Florida Traffic Ticket: Costs, Points and Traffic School

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

After a Florida traffic ticket, you have 30 days in most cases to pay, elect a Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) course if you qualify, or ask for a hearing. The cost starts with a base fine set by state law, plus court costs, and a moving violation can add 3 or more points to your license. When the law allows a BDI election, that ticket adds no points and the fine is cut by 18 percent.

Key Facts

Time to act: 30 days from the date the ticket was issued. See your three options.
Base fines: $25 to $250 for speeding, by mph over, and $60 for other moving violations, plus court costs. See what a ticket costs.
Points: speeding is 3 points at 15 mph over or less and 4 points at more than 15. See points.
BDI election: no points for that ticket and an 18 percent cut to the fine, if you qualify. See the election.
No election: 30 mph or more over, CDL or CLP holders, hearing tickets and crimes. See tickets that need a hearing.
Ignoring it: the clerk tells FLHSMV, and FLHSMV suspends your license. See missed deadlines.

What a Florida Traffic Ticket Costs

A ticket’s cost has several parts, and Florida law sets each one. The base fine is called the civil penalty, and it comes from s. 318.18. Court costs set by the same law are added on top.

For speeding, the base fine climbs with your speed over the limit. It starts at $25 for 6 to 9 mph over.

It ends at $250 for 30 mph or more over. Our speeding ticket cost guide lists every tier, and our guide to a 20 over ticket covers the $175 tier.

Other moving violations have a base fine of $60. The statute sets “$60 for all moving violations not requiring a mandatory appearance.” A red light ticket has its own amount of $158.

Cost piece	Amount or rule	Where it comes from
Speeding fine	$25 to $250, by mph over	s. 318.18(3)
Other moving violation fine	$60	s. 318.18(3)
Red light penalty	$158	s. 318.18(16)
Court cost, moving infraction	$35	s. 318.18(12)
Clerk’s fee to elect BDI	Set by the clerk; no statewide amount	Clerk of Court
BDI course fee	Set by the provider, plus a $2.50 state assessment	s. 318.1451

Florida also limits extra charges. Under s. 318.121, “additional fees, fines, surcharges, or costs” beyond the court costs and surcharges the law lists may not be added to the civil penalty. Your clerk’s notice shows the exact total for your county.

School and work zones change the fine, not the points. See our school zone and work zone guide.

Points a Ticket Can Add

Florida adds points when you are convicted of a moving violation. The values are in s. 322.27(3)(d). Here are some point values:

Speeding, 15 mph over or less: 3 points.
Speeding, more than 15 mph over: 4 points.
Red light, from an officer: 4 points.
Careless driving: 3 points, or 4 if it causes a crash.
Reckless driving: 4 points.
Leaving the scene with more than $50 in damage: 6 points.

Camera tickets work differently. The law imposes no points for a red light camera or school zone speed camera ticket.

It also says those tickets may not be used to set insurance rates. Our red light camera guide explains the rules.

When Points Lead to a Suspension

FLHSMV may suspend your license when points pile up:

12 points in 12 months: up to 30 days.
18 points in 18 months: up to 3 months.
24 points in 36 months: up to 1 year.

These windows use the offense date of each ticket. For example, three 4-point tickets in 12 months reach 12 points. Separately, the FLHSMV points page says points stay on your record for at least 5 years from the disposition date.

Your Three Options

Most Florida tickets give you 30 days to act. Under s. 318.14(4), you must respond “within 30 days after the date of issuance of the citation.” FLHSMV adds that you may not elect BDI “after the initial 30-day period.”

Pay the Civil Penalty

You can pay the fine and court costs to the clerk. Paying without an election counts as a conviction under s. 322.01. The Orange County Clerk says, “Payment of the civil penalty is considered a conviction.” Points for the ticket are then added.

Elect a BDI Course

If you qualify, you can elect to take a Basic Driver Improvement course instead of going to court. You still pay the fine, but it is lower, and no points are added.

Ask for a Hearing

You can ask for a hearing to contest the ticket. If the official finds you committed the infraction, s. 318.14(5) allows a civil penalty of up to $500. Our ticket options guide compares all three choices.

How the BDI Election Works

The election is set out in s. 318.14(9).

Within 30 days of the ticket date, you tell the Clerk of Court in the county on the ticket. You do this before you take the course, and you pay the clerk’s election fee.

Here is what the election changes:

The fine: you still pay it, but the law says it “must be reduced by 18 percent.”
Adjudication: the court withholds it, so the record shows “adjudication withheld.”
Points: none are assessed for that ticket.

Under s. 318.14(11), a withheld adjudication “is not a conviction.” That is not a dismissal. The ticket still appears on your record with that result.

Limits on Electing

You cannot elect if you made an election in the preceding 12 months. The statute also caps you at eight elections in a lifetime. The cap was five before July 1, 2024.

Some drivers and tickets cannot use the election at all:

CDL or CLP holders, for any ticket, in any vehicle.
Speeding 30 mph or more over the limit.
Hearing tickets listed in s. 318.19.
Criminal charges, which s. 318.17 keeps outside these rules.
Some license and registration violations listed in s. 318.14(9).

The Course and the Finish Date

FLHSMV approves BDI courses, including online ones. Its Approved BDI Course Providers list shows each provider’s delivery method, such as Classroom or Internet. Under s. 318.1451, providers must disclose all fees and add a $2.50 state assessment.

The court or clerk sets your finish date. There is no statewide window. The Hillsborough County Clerk gives 60 days, and the Miami-Dade Clerk gives 120 days.

Steps after a Florida traffic ticket when you elect BDI, from the 30-day choice to the clerk filing

Tickets That Need a Hearing

Some tickets cannot be paid by mail or settled with a course. Under s. 318.19, you must appear before the designated official for a crash that causes a death or serious bodily injury. The same rule covers passing a stopped school bus, certain load violations, and speeding 30 mph or more over the limit, including 50 or more over.

The election is not available for these tickets.

When a Ticket Is a Crime

Regular speeding and careless driving are noncriminal moving violations. A few driving acts are crimes instead:

Reckless driving (s. 316.192): a first offense can bring up to 90 days or a fine of $25 to $500.
Leaving the scene of a crash with property damage (s. 316.061): a second-degree misdemeanor.
Dangerous excessive speeding (s. 316.1922): 50 mph or more over, or 100 mph or more in a way that threatens people or property.

Dangerous excessive speeding became law on July 1, 2025. A first conviction can bring up to 30 days in jail or a $500 fine. Our guide on criminal and civil tickets covers the difference.

If You Miss a Deadline

Under s. 318.15, the clerk notifies FLHSMV if you do not pay, do not appear at a hearing, or do not attend driver improvement school. FLHSMV then suspends your license.

If you elect, pay and then miss the finish date, the law treats you as guilty. Points are added. You also pay back the 18 percent cut, plus a processing fee of up to $18.

The Escambia County Clerk says the election still counts toward your limits in that case.

Insurance, CDL and Out-of-State Drivers

Three groups need extra facts:

Insurance: after a valid election, s. 626.9541 bars a premium increase, cancellation or nonrenewal for that ticket, except after an at-fault crash loss. See our car insurance guide.
CDL holders: they cannot elect BDI for any ticket, even in a personal car. See the CDL speeding guide.
Drivers from other states: Florida reports convictions to member states of the Driver License Compact. See the out-of-state ticket guide.

What We Found on the Official Pages

On the statute and FLHSMV pages we checked on October 27, 2026, one conflict stood out. The 2026 text of s. 318.14(9) says a person may not make “more than eight elections” in a lifetime. The FLHSMV BDI page still listed “Made five elections in a lifetime.”

The statute controls, and this guide follows it. If a clerk page you read still says five, ask the clerk which count it applies.

Florida traffic ticket numbers at a glance: deadline, fine range, court cost, points and the hearing line

Common Mistakes

Each item below comes from Florida Statutes or an FLHSMV page:

Waiting past 30 days to elect. After the first 30 days, the election is gone.
Taking the course first. You must tell the clerk before you take the course.
Expecting old points to vanish. A course does not remove points already on your record.
Electing a 30 mph over ticket. Speeding 30 mph or more over needs a hearing.

How Requirements Can Vary

Florida’s election rules, point values and suspension levels come from Florida Statutes and FLHSMV, and they apply statewide. The election fee, the date to finish the course and how proof is filed are set by the Clerk of Court in the county on your ticket, or by the court. A court order sets its own deadline and proof steps.

Laws, fees and clerk practice can change. Check your citation, your clerk’s instructions, any court order and the FLHSMV website before you enroll or file anything.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to respond to a Florida ticket?

For a ticket that does not need a hearing, you have 30 days from the date it was issued. In that time you pay, elect BDI if you qualify, or ask for a hearing. A hearing ticket requires you to appear in court.

How much is a Florida speeding ticket?

A Florida speeding ticket has a base fine from $25 to $250, based on how far over the limit you were. Court costs are added, such as $35 for a moving infraction. Your clerk’s notice shows the exact total.

Does paying a ticket add points?

Yes. Paying without an election counts as a conviction, and the points for that violation go on your record. With an eligible BDI election, no points are assessed for that ticket (s. 318.14(9)).

Does traffic school lower the fine?

Yes. When you make a valid election, the law cuts the civil penalty by 18 percent. You also pay the clerk’s election fee and the course fee.

Can I elect if I elected last year?

Not if your last election was in the preceding 12 months. Florida also limits you to eight elections in your lifetime.

Is speeding ever a crime in Florida?

Yes, at the extreme end. Since July 1, 2025, driving 50 mph or more over the limit, or 100 mph or more in a way that threatens others, is dangerous excessive speeding. A first conviction can bring up to 30 days in jail or a $500 fine.

Conclusion

A Florida ticket comes with a fine set by law, court costs, possible points and a 30-day window to choose what to do. Check your citation and your clerk’s notice first, since they show your total and any court date.

If you qualify and choose to elect, tell the clerk before you start, then take the Florida BDI course online. If a court ordered your course, follow the order and ask the court or clerk if you are unsure.

Sources

Billy Forte is the owner of Driving Logic, a driver improvement course provider serving Florida and other U.S. states.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Election rules, deadlines, fines and penalties depend on your citation, county, court and case facts, and they can change. Use official FLHSMV, Florida Statutes and Clerk of Court sources, and consult a qualified Florida attorney for advice about your own case.