By the Ticket Dismissal HQ editorial teamReviewed Oct 20, 2026Sources cited at the endNot legal advice
Every Florida county clerk of court takes traffic ticket payments online, and the citation gives you 30 days to act. Before you click pay, know what it does: under Florida law, paying the civil penalty is an admission of the infraction. Points post to your license and your insurer sees a conviction. On the same clerk portal, one option to the left, is “elect driver improvement school,” which costs 18% less in fine and puts no points on your record. Here’s how each works.
Quick answer
- Where: the clerk of court for the county on your citation. No statewide site; each clerk has its own portal (many use a shared vendor).
- Deadline: 30 days from the citation date to pay, elect school, or request a hearing.
- Paying = admission, points assessed, adjudication of guilt.
- Better for most: elect the BDI course on the same portal; reduced fine, no points.
If it’s a moving violation under 30 over, you don’t hold a CDL, and you haven’t used traffic school in the past 12 months, electing the 4-hour BDI course saves 18% of the base fine, keeps 3–4 points off your license, and bars an insurance surcharge. The course costs $8–$35. You cannot switch to traffic school after you’ve paid.
How to pay a Florida traffic ticket online
- Find the county. The citation names the county and the clerk of court. City police, sheriff’s deputies and Florida Highway Patrol all file with the county clerk, so there’s only one place to look.
- Open the clerk’s traffic portal. Search “[county] clerk of court pay traffic citation.” Use the .gov or the clerk’s official vendor page; avoid third-party payment sites.
- Look up the citation by citation number or by name and date of birth. Allow up to 10 days after the stop for it to appear.
- Choose an option: pay, elect driver improvement school, or request a hearing. Paying selects “admit” for you.
- Pay by card and keep the receipt. The clerk reports the disposition to FLHSMV.
Clerk portals for the largest counties
| County (city) | Clerk of court |
|---|---|
| Miami-Dade (Miami) | miamidadeclerk.gov |
| Broward (Fort Lauderdale) | browardclerk.org |
| Palm Beach | mypalmbeachclerk.com |
| Hillsborough (Tampa) | hillsclerk.com |
| Orange (Orlando) | myorangeclerk.com |
| Duval (Jacksonville) | duvalclerk.com |
| Pinellas (St. Petersburg) | mypinellasclerk.gov |
| Lee (Fort Myers) | leeclerk.org |
| Polk (Lakeland) | polkclerkfl.gov |
If you miss the 30 days
The clerk reports the unpaid citation to FLHSMV and your license is suspended for failure to comply. To clear it you pay the penalty plus a late fee and a reinstatement fee, and the points post. If you’re close to day 30, pay or elect today; if it’s already passed, contact the clerk and ask whether a judge will still allow a school election before you pay.
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Using the statewide portal? See our PayFLClerk guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can I pay a Florida traffic ticket online?
Yes, through the clerk of court for the county where you were cited, within 30 days.
Does paying a ticket in Florida add points?
Yes. Payment is an admission and FLHSMV assesses the points for the violation.
Can I get a payment plan?
Most clerks offer installment plans or community service; ask. The admission and points are the same.
Can I pay and then take traffic school?
No. Traffic school must be elected instead of paying, within the 30 days.
Sources: Florida Statutes §318.14(1)–(2), (9); §318.15 (failure to comply); county clerk of court traffic pages.