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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 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

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte A Florida traffic school certificate is the proof of completion that your approved provider must issue when you finish the Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) course. For a ticket election, Florida law makes the provider report it to FLHSMV and file it with the clerk, so your job is to check that it arrived. For a court order, you must also tell the court and give it the documents it needs. Key Facts What the Florida Traffic School Certificate Is Florida’s driver improvement school law is s. 318.1451, Florida Statutes. It lists duties

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte If you searched florida approved traffic school online, you can verify a provider by finding its name on FLHSMV’s Approved BDI Course Providers list and checking that its delivery method says Internet. FLHSMV approves and regulates Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) courses, and online providers need approval for statewide delivery. If a court ordered your course, confirm the course with the court or clerk as well. Key Facts What FLHSMV Approval Means FLHSMV approves and regulates BDI courses under s. 318.1451(1). Approval is not a one-time stamp. The statute gives FLHSMV duties that

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte If you searched how to get points off your license in Florida, the short answer is that traffic school does not take away points already on your record. FLHSMV says points that have been added “cannot be removed” unless the court tells it to, and they stay at least 5 years from the disposition date. What a Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) election can do is keep points off one new, eligible ticket. Key Facts Points Already on Your Record FLHSMV trains court staff with a guide called “Reading a Driving Record.” The

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte If you searched how to check points on license florida, the answer is to order a copy of your driving record, because FLHSMV says the record “will indicate the number of points.” FLHSMV charges $8 for a 3-year record and $10 for a 7-year record, and clerks and tax collectors can provide records too. A free online status check also exists, but it does not list your points. Key Facts How to Check Points on License Florida: Start With the Record Points live on your driving record. The Florida Department of Highway

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte If you searched careless driving florida, here is the short answer: a careless driving ticket adds 3 points to your record if you are convicted, or 4 points if it caused a crash. It is a noncriminal moving violation, unlike reckless driving, which is a crime. If you are eligible, you can elect a Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) course within 30 days so no points are assessed. Key Facts What Florida Law Says Careless driving is defined in s. 316.1925, Florida Statutes. The law says a driver must drive “in a careful

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte The best online traffic school florida drivers can choose is one that appears on the FLHSMV approved BDI provider list with Internet delivery, discloses every fee and explains how it issues and files your certificate. Florida does not rank providers, so the answer comes from checks you can run yourself. Run each one before you pay, and confirm your deadline with the Clerk of Court. Key Facts Check the FLHSMV List Start with the source. FLHSMV posts an Approved BDI Course Providers list. Each row shows a provider name, a delivery method

Updated October 2026 · Reviewed by Billy Forte The Florida 4 hour BDI course works online through a provider that FLHSMV has approved for statewide Internet delivery, and that provider reports your finish for you. FLHSMV, not the course name, decides how long the course runs. Your clerk or the court decides the date you must be done. Key Facts What the 4-Hour Name Means You will see this course called the 4-hour BDI course. The Miami-Dade Clerk uses that wording when it explains traffic school. That is the course’s name, but the number of hours is not written in