Florida traffic tickets.
In Florida you have to choose traffic school at the moment you pay. Choose wrong and the points are already on your record.
How it works in Florida.
County Court, traffic division, through the Clerk of the Circuit Court, decided by a county judge or a civil traffic infraction hearing officer.
The FLHSMV runs points: twelve in twelve months suspends you up to thirty days, eighteen in eighteen months up to three months, twenty four in thirty six months up to a year.
12 points in 12 months
Suspension of up to thirty days
18 points in 18 months
Up to three months
24 points in 36 months
Up to a year
You choose traffic school at the moment you pay.
You must elect traffic school at the time you pay. It cannot be chosen afterwards, and simply paying the ticket is a conviction with points already attached.
Separately, a red light camera notice is not a ticket. It is a $158 notice of violation to the registered owner, carrying no points. Ignore it for sixty days and it mutates into a real uniform traffic citation delivered by certified mail, with a real court obligation attached.
Common violations and what they carry.
Speeding, 15 mph or less over
Moving violation
Three points.
Speeding, more than 15 over
Moving violation
Four points.
Violating a traffic control signal
Moving violation
Four points.
Any other moving violation
Moving violation
The default value.
A moving violation resulting in a crash
Moving violation
Four points.
Red light camera notice
FS 316.0083
A $158 notice of violation to the registered owner, carrying no points. Ignored for sixty days it becomes a real citation served by certified mail.
The $3 SALERS surcharge in FS 318.18 is stated to expire on 1 July 2026, so any total fine figure for an offence after that date needs checking before it is quoted.
What actually helps here.
Basic Driver Improvement
Under FS 318.14(9) adjudication is withheld, no points are assessed, and the civil penalty is reduced by eighteen percent.
You cannot elect it if you elected within the preceding twelve months, and there is a lifetime cap of eight. Closed to CDL holders and to speeding 30 mph or more over.
The cap was raised from five to eight by chapter 2025-77. The FLHSMV's own public FAQ page still says five and is out of date. The statute governs.
Electing at the right moment
The election has to be made at the time you pay. Paying without electing is a conviction with points already attached, and the choice is gone.
That single ordering problem is the most common avoidable loss in this state.
Thirty calendar days from the date the citation is issued
To pay, elect school, or request a hearing. The election has to happen at the moment of payment, not afterwards.
Yes, and Florida's rule is the clearest of any state here
Traffic Court Rule 6.340(c) lets an attorney represent you in your absence at a hearing or trial without you filing an affidavit of defence.
Read this first.
How it works
You send us the ticket. That is your entire job. Four steps and a flat fee in writing.
What we fight
Speeding, red light, cell phone, reckless driving, suspended licence and CDL tickets.
Send us the ticket
Free review, no obligation, and a straight answer about whether fighting it is worth your money.
Send us the Florida ticket.
Free review, no obligation, and a straight answer about whether fighting it is worth your money. Representation in Florida is provided by an attorney licensed in Florida.