Basic Driver Improvement Course Florida: The Complete Guide

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

The basic driver improvement course Florida drivers call BDI, or traffic school, is a course approved by FLHSMV for three uses: a ticket election, a court order or an FLHSMV notice. For an eligible ticket, the election lowers the civil penalty and keeps points off that ticket. You can take an approved course online or in a classroom.

Key Facts

What it is: a traffic safety course approved by FLHSMV under s. 318.1451. See the overview.
Why people take it: a ticket election, a court order or an FLHSMV notice. See three reasons.
Ticket election: tell the clerk within 30 days; the civil penalty drops 18 percent and no points are added for that ticket. See the election.
Limits: one election in 12 months and eight in a lifetime. See the limits.
Formats: FLHSMV’s provider list shows each delivery method, such as Classroom or Internet. See formats.
What it does not do: it does not remove points already on your record. See what BDI does not do.

Basic Driver Improvement Course Florida Overview

Basic Driver Improvement, or BDI, is the course name Florida law uses. Section 318.1451 of the Florida Statutes covers driver improvement schools. It gives the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) the job of approving them.

FLHSMV and county clerks also call the course traffic school. Both names point to the same BDI course.

The law lists safety topics FLHSMV considers for course content. They include motorcyclist, bicyclist and pedestrian safety. They also include risky acts such as speeding, running red lights and stop signs, and using electronic devices while driving.

Some people search for a “defensive driving” course. That is not an official Florida course name, and the Florida course for a ticket is BDI. Our course names guide explains each name you may see.

Three Reasons Drivers Take BDI

Drivers come to the same course for three different reasons. Each reason has its own rule and its own deadline.

Reason	Where the rule comes from	Who sets the deadline	Key point
Ticket election	s. 318.14(9)	The court or the clerk	No points for that ticket
Court order	The order itself	The court	Tell the court when you finish
FLHSMV notice	s. 322.0261	The statute: 90 days after the notice	License canceled until the course is done

A Ticket Election

A ticket election is a choice you make after a noncriminal traffic ticket. You take BDI in place of a court appearance. The details are in how the ticket election works.

A Court Order

A judge can order a driver improvement course. FLHSMV says to finish it in the time the court sets. Then tell the court you are done and give it the documents it needs.

Our court-ordered course guide covers those cases.

An FLHSMV Notice

Under s. 322.0261, FLHSMV requires a driver improvement course after certain events:

a crash with a death, or with an injury that needs transport to a medical facility;
a second crash within 2 years with at least $500 in property damage;
a conviction for running a red light, passing a stopped school bus, racing or reckless driving.

You must finish within 90 days after FLHSMV’s notice. If you do not, the license is canceled until you finish. A third crash within 36 months is a separate rule: it calls for a course with behind-the-wheel instruction and a behind-the-wheel exam.

How the Ticket Election Works

The election comes from s. 318.14(9). Only a driver without a commercial driver license (CDL) or commercial learner’s permit (CLP) can elect. The ticket must also have been given in a noncommercial vehicle.

FLHSMV’s BDI provider page sets out the timing. You must elect within 30 days of the citation date. Before you take the course, you tell the Clerk of Court in the county where the ticket was issued.

You also pay that clerk’s election fee. There is no single statewide amount for it.

In return, the law gives three results for that ticket:

Lower civil penalty. You still pay it, but it is cut by 18 percent.
Adjudication withheld. The court withholds a finding of guilt.
No points. No points are assessed for that ticket.

This is not a dismissal. The Escambia County Clerk says the violation goes on your record as “adjudication withheld.” Under s. 318.14(11), a withheld adjudication “is not a conviction.”

Our election guide walks through every step.

Who Cannot Elect

Some drivers and some tickets are left out. The election is not open in these cases:

CDL or CLP holders, in any vehicle.
Speeding 30 mph or more over the limit.
Some license and registration violations named in s. 318.14(9).
Tickets that need a court hearing under s. 318.19, such as a crash that causes death or serious bodily injury.
Criminal charges such as DUI, reckless driving, fleeing and leaving the scene, under s. 318.17.

Our guide to eligible violations lists each one. Commercial drivers can read why CDL holders cannot elect.

Election Limits

Two limits apply under s. 318.14(9). You cannot elect if you made an election in the preceding 12 months. You also cannot make more than eight elections in your lifetime.

The lifetime limit was five before July 1, 2024. Chapter 2024-173, Laws of Florida, raised it to eight. Some FLHSMV and clerk pages still say five, but the statute says eight, and the statute controls.

See how many times you can elect for the details.

Overview of the Florida BDI course in five stages, from the reason you take it to the result on your record

Online and Classroom Formats

FLHSMV approves BDI courses in more than one format. The law covers courses “that use technology as a delivery method.” Online providers must hold approval for statewide delivery under s. 318.1451(2)(b).

FLHSMV posts the Approved BDI Course Providers list on its BDI page. Each row shows a delivery method, such as Classroom or Internet. Some rows are limited to citations from one county.

To check a provider, read our guide to FLHSMV-approved providers.
To compare formats, read about online and in-person options.
To see how the online course runs, read about the 4-hour course online.

Reporting After You Finish

The provider handles the official reports. Under s. 318.1451(6)(f), it reports your completion to FLHSMV within 5 days. It also files the completion with the clerk of the county on your ticket through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal.

That clerk filing is due within 3 days after the provider gets your certificate number. FLHSMV’s Driver Improvement Schools page says to allow 24 to 72 hours for a completion to post. FLHSMV does not accept paper certificates for any licensing purpose.

Our certificate guide covers what to keep.

Course Length and Cost in Brief

FLHSMV sets the length of every course type under s. 318.1451(6)(e). Clerk pages, such as the Miami-Dade Clerk, call BDI a 4-hour course. See how long the course is.

There is no single statewide price. Each provider must disclose all of its fees, and a $2.50 state assessment fee is collected on top of the course fee. See what the course costs.

What BDI Does Not Do

Knowing the limits keeps you from planning around a wrong idea:

It does not remove existing points. An election keeps points off one ticket. Points already on your record stay there.
It is not a dismissal. The record shows adjudication withheld.
It does not earn the driver improvement insurance discount for an elected ticket. Section 627.06501 says it does not apply to a course taken in place of a court appearance under s. 318.14(9).
It is not ADI. Advanced Driver Improvement is a separate course for license suspensions under s. 322.291.
It is not the 55-and-older course. Drivers 55 and older use a separate Mature Driver course for an insurance discount.

Read BDI versus ADI and the insurance discount guide for more.

Missing the Finish Date

The court or clerk sets the date to finish, and there is no statewide window. Clerk examples are 60 days in Hillsborough, Escambia and St. Johns counties, and 120 days in Miami-Dade.

If you elect, pay and then do not finish in time, s. 318.15(1)(b) applies. You are found guilty and points are added. You also pay back the 18 percent reduction plus a processing fee of up to $18.

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

See the completion deadline guide for more.

The Florida BDI course by the numbers: election window, penalty cut, election limits, state fee and posting time

Florida BDI Guides in This Series

Each guide answers one question in depth:

How the online course works: approval, certificates and reporting.
Course names: traffic school, BDI and other courses.
FLHSMV approval: how to check the provider list.
Steps online: from election to a posted record.
Length and deadlines: who sets the time and the finish date.
Cost: the state fee and ticket costs.
The course test: what the law says about content.
The certificate: how proof is reported and filed.
Insurance: the two Florida discount laws.
Choosing a course: checks to make before you pay.
Online or classroom: the formats compared.
Out-of-state licenses: drivers licensed elsewhere.
BDI and ADI: two courses for two needs.

What We Found on the Official Pages

On the FLHSMV and clerk pages we checked on October 27, 2026, the lifetime limit did not always match the law. The FLHSMV BDI pages still listed five lifetime elections. Section 318.14(9) says eight.

The Escambia County Clerk page showed the eight-election limit and an older limit side by side.

The St. Johns County Clerk election form listed eight. The Hillsborough County Clerk and Miami-Dade Clerk pages still said five.

When a page and the statute differ, the statute controls. Ask your clerk if you are unsure.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

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

Waiting past 30 days. FLHSMV says you cannot elect after the 30-day period.
Taking the course before telling the clerk. FLHSMV says to tell the clerk first.
Expecting to elect with a CDL. CDL and CLP holders cannot elect in any vehicle.
Trusting an old limit of five. The statute says eight.
Expecting old points to drop. BDI does not remove points already on the record.
Losing track of the finish date. Missing it brings a guilty finding and points.

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

Is BDI the same as traffic school in Florida?

Yes. FLHSMV and county clerks use “traffic school” for the Basic Driver Improvement course. The name in the statutes is basic driver improvement.

Who needs a BDI course?

Drivers who elect it for an eligible ticket need it. So do drivers with a court order and drivers who get an FLHSMV notice under s. 322.0261. Check your ticket, order or notice to see which one applies.

Does BDI remove points from my license?

No. An election keeps points off the ticket you elected for. Points already on your record are not affected.

How many times can I elect BDI?

Once in any 12-month period, and no more than eight times in a lifetime, under s. 318.14(9). The lifetime limit was five before July 1, 2024.

Can I take BDI online?

Yes, with a provider FLHSMV approved for statewide Internet delivery. FLHSMV’s provider list shows each delivery method. If a court ordered your course, follow the order.

Will my insurance go up after an elected ticket?

Under s. 626.9541(1)(o), an insurer may not raise your premium, cancel or non-renew because of a ticket where adjudication was withheld and no points were assessed under s. 318.14(9). The exception is a crash where the insurer had a loss due to your fault.

Can CDL holders take BDI for a ticket?

Not as a ticket election. Section 318.14(9) bars anyone who holds a CDL or a commercial learner’s permit, in any vehicle. A court can still order a course, but that is not an election.

Conclusion

The Florida BDI course serves three purposes: ticket elections, court orders and FLHSMV notices. If you elect for a ticket, do it within 30 days, tell your clerk first and finish by the clerk’s date.

If a court ordered your course, follow the order and ask the court or clerk if you are unsure. 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.