a record if a judge orders it, but most tickets stay open for public view.
Ways to Search Florida Traffic Ticket Records
You can search Florida traffic ticket records in several ways. The county clerk website is the main place for most people. You can search by citation number if you have it. You can search by your name and date of birth. You can also search by the court case number. The FLHSMV lets you check your driving record online for points and suspensions. Each method gives you a different piece of the full picture.
Search by Citation Number
Every Florida traffic ticket has a citation number printed at the top. You can find this number on the paper copy the officer gave you. The county clerk search tool lets you type in this number and pull up your case. The search result shows the violation, the court date, the fine amount, and the current status. This is the fastest way to find one specific ticket.
Search by Name and Date of Birth
If you do not have your citation number, you can search by name. Go to your county clerk public records search. Type in your last name, first name, and date of birth. The system pulls up every traffic case filed under your name in that county. You will see the case number, the charge, and the court date. You can click on each case to see the full details.
Search by Case Number
Every Florida traffic ticket becomes a court case. The case number starts with the year, then a county code, then a case type code, then a sequence number. For example, a 2024 traffic case in Orange County looks like 2024-CT-001234. You can use this number to search the clerk docket. This works well when you want to check the status of a ticket you already paid or fought in court.
Search Through Your Driving Record
The FLHSMV keeps a separate driving record that shows every ticket on your license. You can check it online through the FLHSMV Driver License Check portal. This tool shows your license status, points, and any suspensions. For a full printable record, order a three-year or seven-year driving history. This record lists every Florida traffic ticket tied to your license for the time period you order.
Florida Traffic Ticket Fines and Court Costs
Florida traffic ticket fines come from Florida Statute 318.18. This law sets the base fine for every traffic violation in the state. The base fine is the starting amount. County clerks then add court costs and other fees on top. The total you pay is always more than the base fine. A speeding ticket that looks like $100 in the law can end up costing $200 or more after costs.
Speeding Fine Amounts
The base fine for speeding depends on how fast you drove over the limit. Florida law breaks speeding into five levels. The closer you stay to the speed limit, the less you pay. The chart below shows the base fine for each speed range.
| Speed Over the Limit | Base Fine |
|---|---|
| 6 to 9 mph over | $25 |
| 10 to 14 mph over | $100 |
| 15 to 19 mph over | $150 |
| 20 to 29 mph over | $175 |
| 30 mph or more over | $250 |
Court Costs Added to Every Ticket
Court costs get added to every traffic ticket in Florida. A moving violation adds $35 in court costs. A nonmoving violation adds $18. A pedestrian infraction adds $4. If you pay late, you pay a $16 late fee on top of everything. These costs go to the county court system, not the state. They fund the clerk office, the judges, and the public records system.
School Zone and Construction Zone Doubles
Speeding in a school zone doubles the base fine. Speeding in a construction zone with workers present also doubles the fine. A $100 speeding ticket in a school zone becomes $200 in base fine before court costs. A judge can add even more if you lose at trial. The maximum fine for most moving violations is $500. School zone and construction zone speeding can reach $1,000 at trial.
What to Do After You Get a Florida Traffic Ticket
After you get a Florida traffic ticket, you have three legal choices. Florida Statute 318.14 spells out these choices. You must pick one within 30 days from the date on the citation. If you do nothing, the clerk tells the FLHSMV to suspend your license. The state then mails you a suspension notice. You have 20 days after that notice to fix the problem before the suspension takes effect.
Pay the Fine Within 30 Days
Paying the fine is the simplest choice. You pay the base fine, court costs, and any fees. The clerk marks the case as closed. The conviction goes on your driving record. Points get added to your license. This choice takes less time than the other options. It also closes the case faster than going to court.
Elect Traffic School for a Discount
Electing traffic school gives you an 18% reduction on the fine amount. You complete a state-approved course. No points go on your driving record if you finish on time. You must elect this option within 30 days of the citation. You must also finish the course within 90 days of electing it. The clerk removes the points from your record once they get your completion certificate.
Fight the Ticket in Court
Pleading not guilty lets you request a court hearing. A judge hears both sides. The judge can dismiss the ticket, reduce the fine, or find you guilty. If you win, you pay nothing extra. If you lose, the judge can increase the fine up to the legal maximum. Most people who fight tickets either have a strong defense or hope for a reduced charge.
Florida Traffic School Rules
Florida traffic school lets you keep points off your record. The state calls it Basic Driver Improvement (BDI). You can take the course online or in a classroom. The FLHSMV keeps a list of approved providers. Each provider offers the same state-approved course. The course covers traffic laws, safe driving, and accident avoidance.
Who Can Use Traffic School
Most Florida drivers can elect traffic school once every 12 months. You can use this option up to five times in your whole life. You cannot elect traffic school if you hold a commercial driver license. You cannot use it for speeding 30 mph or more over the limit. The clerk checks your eligibility before letting you elect the option.
How the 18% Discount Works
The 18% discount applies to the base fine only. Court costs and other fees stay the same. A $100 base fine drops to $82 with the discount. The clerk applies the discount when you elect the option. You must still complete the course and file the certificate with the clerk. If you fail to finish the course, you lose the discount and pay the full fine.
Approved Course Providers
The FLHSMV lists every approved traffic school on its website. The list shows course length, price, and delivery format. Some schools charge $20 to $50 for the course. Online courses take about four hours. Classroom courses run for a full day in some cases. The certificate of completion goes to the clerk office at the end.
Points on Your Florida Driving Record
Points get added to your Florida driving record when you pay a traffic ticket or lose at trial. Each violation carries a different point value. Most moving violations add three to four points. Serious violations like reckless driving add four points. Leaving the scene of an accident adds six points. Points stay on your record for several years.
How Points Get Added
The county clerk reports your conviction to the FLHSMV. The FLHSMV adds the points to your driving record. You can see the points on your driving record through the FLHSMV portal. Insurance companies also see the points when they check your record. Too many points can raise your insurance rate or trigger a license suspension.
How Long Points Stay
Points from a Florida traffic ticket stay on your record for three years from the date of the violation. The points drop off after three years if you do not get more tickets. Getting a new ticket resets the clock for that violation. Drivers who collect 12 points in 12 months get a license suspension. Drivers who collect 18 points in 18 months also face suspension. Drivers who collect 24 points in 36 months face suspension.
How to Remove Points
The only way to keep points off your record after a ticket is to elect traffic school. The clerk removes the points once you complete the course. You cannot remove points any other way. The three-year clock keeps running. You must wait for the points to fall off naturally if you do not take traffic school.
Florida Driver License Suspension Rules
Florida driver license suspensions happen for several reasons. Failure to pay a traffic ticket is the most common reason. Failure to appear in court is another. Too many points on your record is a third reason. The FLHSMV sends a suspension notice before the suspension takes effect. You have 20 days from the notice date to fix the problem.
Why Your License Gets Suspended
Under Florida Statute 318.15, the clerk tells the FLHSMV when you fail to handle a traffic ticket. The clerk reports unpaid tickets, missed court dates, and ignored traffic school deadlines. The FLHSMV then mails a suspension notice. The suspension starts 20 days after the notice goes out. You cannot drive during the suspension period.
How to Reinstate a Suspended License
To get your license back, you must pay all outstanding fines. You must pay the $16 late fee for each ticket. You must pay a $60 reinstatement fee to the FLHSMV. You must also show proof of insurance in some cases. The clerk sends clearance to the FLHSMV after you pay. The state then removes the suspension from your record.
Reinstatement Fees
The $60 reinstatement fee applies to most traffic-related suspensions. Some suspensions carry higher fees. A driving under suspension charge carries a $500 fine. A habit traffic offender designation carries extra fees. The total cost to fix a suspension can reach several hundred dollars. Paying on time avoids all these extra costs.
How to Pay a Florida Traffic Ticket
You can pay a Florida traffic ticket in several ways. The fastest way is online. You can also pay by phone, by mail, or in person. Each county clerk accepts different payment methods. Most accept credit cards, debit cards, checks, and money orders. Cash works for in-person payments. Convenience fees apply to most online and phone payments.
Pay Online Through PayFLClerk
PayFLClerk.com is the statewide portal for paying traffic tickets online. The site connects to all 67 county clerk payment systems. You pick your county, and the site sends you to that clerk’s payment page. Most counties accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. A small convenience fee applies to each online payment.
Pay by Phone
Each county clerk runs a phone payment line. The phone number is on your citation and on the clerk website. You call the number and give your citation number. You pay with a credit or debit card. A convenience fee applies to phone payments. The clerk processes the payment and closes your case.
Pay by Mail
You can mail a check or money order to the clerk office. The address is on your citation. You write the citation number on the check. You do not send cash through the mail. The clerk posts the payment to your case once they receive it. Mail payments take longer to process than online or phone payments.
Pay In Person at a Clerk Office
You can walk into any county clerk office and pay in person. The clerk accepts cash, checks, money orders, and cards. You get a receipt at the counter. The clerk closes your case the same day. You can also pay at any AMSCOT location in Florida for a small service fee.
Florida County Clerk Offices for Traffic Tickets
Each Florida county clerk office handles traffic ticket records for that county. The clerk office runs the court system, collects fines, and keeps the case files. You can visit any county clerk website to search for tickets, pay fines, and check court dates. The largest counties in Florida have the busiest clerk offices for traffic cases.
Miami-Dade County Clerk
The Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts handles traffic tickets across the county. You can search cases online through the clerk portal. You can pay fines online, by phone, or in person. The main clerk office sits in downtown Miami. The clerk also runs branch offices across the county for in-person service.
Broward County Clerk
The Broward County Clerk of Courts handles traffic tickets in Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding cities. The clerk website has a public search tool for traffic cases. You can look up cases by name, citation number, or case number. The clerk accepts online, phone, mail, and in-person payments.
Hillsborough County Clerk
The Hillsborough County Clerk of Court handles traffic tickets in Tampa and the surrounding area. The clerk website lets you search traffic cases and pay fines online. You can also visit the clerk office in downtown Tampa. The clerk handles hundreds of thousands of traffic cases each year.
Orange County Clerk
The Orange County Clerk of Courts handles traffic tickets in Orlando and the surrounding cities. The clerk website has a public search portal for traffic cases. You can search by name, citation number, or case number. The clerk accepts all major payment methods.
Duval County Clerk
The Duval County Clerk of Court handles traffic tickets in Jacksonville and the surrounding area. The clerk website has a public search tool for traffic cases. You can pay fines online or visit the clerk office in downtown Jacksonville. The clerk also offers a phone payment line.
Florida Highway Patrol Traffic Records
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) writes a large share of traffic tickets in Florida. FHP troopers work state roads, interstates, and highways. FHP uses the same Uniform Traffic Citation form as local police. The ticket goes to the clerk of court in the county where the stop took place. FHP does not keep its own traffic ticket records.
How FHP Issues Citations
FHP troopers carry the same UTC form that every Florida police agency uses. The trooper writes down the violation, the location, and your information. The citation gets a unique number. The trooper keeps one copy. You get one copy. The third copy goes to the county clerk. FHP then reports the ticket to the FLHSMV for the driving record.
Where FHP Records Go
FHP traffic ticket records go to the county clerk in the stop county. They also go to the FLHSMV. The clerk keeps the court record. The FLHSMV keeps the driving record. FHP keeps an internal record for agency use. You can search the public record through the county clerk or the FLHSMV. You cannot search the FHP internal record.
Crash Reports and Traffic Citations
FHP also writes crash reports for accidents on state roads. These reports go to the FLHSMV and the Department of Transportation. A crash report can affect a traffic ticket case. If you got a ticket for careless driving after a crash, the crash report becomes part of the evidence. You can buy a crash report from the FHP or the FLHSMV.
Florida Uniform Traffic Citation Records
The Uniform Traffic Citation (UTC) is the standard form for every traffic ticket in Florida. Florida Statute 316.650 requires every police agency to use this form. The UTC has the same fields on every ticket. This makes the records easy to search across all 67 counties. The citation number is the unique ID for each case.
What the Citation Number Means
The citation number starts with a county code. Then comes the year. Then comes a sequence number. Each ticket in a county gets a unique number for that year. This number stays the same through the court case. The clerk uses this number to track the case from start to finish. You can search this number on any county clerk website.
Electronic vs Paper Citations
Florida allows police agencies to issue electronic citations. An e-citation goes straight from the officer’s device to the clerk system. This cuts down on errors. The citation number stays the same. The record shows up in the clerk system faster. Most major police agencies in Florida now use e-citations for traffic stops.
Florida Traffic Court Case Search
Florida traffic court case search lets you check the status of any traffic case. You can search by name, citation number, or case number. The clerk website has a public search portal. The search result shows the current status, the next court date, and the final outcome. Most counties update their search tool daily.
Case Status Meanings
Case status tells you where the case sits in the court process. A status of “Open” means the case is still active. A status of “Closed-Paid” means you paid the fine. A status of “Closed-School” means you finished traffic school. A status of “Dismissed” means a judge threw out the case. A status of “Adjudicated” means a judge found you guilty.
Court Date Lookup
You can look up your court date through the clerk search portal. Type in your citation number or case number. The result shows the next court date and the courtroom. You must show up on that date if you pleaded not guilty. Missing a court date can lead to a license suspension or a failure to appear charge.
Official Contact Information
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles handles traffic records statewide. The main office sits in Tallahassee. You can call the FLHSMV customer service line during business hours. You can visit any FLHSMV service center across the state for in-person help. The FLHSMV website has a contact form for email questions.
Official Website: www.flhsmv.gov
Main Phone Number: (850) 617-2000
Main Office Address: 2900 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, FL 32399
Customer Service Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Automated Phone Service: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
The Florida Clerks and Comptrollers Association runs a statewide help page for traffic ticket payments. The website is www.flclerks.com. The association oversees all 67 county clerk offices. You can find your county clerk contact info through this site.
Frequently Asked Questions
This section answers common questions about searching Florida traffic ticket records. The answers below cover court cases, online tools, points, suspensions, and traffic school. Each answer explains how the system works in plain language. The goal is to help you handle a Florida traffic ticket without confusion.
How Do I Find My Florida Traffic Ticket Online?
You can find your Florida traffic ticket online through your county clerk website. Go to the public records search portal on the clerk site. Type in your citation number, your name and date of birth, or your case number. The search shows the violation, the court date, the fine amount, and the current status. You can also pay the fine online through the same portal. The FLHSMV website lets you check your driving record for points and suspensions, but the county clerk is the main place to find a specific ticket.
Can I Search Florida Traffic Ticket Records by Name for Free?
Yes, you can search Florida traffic ticket records by name for free through the county clerk public search portal. Every county clerk in Florida runs a free public records search on their website. You type in the name and date of birth. The system pulls up traffic cases filed under that name. You see the case number, the charge, and the court date. You do not pay to search. You only pay if you want a copy of the full case file or an official driving record from the FLHSMV.
How Long Do Florida Traffic Ticket Records Stay on File?
Florida traffic ticket records stay on file with the county clerk for several years. Most clerks keep traffic case files for at least five to seven years. The FLHSMV keeps driving records longer. A three-year driving record shows tickets from the last three years. A seven-year record shows tickets from the last seven years. A complete driving record can show every ticket on your license for your whole driving history in Florida. Old tickets fall off after the time period runs out, but the court file may stay longer.
What Happens If I Ignore a Florida Traffic Ticket?
If you ignore a Florida traffic ticket, the clerk reports the failure to the FLHSMV after 30 days. The FLHSMV mails you a suspension notice. Your license gets suspended 20 days after the notice goes out. You cannot drive during the suspension. To fix the suspension, you must pay the original fine, a $16 late fee, and a $60 reinstatement fee. The clerk then sends clearance to the FLHSMV. The total cost of ignoring a ticket is much higher than paying it on time.
Can I Fight a Florida Traffic Ticket Without Going to Court?
You cannot fight a Florida traffic ticket without going to court. If you want to challenge the ticket, you must plead not guilty and request a hearing. A judge hears your case at the hearing. You can bring evidence, witnesses, or a lawyer. The judge decides if you win or lose. Paying the fine closes the case. Electing traffic school closes the case with a discount. Only a court hearing lets you actually fight the charge and possibly get it dismissed.
Do Florida Traffic Tickets from Other States Show Up on My Record?
Florida traffic tickets from other states do not show up on your Florida driving record through the county clerk system. The Florida clerk only tracks tickets issued in Florida. Out-of-state tickets get reported through the Driver License Compact. Most states share driving record data. The FLHSMV may add out-of-state convictions to your record under the compact. Check your FLHSMV driving record to see if out-of-state tickets show up there.
How Do I Get a Copy of My Florida Traffic Ticket Case File?
You can get a copy of your Florida traffic ticket case file from the county clerk office. Go to the clerk website and search for your case. Most clerks let you view case documents online. You can also visit the clerk office in person and request a copy. There may be a small fee for paper copies. The case file includes the citation, the plea, the court order, and the final outcome. You need this file for insurance disputes or background checks.