Civil Traffic Citations (2024)

Under Florida statutes, a civil infraction is a case in which a person is suspected of committing a non-criminal traffic infraction. These violations are classified as either moving or non-moving. A moving violation normally assesses points against the driver license while non-moving violations do not. These violations are not punishable by incarceration and there is no right to trial by jury or to court-appointed counsel.

Upon receipt of a traffic citation issued to you for a civil infraction, you have 30 days from the date of issuance to satisfy your obligation. In order to satisfy your citation, you can:

Failure to satisfy your citation(s) by following one of the options within 30 days of the issue date will result in late feesand the suspension of your driver license.

Pay Online
You can request certified copies of traffic images and make online payments by using Visa, Discover, MasterCard or American Express, in our Traffic Online System.

Pay by Mail

You can pay by mail with a check or money order to:

Clerk of the Court and Comptroller
Traffic/Misdemeanor Division
PO BOX 19321 
Miami, Florida  33101-9321

Please note - Your license may be suspended by the state of Florida if the Clerk's Office receives your payment more than 30 days from the issue date.

Pay by Phone
Contact the Traffic/Misdemeanor Division 24-hour Interactive Voice Response System at 305-275-1111.

If you would like to speak to a deputy clerk, call Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and noon.

Pay in Person
Please wait 24 hours after the payment was received for the information to appear in our system. You can verify if a payment was received online or by using our automated phone service.

Offices are open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.Schedule an appointmentbefore visiting our offices to avoid delays. It is highly recommended that you avoid lunch hours, as the office will not be fully staffed during this time.  

  • Joseph Caleb Center Court
  • Coral Gables District Court
  • Hialeah District Court
  • Miami Beach District Court
  • North Dade Justice Center
  • South Dade Justice Center
  • Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building

It is important that you check the copy of your traffic citation and verify that all the information is correct. If you have moved and need to change your address, you may do so in person or by mail. This service is not offered by phone.

Fill out the Defendant's New Address form and mail it to:

Clerk of the Court and Comptroller

Traffic/Misdemeanor Division

PO BOX 19321 

Miami, Florida  33101-9321

If your case is not in collection agency status, you may request to be placed on a payment plan by completing thePayment Plan Applicationand visiting theRichard E. Gerstein Justice Buildingor one of ourDistrict locations, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. You mayschedule an appointmentbefore visiting our offices to avoid delays.

Please note to enroll, there is a $25 payment plan fee.

If you received a civil traffic infraction, you have the option to elect traffic school to satisfy your citation.

Points will not be assessed against your license. This option does not apply to tag, registration, driver license or PIP insurance, tolls, and/or red light violations issued by a camera. In addition, this option is not available to commercial driver’s license holders.

You canregister for traffic schoolbyvisiting theFlorida Highway Safety and Motor Vehiclesfor a listing of school providers or by searching online.

  • You are eligible to elect a 4-hour course once every 12 months, for a maximum of 5 times in a lifetime.
  • If you are not eligible for the 4-hour course, you may request an 8-hour course only once in your lifetime.
  • The Clerk of the Court and Comptroller must receive a certificate of completion within 120 days of the date of payment or court appearance. You can mail your certificate of completion to the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, PO BOX 19321, Miami, Florida33101-9321.
  • If you elect to attend traffic school and do not comply within 120 days of election, you will be subject to a license suspension, point assessment and additional fees.

CHILD RESTRAINT OFFENDER'S PROGRAM (C.R.O.P.)If you have received a child restraint violation, you can elect to attend the C.R.O.P program and the civil penalty will be reducedand points will not be assessed. You can only attend this course once in a lifetime. Participants must bring their child restraint seat to class. The program is held at Miami Children's Hospital, 3100 S.W. 62 Avenue, Miami, FL 33155.

To register for the course, call the hospital at 305-663-6865.

You will have 60 days from either the date the citation was paid or from the date you attended court to complete the course. If you fail to complete this course within 60 days, additional penalties will be assessed, your license will be suspended and you will still be required to complete the course.

You can still avoid points on your driver license for a child restraint violation if you do not qualify for the C.R.O.P. You can elect either the 4- or 8-hour traffic school courses. The qualifications for those courses still apply.

ReLATED FEES

  • Child restraint violation - $175.20
  • Failure to stop for a school bus - $391
  • Moving (except speeding & failure to stop at traffic signal) Ch. 316 - $175.20
  • Spectator to a drag race - $240.20
  • Failure to move or slow down for an emergency vehicle - $156
  • Illegal railroad crossing - $226
  • Failure to stop at a red traffic signal - $284
  • Moving-Chapters 320 & 322 - $172.20
  • Speeding 6-9 MPH - $146.50
  • Speeding 10-14 MPH - $208
  • Speeding 15-19 MPH - $249
  • Speeding 20-29 MPH - $269.50
  • Speeding 30 MPH and over - $331
  • Speeding in Marked School Zone - Photo Enforcement in Excess of 10MPH over Limit - $208
  • Speeding in School/Construction/Toll zone 1-5 MPH - $167
  • Speeding in School/Construction zone 6-9 MPH - $167
  • Speeding in School/Construction/Toll zone 10-14 MPH - $290
  • Speeding in School/Construction/Toll zone 15-19 MPH - $372
  • Speeding in School/Construction/Toll zone 20-29 MPH - $413
  • Speeding in School/Construction/Toll zone >= 30 MPH - $536
  • Reduced fine if attend Child Restraint Offender's Program - $126
  • Processing Fee for Failure to Complete Driving School $18

You may plead not guilty and request a court hearing online, by visiting our Traffic Online Systemor by filling out theRequest for Trial Form. Once the form has been completed, you may submit your request in person by visiting the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building, any of our District Court Locations, or by mail.

Please refer to the scenario that applies to your case:

  • Your citation was issued within the last 30 days: You may submit a request for trial either in person, by mail, by phone or online within 30 days of the citation’s issue date.You will receive notice of your hearing date, time and location within six to eight weeks at the address listed on the citation.
  • Your citation was issued between 31 and 180 days ago: You may pay a $16.00 late fee to have your case set for court. This fee can be paid either online, in person, by mail or by phone.
  • Your citation was issued more than 180 days ago: In order to have your case set for court, you must submit a motion to the administrative traffic judge. The motion should state why you failed to comply with your citation on time and that you are requesting to have your case set for court. If your driver's license is or is about to be suspended be aware that the filing of this motion will have no effect on your driver's license suspension until the judge grants your motion. You should receive a response from the judge by mail and it may take up to three weeks to receive this response. If the judge grants your motion, you will need to pay a fee at the Clerk's Office.Request a court hearing.

If you cannot attend court in Miami-Dade County, you may submit a plea of not guilty in absentia by posting a bond by mail with cashier's check or money order in the amount of the civil penalty plus the clerk's fee along with a notarized affidavit of defense sent to:

Clerk of the Court and Comptroller,

PO Box 19321

Miami, Florida 33101-9321

The affidavit can only be submitted for civil infraction violations and will act as your testimony in court. Upon completion of the case, the court will notify you of the outcome. If fines and/or court costs were assessed, they will be deducted from the bond. If the case is dismissed or you are found not guilty, your bond amount will automatically be refunded.

Citations that Require Compliance

If you are charged with a violation of:

  • Driver's license (expired less than four months)
  • Registration
  • PIP insurance
  • Defective equipment

These violations will be dismissed if you submit proof that BEFORE the citation was issued you had valid documentation. A dismissal fee is required.

If renewal was obtained after the issuance of the citation, submit proof of the renewed document along with the amount of the civil penalty. This payment option is available on tag, registration, PIP insurance violations and on driver's license violations if license was expired for four months or less.

If you are charged with a violation of Florida Statute 316.2935 or 316.610 "Improper or Unsafe Equipment," you may receive a reduced penalty on these violations if you repair the defect within 30 days of the issue date. Send written proof within 30 days that the defect has been corrected. A civil penalty is required.

SUBMITTING PROOF OF COMPLIANCE AND OTHER COURT RELATED DOCUMENTS

Please check to make sure your case is in the system at Traffic Searches (miamidadeclerk.gov). If it is, you can provide proof of compliance, proof of traffic school completion, a change of address, requests for trial, proof of defective equipment compliance, motions and all other court related documents by accessing the E-Portal and filing your document as a self-represented litigant at https://www.myflcourtaccess.com/authority.

Persons cited for traffic violations select one of the following:
1. Pay civil penalty within 30 days (points)
2. Attend driver improvement school within 30 days (no points)
3. Request a trial by a hearing officer or judge within 30 days

Note: Total payment includes fine, court costs and fees

  • Pedestrian/bicycle violation - $77.50
  • Child restraint violation - $179
  • Failure to stop for a school bus - $384
  • Passing school bus Photo Enforced - $344
  • Illegal parking in disabled spaces - $196
  • Moving (except speeding & failure to stop at traffic signal) Ch. 316 - $179
  • Spectator to a drag race - $244
  • Non-moving-Chapter 316 - $129
  • Seat belt violations - $129
  • Toll facility violations - $149
  • Failure to move or slow down for an emergency vehicle - $149
  • Illegal railroad crossing - $219
  • Driving all-terrain vehicle without a helmet - $124
  • Farm Labor Vehicle/Notice not displayed - $199
  • Farm Labor Vehicle/Equipment violation - $299
  • Failure to stop at a red traffic signal - $277
  • Moving-Chapters 320 & 322 - $176
  • Non-moving-Chapters 320 & 322 - $129
  • Speeding 6-9 MPH - $144
  • Speeding 10-14 MPH - $219
  • Speeding 15-19 MPH - $269
  • Speeding 20-29 MPH - $294
  • Speeding 30 MPH and over - $369
  • Speeding in Marked School Zone - Photo Enforcement in Excess of 10MPH over Limit - $219
  • Speeding in School/Construction zone 1-5 MPH - $169
  • Speeding in School/Construction zone 6-9 MPH - $169
  • Speeding in School/Construction zone 10-14 MPH - $319
  • Speeding in School/Construction zone 15-19 MPH - $419
  • Speeding in School/Construction zone 20-29 MPH - $469
  • Speeding in School/Construction zone >= 30 MPH - $619
  • Renewing DL/tag/registration - $129
  • Renewing Insurance - $129
  • Unsafe equipment - $109
  • Late charges for payments after 30 days - Add'l $16
  • Additional maximum fine for injury or damage to the blind - $250
  • Dismissal fee or repairing defect - $10
  • License reinstatement - $60
  • Preparing and releasing D-6 - $7
  • Appeal to circuit court - $281

Other Fees:

  • Examining, comparing, correcting, verifying & certifying transcripts - $5
  • In appellate proceedings, per page, Preparing, numbering & indexing original record of appellate proceedings, per instrument - $3.50
  • Verifying an instrument prepared by someone other than clerk - $3.50
  • Writing paper other than specifically mentioned, same as for copying, including signing and sealing - $7
  • Oath, administering, attesting and sealing - $3.50
  • Validating certificates - $3.50
  • Preparing affidavit of domicile - $5
  • Exemplified clerk certificates, including signing and sealing - $7
  • Authenticated clerk certificates, including signing and sealing - $7
  • Issuing and filing subpeona for a witness, including signing & sealing - $7
  • Signing and sealing subpeona - $2
  • Searching records, each year - $2
  • Payment plan fee - $25
  • Certified or registered mail postal charges - Cost
  • Non-sufficient funds: <= $50 - $25
  • Non-sufficient funds: $50.01 to $300 - $30
  • Non-sufficient funds: > $300 - >of $40 or 5% of check
  • Interest Rates on Final Judgments - October 1, 2024 - December 31, 2024 - 9.50%

Related Resources

  • Affidavit in support of Petition to Expunge
  • Affidavit in support of Petition to Seal
  • Affidavit Non-Compliance
  • Affidavit of Defense
  • Attorney of Record Change of Address Form
  • Defendant's New Address
  • Motion for Relief
  • Motion for Relief (Tolls)
  • Payment Form
  • Petition to Expunge
  • Petition to Seal
  • Request for Trial
  • School Election Form
  • Traffic Mailer
Civil Traffic Citations (2024)
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