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April 2005 |
Question:
I got a speeding ticket
recently. I heard you can pay your ticket on-line now. Is this true? What
if you want to go to traffic school to keep from getting points on your
record. Can you pay on-line and still sign up for the class?
Answer:
You can pay most general traffic citations using a VISA, MasterCard or Discover credit/debit card at http://www.myfloridacounty.com, if you received your ticket in one of the 37 Florida counties which currently offers this service.
Payment for a traffic citation is due within 30 calendar days of the citation issue date. Any payments made using the on-line service must be made by midnight Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the last business day prior to the 30th day. (Weekends are included in this 30-day period) There is typically a delay between the time the citation is issued by law enforcement and when it is received by the Clerk's Office in the appropriate Florida county, usually several business days. Bear this in mind, since the 30 day time limit still applies and any delay in receiving the citation at the Clerk's Office still counts against the 30 day deadline.
The on-line payment system at www.myfloridacounty.com provides the option of electing to take Defensive Driving School (DDS). This option can only be used once during a 12 month period and only five times during the driver's lifetime. When the DDS election option is selected, an online affidavit will appear, and the driver must select either "ACCEPT" or "DECLINE". Drivers must meet the conditions of the affidavit and complete DDS within the allocated time. Drivers who have completed DDS are responsible for providing proof of completion to the Clerk's Office. Several Defensive Driving schools can be accessed on-line, or a list of schools found at www.hsmv.state.fl.us/ddl/bdis.html.
Drivers using myfloridacounty.com
to pay citations within 72 hours of the 30 day deadline are strongly urged
to print and keep a copy of the receipt in their car. The receipt has
a date and time stamp to provide proof of payment within the 30 day deadline.
Just as there is a time delay between law enforcement and the Clerk's
Office when the citation is issued, there can be a time delay from the
Clerk's Office to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
to reflect payment of the citation.
As with any on-line service, a minor convenience fee is charged.