How to Elect Traffic School in Florida: Complete Guide

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

Here is how to elect traffic school in Florida: within 30 days of the citation date, tell the Clerk of Court in the county on your ticket, pay the clerk’s election fee, and finish an approved Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) course by the date the clerk or court sets. In return, the civil penalty is cut by 18 percent, adjudication is withheld and no points are added for that ticket. The ticket is not dismissed, though, and your record shows “adjudication withheld.”

Key Facts

Time to elect: 30 days from the citation date, through the clerk in the county on the ticket. See the steps.
Who can elect: a driver with no CDL or commercial learner’s permit, ticketed in a noncommercial vehicle. See who can elect.
What you get: an 18 percent cut in the civil penalty, adjudication withheld and no points for that ticket. See what the election does.
Limits: no election within 12 months of your last one, and eight in a lifetime. See how often.
Finish date: set by the clerk or court, not by one statewide rule. See the two clocks.

What a Ticket Election Is

A ticket election is a choice Florida law gives some drivers after a noncriminal traffic ticket. Under s. 318.14(9), Florida Statutes, an eligible driver may attend a basic driver improvement course “in lieu of a court appearance.” The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) must approve the course.

FLHSMV and county clerks also call it “traffic school.” Some clerk pages call it the 4-hour course, but that is only its name. Under s. 318.1451, FLHSMV sets the length of each course type.

The election has two parts: the choice you make with the clerk, and the course you finish on time.

Who Can Elect

Three things must be true before the law allows an election:

No commercial license. You do not hold a commercial driver license (CDL) or a commercial learner’s permit (CLP).
A noncommercial vehicle. You were cited while driving a noncommercial motor vehicle.
An eligible ticket. The ticket is a noncriminal infraction that the law does not leave out.

Your past elections matter too. You cannot elect if you made an election in the preceding 12 months, and you cannot make more than eight in your lifetime.

The CDL bar covers every CDL and CLP holder, even for a ticket in a personal car. Our guide to CDL holders and traffic school explains why.

Tickets You Cannot Elect

Some tickets are left out by law. In short, there is no election for:

Speeding 30 mph or more over the limit, under s. 318.14(9).
Some license and registration tickets that s. 318.14(9) lists by number.
Hearing tickets listed in s. 318.19, for example a crash that kills someone.
Crimes, for example DUI or reckless driving, which s. 318.17 puts outside chapter 318.

The full list is in our guide to eligible violations. Tickets that need a hearing have their own guide on mandatory court appearances.

How to Elect Traffic School in Florida, Step by Step

These steps follow the FLHSMV page on Basic Driver Improvement and the statutes. If your clerk gives other steps, follow the clerk.

Read your citation. Note the citation date, the county and the violation. Check them against the limits above.
Contact the clerk within 30 days. FLHSMV says you must elect within 30 days from the citation date. You tell the Clerk of Court in the county where the ticket was issued, before you take the course.
Pay the clerk. You pay the civil penalty, cut by 18 percent, and the clerk’s election fee. No statewide fee amount exists.
Pick an approved course. FLHSMV posts an “Approved BDI Course Providers” list. It shows each provider’s delivery method, such as Classroom or Internet.
Finish by the clerk’s date. The court or clerk sets this date. Write it down when you elect.
Let the provider report. The provider reports your completion to FLHSMV within 5 days. It also files it with the clerk within 3 days after it gets your certificate number.
Check your case. FLHSMV says to allow 24 to 72 hours for a completion to post to your FLHSMV record. Ask the clerk if your case does not show it.

The course has its own fee, apart from the ticket. Providers must disclose all fees, and they collect a $2.50 state assessment fee on top of the course fee.

Seven steps to elect traffic school in Florida, from reading the citation to confirming the clerk has the completion

What the Election Does

A valid election changes how the ticket ends. Under s. 318.14(9):

Adjudication is withheld. The court does not enter a finding of guilt.
The civil penalty drops 18 percent. You still pay it, at the lower amount.
No points are assessed for that ticket.

Section 318.14(11) adds that a withheld adjudication “is not a conviction.” Even so, the ticket is not dismissed. The Escambia County Clerk says the violation is entered on your driving record as “adjudication withheld.”

Insurance law also plays a part. Section 626.9541(1)(o) bars an insurer from adding a premium charge, canceling or refusing to renew over a ticket that ended with adjudication withheld and no points.

The one exception is a crash where the insurer had a loss due to your fault. Our guide to traffic school and points goes further.

Two Clocks to Watch

Two dates control your election, and they are not the same.

The election deadline is 30 days from the citation date. FLHSMV says drivers may not elect the course after that first 30-day period. Our 30-day deadline guide covers it in detail.

The finish date is set by the court or the clerk. No statewide window exists.

For example, the Miami-Dade clerk allows 120 days, and three other clerk pages we read show 60. Our completion deadline guide explains each one.

Who Sets Each Part of the Election

This table shows where each rule comes from:

Part of the election	Who sets it	Where to look
Who may elect	Florida Legislature	s. 318.14(9)
30 days to elect	FLHSMV and statute	FLHSMV BDI page; s. 318.14(4)
18 percent penalty cut	Florida Legislature	s. 318.14(9)
Election fee amount	County clerk	Your clerk’s office
Date to finish the course	Court or clerk	Your clerk’s instructions
Course approval and length	FLHSMV	s. 318.1451

So the fee and the finish date can differ by county. The rules on who can elect do not.

How Often You Can Elect

The statute sets two limits. First, no election is allowed if you made one in the preceding 12 months. Second, eight is the lifetime cap.

Until July 1, 2024, the cap was five. Some FLHSMV and clerk pages still say five, but the statute says eight, and the statute controls. Our guide to how many times you can elect explains the change.

If You Miss the Finish Date

Missing the finish date undoes the benefit. Under s. 318.15(1)(b), a person who elects, pays and does not attend in time “is deemed to have admitted the infraction.” That person is found guilty, and points are assessed.

You must also pay the clerk back the 18 percent reduction plus a processing fee of up to $18.

Section 318.15(1)(a) lists failing to attend driver improvement school among the failures the clerk reports to FLHSMV, which then suspends the license. Clerk forms in Escambia and St. Johns counties say the election still counts toward your limit.

Court Orders, CDL Holders and Hearing Tickets

Some drivers are on a different path:

A court ordered the course. The court sets the course, the deadline and the proof. See court-ordered driver improvement and court-ordered BDI online.
You hold a CDL or CLP. There is no election for any ticket, in any vehicle.
Your ticket needs a hearing. You must appear in court, so the election is not open.

What We Found on the Official Pages

We read the FLHSMV and county clerk pages again on October 27, 2026. The two FLHSMV pages both gave 30 days from the citation date to elect.

FLHSMV said drivers must “inform the clerk of court in the county where the citation was issued” before the course. No page we read gave a statewide election fee.

Two FLHSMV pages lag behind the law. The BDI page and the Driver Improvement Schools page still listed five lifetime elections. The statute says eight, and the statute controls.

The St. Johns County election form showed eight and named the 18 percent reduction.

Summary card of the Florida ticket election: who can elect, the 30-day window, the 18 percent cut, no points, the limits and the finish date

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Each item comes from the statute, FLHSMV or a clerk page:

Taking the course before telling the clerk. FLHSMV says to inform the clerk before you attend.
Waiting past 30 days. FLHSMV says you cannot elect after the first 30 days from the citation date.
Paying without electing. Paying the civil penalty alone counts as admitting the ticket, and points are entered under s. 318.14(4)(b) and (8).
Using a course that is not on the list. The course must be approved by FLHSMV.
Losing track of the finish date. Missing it brings points and a repayment.
Trusting an old page for the limit. The statute says eight, not five.

Election Guides in This Series

Each guide answers one election question in depth:

Eligible violations: which tickets qualify and which do not.
The 30-day deadline: when you must elect.
How many times: the 12-month and eight-election limits.
Points: what the election does to points.
Finishing on time: the finish date and missing it.
CDL holders: why they cannot elect.
Hearing tickets: tickets that need a court date.
Court orders: when a judge orders a course.
Court orders and online courses: whether the order allows online.

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

Can I elect traffic school after 30 days?

No. FLHSMV says drivers may not elect the course after the first 30 days from the citation date. Points are then assessed for the ticket.

How much is the election fee?

The clerk in the county on your ticket sets it. FLHSMV says you must pay an election fee to the clerk, but no statewide amount is set.

Does electing traffic school dismiss my ticket?

No. Adjudication is withheld and no points are assessed, but the ticket is not dismissed. The Escambia County Clerk says the record shows “adjudication withheld.”

Do I still pay the fine?

Yes. You pay the civil penalty, reduced by 18 percent under s. 318.14(9). The course fee is separate, and the provider adds a $2.50 state assessment fee.

Can I take the course online?

FLHSMV approves online BDI courses from providers with statewide approval. Its approved list shows which providers deliver by Internet. If a court ordered your course, follow the order.

Can a CDL holder elect traffic school?

No. Section 318.14(9) allows an election only for a driver who holds no CDL or commercial learner’s permit and was driving a noncommercial vehicle.

What if I am not sure my ticket qualifies?

Ask the Clerk of Court in the county on your ticket. The clerk can tell you which options apply to your citation. For advice about your own case, talk to a Florida attorney.

Conclusion

To elect traffic school in Florida, act within 30 days, tell the clerk, pay the reduced penalty and the election fee, and finish an approved course by the clerk’s date. The election keeps points off that ticket, but it does not dismiss it.

If a court ordered your course, follow the order, and ask the court or clerk if anything is unclear. When you are ready, you can take the Florida BDI course online.

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.