How Many Times Can You Use Traffic School in Florida? The 8-Election Lifetime and 12-Month Rule

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte

If you are asking how many times can you take traffic school in Florida, the answer for a ticket election is eight times in your lifetime, and never within 12 months of your last election. The eight-election limit took effect on July 1, 2024, and replaced the old limit of five. Some state and county web pages still show five, but the statute is the rule that controls.

Key Facts

How Many Times Can You Take Traffic School in Florida?

Both limits sit in one subsection, s. 318.14(9), Florida Statutes. The first says a person “may not make an election” if the person has made one “in the preceding 12 months.” The second says a person “may not make more than eight elections within his or her lifetime.”

You must pass both tests each time. A driver with only two past elections still cannot elect if one of them falls in the last 12 months. A driver whose last election was years ago still cannot elect after eight.

These limits are about the ticket election. That is the choice to take a Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) course instead of going to court for a ticket.

The 12-Month Rule

The 12-month rule looks back from the new election. If you made an election in the preceding 12 months, the new one is not allowed.

FLHSMV’s Driver Improvement Schools page puts it as “once every 12 months.” The FLHSMV BDI page lists an election “in the preceding 12 months” as a bar.

A second ticket inside that time cannot be elected. It is handled another way, such as paying it or going to a hearing. Paying is deemed an admission under s. 318.14(4)(b), and points are then entered.

The Eight-Election Lifetime Limit

The lifetime cap is eight. If you have seen the phrase “Florida traffic school 8 times,” this is the rule behind it.

Eight is a count of elections, not years. The statute does not reset the count after a set time. So each election you make uses one of the eight for good.

The 12-month rule still applies between them. So the eight elections must be spread out, with no two inside the same 12 months.

From Five to Eight: The July 1, 2024 Change

The lifetime limit used to be five. The 2023 statute set the cap at five elections.

The Legislature changed it in 2024. Chapter 2024-173, Laws of Florida, came from House Bill 287, a transportation bill. It amended s. 318.14(9) to raise the limit to eight, and it took effect on July 1, 2024.

The same law updated an insurance statute. Section 627.06501(4) now refers to “the eight-election restriction.” That cross-reference confirms the new number.

Why Some Pages Still Say Five

State and county pages do not always change when the law does. Here is what we found when we checked on October 27, 2026:

Page we checkedLifetime number shown
FLHSMV BDI course providers pageFive
FLHSMV Driver Improvement Schools pageFive
Hillsborough County Clerk traffic school pageFive
Miami-Dade Clerk traffic school pageFive
Escambia County Clerk traffic FAQEight, plus an older five-election line
St. Johns County Clerk election formEight
Florida Statutes s. 318.14(9), 2026Eight

The statute controls. A web page that shows five is out of date on this point. The Hillsborough and Miami-Dade pages are still useful for local steps, such as how to file proof.

Two pages already use the new number. The Escambia page says, “No more than 8 elections may be made in a lifetime,” though another line on it still shows an older rule.

The St. Johns form asks you to confirm that you “have not elected the school option eight (8) times within your lifetime.”

The Limits and the 30-Day Window

Having elections left does not extend the time to use one. FLHSMV says you must elect within 30 days from the citation date. You tell the clerk in the county on the ticket before you attend, and you pay the clerk’s election fee.

After 30 days, FLHSMV says you may not elect, whatever your count. The course must then be finished by the date the clerk or court sets.

Four checks before you elect Florida traffic school again, from your last election date to asking the clerk

What Each Election Gets You

The limits exist because an election is a real benefit. When you elect and finish on time, s. 318.14(9) gives three results:

  • A lower civil penalty. It is cut by 18 percent.
  • Adjudication withheld. Section 318.14(11) says this “is not a conviction.”
  • No points for that ticket.

The ticket is not dismissed, though. You still pay the reduced penalty, and the record shows “adjudication withheld.” Our guide to traffic school and points explains the record entry.

What Counts as an Election

The Escambia clerk says an election counts once the affidavit is signed and recorded by the court. The Escambia County Clerk puts it this way: “Once the affidavit is signed and recorded by the court it counts as one of your elections.”

The St. Johns County election form says the same for a course you do not finish. It reads, “I understand the election will still count, adjudication of guilt and points will be assessed.”

So an election you start but do not finish still uses one of your eight. It also brings the penalties in s. 318.15(1)(b): a guilty finding, points, and a repayment of the 18 percent reduction plus a processing fee of up to $18. Our completion deadline guide explains that path.

Courses Outside the Limit

The eight-election limit applies to ticket elections under s. 318.14(9). It does not apply to every course.

  • A course for an insurance discount. Section 627.06501(4) says the eight-election restriction “is not applicable to taking the course for the purposes of receiving insurance premium reductions.” An insurer may give a discount for a driver improvement course, and up to 10 percent is presumed appropriate. It is effective for 3 years, but it does not apply to a course taken for a ticket election.
  • The 55-and-older Mature Driver course. This is a different course under s. 627.0652. Drivers 55 and older get a discount for it, and the amount is up to each insurer.

Our guide to the BDI course and insurance covers both discounts. A course a court orders is a separate matter as well. The court sets its terms.

Elections Left Is Not the Only Test

Having elections left does not make every ticket eligible. Other bars in the law apply no matter how many elections you have used:

  • A CDL or commercial learner’s permit. Holders cannot elect under s. 318.14(9), in any vehicle.
  • Speeding 30 mph or more over. It is left out by s. 318.14(9).
  • Hearing tickets. Tickets listed in s. 318.19, such as a crash that causes a death, need a court date.
  • Criminal charges. DUI and reckless driving are outside chapter 318 under s. 318.17.

See our guide to eligible violations for the full list.

When the Limits Block an Election

If the 12-month rule or the lifetime cap blocks you, the ticket is handled another way. Paying the civil penalty is deemed an admission under s. 318.14(4)(b). Points are then entered under s. 318.14(8).

The Orange County Clerk says “Payment of the civil penalty is considered a conviction.” The definition in s. 322.01 agrees.

Points then count toward suspension levels in s. 322.27. For example, speeding 15 mph or less over is 3 points, and more than 15 over is 4 points. Twelve points in 12 months can bring a suspension of up to 30 days.

FLHSMV’s points page says points remain on the record for at least 5 years from the disposition date. That is why the count of elections you have left is worth knowing.

How to Check Your Count

If you are unsure how many elections you have made, ask the clerk before you elect. The Clerk of Court in the county on your ticket handles the election.

Before you call, gather what you know:

  • the dates of any past tickets you elected;
  • the counties where those tickets were issued;
  • the date of your most recent election.

The clerk can then tell you if the 12-month rule or the lifetime limit blocks a new election. You still need to elect within 30 days of the citation date. See the 30-day deadline guide.

The Florida traffic school election limit over time, from five elections to eight, with the 12-month rule

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Each item comes from the statute or a clerk page:

  • Trusting a page that says five. The statute has said eight since July 1, 2024.
  • Thinking an unfinished election does not count. Clerk forms say it still counts.
  • Electing again within 12 months. The statute bars it.
  • Thinking an insurance course uses up an election. Section 627.06501(4) says the limit does not apply to it.
  • Guessing your count. Ask the clerk if you are not sure.

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 many times can I elect traffic school in Florida?

Eight times in your lifetime, under s. 318.14(9). You also cannot elect if you made an election in the preceding 12 months.

Was the limit ever five?

Yes. The lifetime limit was five before July 1, 2024. Chapter 2024-173, Laws of Florida, raised it to eight.

Why does the FLHSMV page still say five?

When we checked on October 27, 2026, two FLHSMV pages had not been updated. The statute says eight, and the statute controls.

Does an election count if I do not finish the course?

Clerk forms in Escambia and St. Johns counties say yes. You also face a guilty finding, points and a repayment under s. 318.15(1)(b).

Can I take a course for an insurance discount after eight elections?

Section 627.06501(4) says the eight-election restriction does not apply to taking the course for an insurance premium reduction. Whether you get a discount is up to the insurer.

Do all counties use the same limit?

Yes. The limits are in state law, s. 318.14(9), so they apply in every county. Clerks set the election fee and the finish date, not the number of elections.

Does the 55-and-older Mature Driver course use up an election?

No. The Mature Driver course is a different course under s. 627.0652, taken for an insurance discount. The eight-election limit in s. 318.14(9) covers ticket elections.

How do I find out how many elections I have used?

Ask the Clerk of Court in the county on your ticket. For advice about your own case, talk to a Florida attorney.

Conclusion

Florida allows eight ticket elections in a lifetime, with none in the 12 months before a new one. Pages that still say five are out of date, and an election you do not finish still counts.

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.