Traffic-Civil
About Citations
The Clerk of the Circuit Court collects all traffic fines and distributes the proceeds according to Florida Statute. The total amount of a traffic fine is made up of amounts required to be paid by Florida Law as well as County and City ordinances.
Upon receipt of a traffic ticket for any violation, you have 30 days from the date of issuance of the ticket to exercise any one of the following three options:
- Pay the Ticket
- Go to Driver's Improvement School
- Contest the ticket and go to court
If you choose to pay the ticket, points are assessed against your driver's license for all moving violations. The amount due for civil penalties is given to individuals by the police officer at the time of the citation. A blue mailing envelope is also given to individuals for their use in mailing the payment. When paying by mail, enclose the copy of the citation to ensure prompt processing of any payment.
If you choose to go to the school, you must first sign an affidavit at the Clerk's office and pay the applicable court costs to the county in which the ticket was received. You must then sign up for school and pay the required fees. In general, the total cost to attend school is more than the fine. No points are assessed against your driver's license if you attend school. Certain restrictions do apply and for further information you should contact the Traffic division.
If you choose to contest the ticket, you must make your request for a hearing in person at the Clerk's office, or in writing by mail to the Clerk. You will be notified of your court date.
You may write the Clerk at:
Gary J. Cooney, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
Attn: Traffic Department
P.O. Box 7800
Tavares, FL 32778-7800
Traffic fines may be mailed using the pre-addressed blue envelope provided to you at the time of citation, or paid at the Traffic Department located on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse.
View more information on payment options that are currently available for traffic tickets.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Failure to comply by payment or request for a hearing within 30 days after the date of receiving the citation will result in automatic suspension of your driver's license.
Those persons charged with a criminal offense must appear in court at the time and date indicated on their citation. Failure to appear could result in a capias being issued for their arrest.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are there other options available to me other than paying my ticket?
Yes, payable civil infractions may be satisfied by the following means:
- Enter a plea of Not Guilty and request a hearing before the court
- Elect to attend a driver improvement course, if provided for by law, or
- Submit an Affidavit of Compliance for cases involving safety equipment violations
Traffic tickets written for certain driver's license, registration, or insurance violations may be dismissed, with a court cost, by the Clerk if valid proof of compliance can be shown. Proof of compliancy must be valid at the time of the offense.
- Can I elect to attend defensive driving school after I have paid my citation?
No. Once you have paid your citation, you have made your election for that violation. If you wish to attend school, you should inform the cashier at the time of making your payment or when mailing in your payment or before paying online.
- Can I change my mind after I elect to attend a driver improvement class?
Yes. If you choose not to meet the driving school requirement for any reason prior to the sixty days, you must inform the Clerk of Court in writing that you wish to cancel your election. A fee will also be assessed for this change. If your request to cancel your driving school requirement is not received within 60 days, your driver's license will be suspended and a late fee and reinstatement fee will be assessed. A conviction of the violation will be reported on your driver history record.
- Can I get an extension on my ticket?
Yes, you may receive up to a 4-week extension when you call within 30-days from the date the ticket was issued.
- I missed my court date, can I reschedule?
If you missed your court date for a civil citation to which you pled not guilty, you may not reschedule. The judge will have assessed your fine along with court costs.
- I've received a letter from Tallahassee; what do I do?
Most letters are explaining ways to handle a suspension or are informing you of a suspension that is about to occur. Some letters are informing the person of a traffic collision class that they must take within a certain time due to an accident they had. It is important to follow the directions of the letter to avoid or to help correct a suspension.
- How can one elect to attend driver improvement school?
You may come into the Clerk's Office to make your election, or obtain an election affidavit in the county nearest you and make your election to attend a driver improvement course by mail.
Complete the affidavit (signed and notarized) and submit the original affidavit in the pre-addressed envelope within 30 calendar days of the ticket date. Include your payment for the civil penalty and $7.00 affidavit fee and allow sufficient time to ensure your Election Affidavit is received in the Clerk's Office within the allotted 30 days.
After you have completed and mailed your election to the Clerk, contact a driver improvement school to arrange an appointment for the approved course. You must submit a completion certificate to the Clerk within 60 calendar days from the date you elected to attend (the date you signed the affidavit).
- How do I pay my traffic ticket?
The Lake County Clerk’s Office offers several ways to pay your traffic ticket, including online, by phone, in-person, by mail, or by drop-box. View more information on payment options.
- How do I request a court hearing?
A court hearing may be requested by mailing a written request to the Traffic Dept., Lake County Clerk's Office, P.O. Box 7800, Tavares, FL 32778 or by coming to the Traffic Window at the Clerk's Office and signing a plea of not guilty.
- What happens if the ticket is not paid timely?
A suspension will be entered against your driver's license and you will be subject to additional penalties. You may also be turned over to a collection agency for any unpaid fines.
- What is the benefit of going to driver school?
Taking the defensive driving school will keep the points from going on your driving record. The citation will show on your record, but will show an adjudication withheld. Accident cases are 4-6 points and speeding tickets are 3-4 points.
- What is a civil traffic infraction?
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. A court appearance is usually not required, except in cases where the violation involves an accident with serious bodily injury or fatality, driving 30 miles over the speed limit, dropping an unsecured load, passing a school bus, and certain other violations required by the State.
Payment of a civil infraction can be made by mail, using the envelope provided by the officer, or in person by going to the Clerk of the Courts Office within the county in which the infraction occurred.
- When is your next driving school class?
The Clerk's Office does not schedule the class. The defendant must get in contact with the school of his or her choice. A list of schools may be found in the Yellow Pages of your local telephone directory under "Driving Instructions". You may also obtain a listing of schools at the Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles website as well as information regarding online classes.
- Who may make an election to attend driver improvement school?
Any person charged with a moving traffic violation, other than violations involving driver licenses, vehicle registration, proof of insurance, or any violation requiring mandatory court appearance, and who has not signed an affidavit in the past twelve (12) months or more than five (5) times within a lifetime, is eligible to elect to attend a driver improvement course.
Important Notice: Drivers holding a commercial license may no longer make this election. Drivers exceeding the posted speed limit sign by 30 mph and higher may no longer make this election.
Traffic Fees
Most fees may be paid by check, money order, or credit card. A 3.5% nonrefundable fee is charged by the financial service provider for each credit card transaction. If using a credit card, a photo I.D. which matches the name of the credit card holder must be presented at the time of the transaction. Payment should be made payable to "Gary J. Cooney, Clerk of Court & Comptroller."
PLEASE NOTE: We do not accept cashier's checks more than two (2) months from the issue date. In some cases, a credit card payment is not accepted. View more information on general payments.
| Item |
Fee Amount |
| Download the most recent Traffic Fine Fee Schedule |
|
Traffic tickets:
- Late Charge (civil)
- Late Charge (criminal)
|
$16.00
$25.00 |
Driver's License records (hard copy)
- 3-year record
- Full record
|
$14.25
$16.25 |
| |