By the Ticket Dismissal HQ editorial teamReviewed Oct 20, 2026Sources cited at the endNot legal advice
Ticket Dismissal HQ is not PayFLClerk and is not affiliated with the Florida Clerks of Court. We explain how the portal works and what to decide before you pay. Make payments only on the official site, which you’ll find linked from your county clerk’s website or from flhsmv.gov.
PayFLClerk.com is the statewide online payment portal run for Florida’s 67 county clerks of court. FLHSMV’s own traffic-citation page points drivers there to pay a traffic fine for any county. It works. But for a moving violation, paying is the one option that puts points on your license. On the same portal, the same 30-day window lets you elect traffic school instead: you pay 18% less and get no points. Here’s how the portal works and how to choose.
Quick answer
- What it is: the official statewide clerk payment portal for Florida traffic citations (some counties also run their own portal; both are official).
- You need: your citation number and the county it was issued in, or your name and date of birth.
- Deadline: 30 days from the citation date to pay, elect a driver improvement course, or request a hearing.
- Paying = admitting the violation. Points post (3 or 4 for most speeding) and insurers can surcharge you.
- Better for most moving violations: elect the 4-hour BDI course on the same portal: fine cut 18%, no points. How to elect.
How to use PayFLClerk
- Get to the official portal. Start from your county clerk’s website or flhsmv.gov’s Traffic Citations page and follow the payment link. Several copycat sites rank for “payflclerk”; don’t enter card details on a site you reached from an ad or a look-alike domain.
- Choose the county that’s printed on your citation (where you were stopped, not where you live).
- Search for the citation by citation number, or by name and date of birth. New citations can take up to 10 days to appear.
- Pick an option. You’ll see some or all of: pay the civil penalty, elect a driver improvement school, or set a court date. If the citation says a court appearance is required, the portal won’t let you pay or elect.
- Pay by card (a convenience fee applies) and save the confirmation. The clerk reports the disposition to FLHSMV.
If the ticket is a non-criminal moving violation under 30 mph over, you don’t hold a CDL, and you haven’t elected traffic school in the past 12 months (and fewer than 8 times ever), you can elect the BDI course instead. You can’t switch to traffic school after paying.
Pay it or elect traffic school?
| Pay on PayFLClerk | Elect BDI on PayFLClerk | |
|---|---|---|
| Civil penalty | Full amount | Base fine reduced 18% |
| Extra cost | — | 4-hour online course, about $8–$35 + state fee |
| Points | 3–4 for most speeding | None |
| Record | Adjudicated guilty | Adjudication withheld |
| Insurance | Surcharge likely for ~3 years | Insurer can’t surcharge for this citation |
| Deadline | 30 days | Elect within 30 days; finish course in 60–90 days (by county) |
DefensiveDriving.com Our pick
$8 + state fee- FLHSMV-approved 4-hour Basic Driver Improvement course, accepted by every Florida clerk of court
- $8 course price plus the state certificate processing fee; shortest course allowed by law
- Completion reported to the state; certificate mailed (FedEx available)
- Guarantee: they pay your ticket (up to $250) if the court refuses the certificate
We may earn a commission if you enroll through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we make money.
If PayFLClerk doesn’t find your ticket
- Too soon: allow up to 10 days after the stop for the officer’s citation to be filed.
- Wrong county: the county is printed on the citation; it’s where the stop happened.
- County uses its own portal: some clerks (Flagler, for example) process payments and school elections on their own site. Check the clerk’s traffic page.
- Toll or camera notice: SunPass/toll-by-plate and red-light camera notices aren’t clerk citations and are paid to the issuing agency.
- Still nothing: call the clerk’s traffic division with your name, date of birth and license number. See our Florida ticket lookup guide.
Missed the 30 days?
The clerk reports the unresolved citation to FLHSMV and your license is suspended for failure to comply. You can usually still pay through the portal, plus a late fee and a reinstatement fee, but the traffic school option is normally gone unless a judge allows it. Contact the clerk before paying if you want to ask.
Frequently asked questions
Is PayFLClerk legit?
Yes. It’s the official statewide payment portal for Florida clerks of court, and FLHSMV links to it. Make sure you’re on the real site, reached from your clerk’s or FLHSMV’s website, not a look-alike.
Can I elect traffic school on PayFLClerk?
In most counties, yes: the driver improvement school election appears alongside the payment option within the 30-day window.
Is there a fee to pay online?
Yes, a convenience fee is added to card payments. It’s shown before you confirm.
Does paying on PayFLClerk add points?
For a moving violation, yes. Payment is an admission, and FLHSMV assesses points for the offense.
Can I pay a ticket from any Florida county?
Yes. The portal covers all 67 counties; pick the county on your citation.
Sources: Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Traffic Citations; Florida Statutes §§318.14, 318.15; county clerk of court traffic pages. PayFLClerk is operated for the Florida Clerks of Court; this site is not affiliated with it.