Traffic Department

A civil traffic infraction is a non-criminal charge issued by a law enforcement officer in the form of a citation or traffic ticket. In most instances, a civil traffic infraction may be disposed of by:

• A payment of a civil penalty, otherwise known as a fine
• The election and completion of an authorized driver improvement course and payment of civil penalty
• A hearing before the Court

FINE CHART

Ways to Pay Fines

Pay Online

Pay securely by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX or Discover) or debit card. Elect to attend or decline traffic school during the payment process.

Disclaimer:  Any payments made through PayChoice will be under review and will not post to your citation/case until the funds have been received by Santa Rosa County Clerk of Courts.  In addition, NO suspensions will be released until the funds have been received.

Pay In Person

Pay By Phone

Pay the ticket by phone using the MyFloridaCounty Traffic IVR; (855) 984-1187

Pay By Electronic Check

Pay the ticket by electronic check using MyFloridaRemit.com

Pay By Mail

Mail payment to:

Clerk of the Circuit Court
Attn: Traffic Bureau
Post Office Box 472
Milton, Florida 32570
Fax (850) 983-2048

Resolution Options

• Pay the fine
• Attend driver improvement school and pay the fine. Information on available courses can be found here.
• Contest the violation
• Dismissal for tag, registration, driver’s license or insurance violations with payment of $10.00 dismissal fee and proof.
• Dismissal for disabled permit or license tag violation with payment of a $10.00 dismissal fee and proof.

Payment of Civil Penalty or Fine

If you choose to pay the civil penalty or fine:

• You must make payment to the Clerk of the Court within 30 calendar days of the date the citation was issued.
• Citations may be paid online or by cash, cashier’s check, major/debit credit card, money order, or personal check.
• You may make payment in person, through the mail, or by phone.
• Failure to pay within this time period may result in suspension of your license and an assessment of reinstatement fees, and late fees.

Election to Attend Driver Improvement School

If you choose to attend one of these courses:

• You may choose this option no more than once every 12 months and no more than 5 times in your life.
• You must complete and return the notarized School Affidavit* along with the applicable fees to the Clerk of the Court within 30 calendar days from the date the citation was issued.
• You must enroll, attend and return the certificate of completion of the Driver Improvement course within 60 days from the date you paid the fine and filed your election form with the Clerk of the Court. Failure to do so will result in suspension of your license, reinstatement fees and late fees.
• You may attend any driver improvement course approved by the State of Florida in any county in Florida.
• You may receive mail from private driver improvement Schools through the mail or you may contact local schools for additional information. You will find them listed in the phone directory under “Traffic School” or “Driving instruction”.
• You may email CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION to TrafficProof@santarosaclerks.com

Request a Court Hearing

If you want to contest the violation and request a court hearing:

• You must notify the Clerk in writing within 30 days of the date the citation was issued to request a civil hearing be scheduled.
• You will receive a notice from the Clerk advising you of the date and time of your hearing.
• The law enforcement officer that issued the citation will be present at your hearing, as well as any witnesses listed by the officer.
• You are responsible for making sure any witnesses you want to testify appear at your hearing.
• If the Court finds you committed the offense, you may be ordered to pay the court costs and/or attend driver improvement school.
• If you reside out-of-state, you must complete and return the notarized Affidavit of Defense Form*, driving record from the state where you reside, along with the applicable fees to the Clerk of the Court within 30 calendar days from the date the citation or ticket was issued.

If you have been charged with the Following Violation:

• Valid registration s. 320.07(3)(a) and s. 320.07(3)(b) F.S.
• Fail to carry vehicle registration s. 320.0605(1) F.S.
• Failed to exhibit or carry driver’s license s. 322.15(1)
• Fail to exhibit personal injury protection insurance s. 316.646(1)
• D.L. expires less than 6 months s. 322.065
• You may have the violation dismissed by providing proof of valid registration, driver’s license, or insurance along with payment of the $10.00 fee to the Clerk of the Court within 30 days of the date the citation or ticket was issued.
• This option is only available in cases in which your registration, driver’s license or insurance was valid at the time the citation or ticket was issued.
• You may e-mail proof to us at TrafficProof@santarosaclerks.com

If you have been charged with any of the following violations, you may enter a plea of Nolo Contendere and pay a reduced fine:

Pursuant to s. 318.14(10)(a) F.S., a person may in lieu of payment of fine or court appearance, provide proof of compliance to the Clerk of Court, Traffic Division, enter a plea of Nolo Contendere, and pay court costs. Adjudication is to be withheld upon completion of the above conditions. This election can only be made once during a twelve-month period and no more than three times during a lifetime.

Proof of compliance consists of a valid, renewed or reinstated Driver’s License or registration certificate and proper proof of maintenance of security (Insurance) as required by s. 316.646 F.S. If you elect this option you must complete and return the Proof of Compliance Affidavit*, with the applicable fees to the Clerk of the Court within 30 calendar days from the date the citation was issued.

If You have been Charged with the Following Violation:

• Disabled Parking Permit or Disabled License Plate Violation F.S. 316.1955
• You may have the violation dismissed by providing proof of valid disabled parking permit or disabled license plate to the Law Enforcement agency that issued the citation. Law Enforcement will provide you with an Affidavit of Compliance, which must accompany your payment of the $10.00 fee to the Clerk of the Court within 30 days of the date the citation or ticket was issued.
• This option is only available in cases in which your disabled parking permit or disabled license plate was valid at the time the citation or ticket was issued.
• All forms are in Adobe PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these documents.
• Upon approval of Clerk, call for information and form required.