Traffic Citation Information
Infraction violations must be paid within 30 calendar days from the
date the ticket was issued.
If a ticket is not paid within 30 calendar days from the date of
issuance, a suspension will be entered against your driver license, which could affect your
insurance rates and will subject you to additional penalties.
If you receive a letter from the State of Florida Department of Highway Safety
and Motor Vehicles (Florida DHSMV) informing you that your license will be suspended, you MUST COMPLY on or before
the business day PRIOR (before) THE DATE STATED ON THE LETTER. The suspension date
listed on the letter goes into effect at midnight on that date. Therefore, if you come in on the that date,
you will be late and your license will already be suspended.
Tickets must be satisfied in the county in which they were issued.
For example, if you received a traffic ticket in Tampa, Florida, you MUST PAY FOR IT in Hillsborough County.
You may NOT pay for it in Pinellas County.
The Clerk's 24-Hour Automated Hotline, (727) 464-4846, will provide information
about your traffic ticket including the amount of the civil penalty due, the
options available to you to satisfy the charge, the due date, the status of the ticket and other
general information. Using your Mastercard, VISA, American Express or Discover, you may also make
a payment for any non-criminal, non-deliquent (within 30 days of issuance) ticket using the Clerk's 24-hour
Automated Hotline. Please have your copy of the ticket with you when you place the call. You will
be charged a convenience fee by the credit card processor for this service.
Deputy clerks cannot advise you on the number of points assessed against your
driver history record or on how points will affect your insurance or how many times you have elected school. You must address
these concerns with the Bureau of Driver Licenses and/or your insurance agent.
Fees for traffic fines may change during the year. The envelope provided by the deputy may not be accurate. Please
refer to the fee schedule for the most current information.
Effective October 1, 2006, speed in excess of 30 mph over the posted speed limit requires a mandatory court appearance.
The fine is doubled for a
second or subsequent conviction within 12 months when speed exceeds the limit by 30 mph or more. A person may not elect to
attend a defensive driving course in lieu of a court appearance.
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Boating Citations have the same time requirements for payments of fines. Please
refer to the fee schedule for the most current information.
Information on attending a mandatory Boating Safety Education Course
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TO SATISFY A CIVIL INFRACTION (TICKET):
Please allow 5 to 7 days for our office to receive and process your citation (traffic ticket) before making your payment.
Methods of paying traffic fines include:
Pay with debit or credit card*:
- ONLINE*
- By phone by using the automated, 24-hour, payment line: 727-464-4846*.
Pay with check or money order made payable to "Clerk of Court" in the envelope you received:
- By mail with proper postage
- By placing it in one of the
"Drop
Boxes" outside the Clerk's Office locations.
Visit any
Amscot location and make your CASH payment.
(Amscot charges a $2.00 service fee.)
Pay your fines in person at one of the
Clerk's Office locations using cash, check, money order,
debit or credit card*.
You may also pay Court Imposed Fines and Costs for Felony, Misdemeanor, Ordinance Violations, Boating Violations, Bond Estreature Cases, Traffic Tickets and Other Miscellaneous Non-Criminal Infractions ONLINE with
a debit or credit card.*
*You will be charged a convenience fee by the Vendor for this service.
Payable civil infractions may be satisfied in one of several ways:
- by entering a plea of Not Guilty,
- by electing to attend a defensive driving course,
- by submitting an Affidavit of Compliance for cases involving safety equipment violations which have been
corrected by you.
- OR, Traffic tickets written for certain driver license, registration or
insurance violations may be dismissed by the Clerk if proof of compliance at the time the ticket was issued can be
shown.
TO ENTER A NOT GUILTY PLEA TO A CIVIL
TRAFFIC INFRACTION:
You must notify the Clerk's Office,
in person or in writing, within the required
time frame of thirty (30) calendar days from the date of issuance of the ticket.
IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE OF
PINELLAS COUNTY, TO PLEAD NOT GUILTY TO A TRAFFIC TICKET:
If you wish to plea Not Guilty to a traffic infraction ticket, and you cannot appear for a hearing because you live outside Pinellas County, you must complete an Affidavit of Defense and file it with Pinellas County Clerk’s Office on or before the 30-day due date.
Effective October 1, 2006, speed in excess of 30 mph over the posted speed limit requires a mandatory court appearance.
The fine is doubled for a
second or subsequent conviction within 12 months when speed exceeds the limit by 30 mph or more. A person may not elect to
attend a defensive driving course in lieu of a court appearance.
IF THE COURT FINDS YOU GUILTY:
If you are found guilty of a civil traffic infraction, the court may assess fine and costs,
order you to attend a defensive driving course or impose other penalties. If you should fail
to pay the fine and cost within the time allotted you by the court, if any, a suspension
will be issued against your driver's license and additional penalties will be imposed.
Fines for civil infractions are governed by Florida Statutes. For the most current fine
schedule refer to a current
"Schedule of Service Charges" for the applicable fee. The "Schedule of Service Charges
is available online and in any Clerk's Office.
Fines are distributed to various funds established by the legislature with a portion
being returned to the issuing law enforcement agency and a service charge
retained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
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Traffic Court
The Traffic Division of the County Court is set-up to hear criminal traffic, civil
traffic infractions
A CRIMINAL TRAFFIC CHARGE is a charge, such as Driving Under the Influence, which requires a court appearance
as it carries with it criminal penalties which may include fines and costs,
probation and/or the possibility of a jail term. Payment of the ticket cannot be
automatically made to the Clerk's Office. Persons charged with a criminal offense will
have a court date shown on their traffic ticket and must appear in court.
A CIVIL TRAFFIC INFRACTION is a non-criminal
charge that can usually be disposed of by the payment of a civil penalty or an
election to attend a defensive driving course with a payment of the civil penalty. A court appearance is not required, except
in cases where the violation involves an accident or property damage, speed thirty (30) miles or
more over the posted speed limit or leaving a child unattended with the motor running.
Effective October 1, 2006, speed in excess of 30 mph over the posted speed limit requires a mandatory court appearance.
The fine is doubled for a
second or subsequent conviction within 12 months when speed exceeds the limit by 30 mph or more. A person may not elect to
attend a defensive driving course in lieu of a court appearance.
