If you do not have a commercial driver’s license, have not elected to attend the defensive driving course within the past 12 months, and have not elected to attend the defensive driving course more than 5 times in your lifetime, you are eligible to make this election. You may check your eligibility by visiting the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ (DHSMV) site by selecting the Helpful Links option listed in the Traffic Options menu and then selecting the Eligibility to Elect Driver School link. There is no reduction in the civil penalty for making an election to attend the course. By making this election, a disposition of adjudication withheld by clerk will be transmitted to DHSMV. No points will be assessed to your driver’s license as a result of your election to attend the course.

You may make this election in one of the following ways:

• Visit one of our branch offices to make the election in person. Our office locations are listed on the “Payment Center” link under the Traffic Options menu on this page. Select the Pay in Person option.
• Elect online through the “Payment Center” link under the Traffic Options menu on this page by selecting the Pay Online with Credit Card option.
• Mail in your payment with an indication that you are electing the course. Our mailing address is listed on the “Payment Center” link.

An election must be made within 30 consecutive days of your violation date. You will be given 90 days from your violation date to complete the course and return the certificate to the Clerk’s Office. Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that the Clerk’s Office receives your completion certificate within a timely manner. If the school provider advises you that they will submit proof to the Clerk’s Office, you must confirm receipt of the completion within the 90 day time frame indicated above. You may confirm this by reviewing your case online. From our home page, select Court Case Search under the Public Records Menu. Click on the Public Information button. Search by Citation Number. Click on the blue Case Number link. Select the Register of Actions from the Case Menu. Review the Register of Actions to confirm that an event indicating “Defensive Driving – Completed” exists.

If you elect to attend the course but do not complete the course, you will be required to pay an $18.00 change of election fee. The citation’s disposition will be changed to adjudicated guilty with points assessed. A suspension may generate for failure to complete the course within a timely manner. If this occurs, DHSMV will mail a notice of pending suspension to the address on your driver’s license record. Failure to respond to the notice by the date indicated on the letter will result in suspension of your driving privilege and additional fees.

If you have received a ticket for operating a motor vehicle with improper equipment such as a broken headlight, you have the option of correcting the defect within 30 calendar days of the date you received the ticket and your fine will be reduced. (Only statutes 316.610 and 316.2935 are correctable for a reduced penalty.)

You must have a local law enforcement agency inspect the vehicle and sign the back of the ticket within 30 days indicating that the problem has been corrected. Any agency with the exception of the Florida Highway Patrol can perform the inspection. The agency will charge a small fee for the inspection.

After the inspection is complete, you must either bring the ticket to one of our offices or mail the ticket to us within 30 days of the date you received the ticket along with your payment. If you fail to have the equipment defect corrected and inspected within 30 days of the date the ticket was issued, you are obligated to pay the fine amount.

There are no points assessed on these types of citations.

If you have received a civil traffic ticket and you wish to contest the ticket, you have the right to a non jury court hearing before a judge or hearing officer. You may request the hearing in person by coming into one of our offices, by submitting a request in writing to the Clerk's Office or by using our Internet website.

It is imperative that you make the request for a hearing within 30 days of receiving your ticket.

In your written request, please include your name, address, ticket number, phone number and clearly state that you want to appear in court before a judge or hearing officer to present your defense. The Clerk's Office will notify you in writing of the date and time of the your hearing. If you make your request for a hearing in person, you may be given a court date at that time. The location of your hearing will be determined by the site of the violation.

No, you can not get an extension of time to pay a traffic ticket. However, you have 30 days from your violation date to pay the fine amount indicated on your citation. The Clerk's Office will accept partial payments and personal checks. A $5.00 partial payment fee will be assessed each month a partial payment is made. We also accept debit cards, American Express, Visa, Discover, and MasterCard. You can make your payment by mail, over the internet, via Western Union, at any Amscot location, or in person at one of our offices in Titusville, Viera, Melbourne, Merritt Island or Palm Bay.

If the fine is not paid in full within 30 days of your violation date, your fine will be delinquent, you will owe additional fees, your license will be suspended, and your delinquent obligation will be placed with a collection agency and additional fees will be assessed. If you are unable to pay your fine in full within 30 days of your violation date, please refer to the Deferred Payment Plan link on this site's Home page (located in General Information) for information regarding a monthly payment plan.  Here is a direct link to the Deferred Payment Plan webpage = Deferred Payment Plan.