How to Elect Traffic School in Florida: Notifying the Clerk, Step by Step

Getting a traffic ticket in Florida is stressful enough. What makes it worse is discovering you missed the one procedural step — notifying the clerk of court — that would have kept the conviction off your record entirely. This guide walks you through the election process exactly as it works, so you don't botch it.

If you're still weighing whether to elect at all, read our comparison of Florida traffic school vs. paying the ticket first. If you've already decided to elect, keep reading.

What "electing traffic school" actually means

Florida's Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) program under §318.14(9) lets eligible drivers handle a noncriminal moving violation in lieu of a court appearance. When you elect and successfully complete an FLHSMV-approved BDI course:

• Adjudication is withheld — no conviction or finding of guilt on that ticket.
• Points are not assessed — the violation never hits your Florida driving record as a conviction.
• Your civil penalty is reduced by 18 percent from the amount set by §318.18(3).

This is not a point-removal process. Adjudication is withheld so points are never assessed in the first place. There is nothing to clean up later — which is exactly why getting the election right matters so much.

For a full breakdown of how points work and what happens if adjudication is not withheld, see our guide on dismissing points with Florida BDI traffic school.

Step 1 — Act within 30 days of your citation

The election window is 30 days from the date on your citation. This is not 30 days from when you get around to it. Mark the date on your ticket and count from there.

If you let that window expire, the election option is gone. You would need to appear before the court instead, and the court — not you — would decide how the ticket is resolved.

Step 2 — Contact the clerk of court in the issuing county

You must notify the clerk of court in the county where the citation was issued — not a neighboring county, not an online portal for a different jurisdiction. The issuing county's clerk is the only office that can process your election.

Most Florida county clerks offer the election by:

• In person at the clerk's traffic division office
• Online through the county clerk's official website
• By mail (check whether your county accepts this and whether the postmark or the received date controls)

Look up your county clerk's contact information on the citation itself or on your county's official government website. Do not rely on third-party lookup services for the correct address or portal — go directly to the county.

Step 3 — Pay the election fee before attending any course

This is where many drivers go wrong: you must pay before you attend the course, not after. The clerk will not process your election without payment.

What you owe at election:

• The reduced civil penalty — the standard §318.18(3) amount, reduced by 18 percent because you are electing BDI.
• A processing fee of up to $18 — the clerk retains a portion; a share goes to General Revenue.
• The $2.50 school assessment — set by §318.1451, collected by the school when you enroll.

The exact civil-penalty amount appears on your citation. Apply the 18-percent reduction to that base figure to get your reduced payment. If you are unsure of the math, ask the clerk — they calculate it routinely.

Do not pay the full unreduced penalty and then try to elect. Paying the full penalty is typically treated as a waiver — as if you simply paid the ticket without electing BDI.

Step 4 — Enroll in an FLHSMV-approved BDI course

Once the clerk has processed your election and you have paid, enroll in an FLHSMV-approved Basic Driver Improvement course. The course is 4 hours in length (set by FLHSMV standards). Approved providers include in-person classrooms and online options — confirm your chosen provider is on the FLHSMV approved list at flhsmv.gov.

The school will collect the $2.50 assessment at enrollment and will report your completion to the clerk.

Step 5 — Complete the course and confirm closure

After completion, the school reports to the clerk. Confirm with the clerk (or through the county's online case-lookup system) that the case has been closed with adjudication withheld. Do not assume it happened automatically — verify it.

Who cannot elect BDI

Not every ticket is eligible. You cannot elect BDI if:

• You elected in the preceding 12 months or have already elected 5 times in your lifetime (§318.14(9)).
• You hold a CDL — the federal no-masking rule prohibits it regardless of which vehicle you were driving.
• Your violation requires a mandatory hearing under §318.19 — this includes crashes causing death or serious bodily injury, certain school-bus and railroad-crossing violations, and speeding 30 or more mph over the posted limit.
• Your ticket is for certain registration or license-status offenses listed in §318.14(9) by cross-reference (§320.0605(1), §320.07(3)(a), §322.065, §322.15(1), §322.61, §322.62).

If you are unsure whether your specific violation qualifies, ask the clerk before paying anything.

Disclaimer: Traffic procedures, fees, and deadlines vary by county and can change. This post is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Always confirm your specific deadlines, payment amounts, and eligibility with the clerk of court listed on your citation or with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.