When you get a traffic ticket in Florida, you have options but those options have a deadline. You can attend traffic court on the date assigned by the officer in hopes of fighting the charge, you can pay the fine and accept the points on your record, or you can attend an approved Florida traffic school (if you are eligible) and have the points removed from your record. The deadline depends on the county in which you received your citation. To determine your personal deadline, you should read the options printed on the back of the traffic ticket or contact the Clerk of the Court's office in the county where you received the ticket.

Here are a few options on how to handle Florida traffic tickets:

Pay the fine – This is the same as pleading guilty. Though it seems the quickest and easiest way to resolve a ticket, there are consequences for the driver.

• Since the driver has admitted guilt, they may find their insurance premiums will increase when it comes time to renew the policy.
• Once the points go on a driver's record, they could wind up having their license suspended if they receive more points within a one to three year period.
• A driver with a “Safe Driver” designation on their license will lose that designation forcing them to renew their license more often.

Fight the traffic ticket in court – If a driver feels that the citation was a mistake, they can go to court on the date written on the traffic ticket. To fight the ticket, the driver will need to produce solid proof that they weren't guilty of the charges. In order to do this effectively, the driver may want to consider hiring an attorney who specializes in traffic offenses. Fighting the ticket is a gamble that should only be taken if the driver has absolute proof that the ticket was issued in error.

Attend traffic school – Attending a traffic school has several benefits:

• No points will be assessed against the driver’s record.
• Insurance premiums are not allowed to increase (unless the driver was at fault in a collision that their insurance company had to pay out on).
• The driver can keep their "Safe Driver" status if they had it to begin with.

For some, depending on the type of offense, attending traffic school may not be an option.

Finding the right traffic school means:

• Researching a school that is approved by the Florida Department of Highway and Motor Vehicles.
• Determining whether the school has a class that you can attend within your time limit or;
• Finding an online course that will allow you to attend traffic school at your own pace and on your own time.

Labels: 12 hour traffic school, defensive driving course, driver record, traffic ticket, traffic ticket fees

Getting a suspended license usually causes difficulty for people who need to get to and from work in their car. A way for suspended license holders to do so is to get a hardship license, which allows drivers to operate a vehicle while getting their license back. If you fall under any of these categories you may be required to complete a 12-hour Advanced Driver Improvement course:




Suspended License / Revoked License - If your Drivers License has been suspended for 12 points within 12 months you will need to enroll in this course before applying for a hardship license. The DMV will also be sending you a letter requiring you to complete a 12-Hour Advanced Driver Improvement course. This is the most common option.
Habitual Traffic Offender (HTO) - If your Drivers License has been suspended for 18 points within 18 months, you have received a letter from DMV requiring you to take a 12-Hour Advanced Driver Improvement course for HTO.
Court Ordered 12 Hour Traffic School - If your Driver’s License has been suspended and you appeared in Court and the Judge ordered you to take a 12-Hour Advanced Driver Improvement course.

A hardship license only applies for drivers who got a revoked license for points in Florida. There are 2 types of these restricted licenses:

• For Business Purposes Only - This restricted license is granted for a person who shows the need to drive to and from work and to drive as a normal part of his or her job.
• For Work Purposes Only - This restricted license allows the driver to drive to and from work and as a normal part of his or her job only.

Those who aren't qualified to get a hardship license are those who get a suspended license for being incapable of operating a motor vehicle safely, or those with a conviction for a DUI offense.

There are three steps to get apply for a hardship license in Florida:

1. Find an approved Florida 12 hour traffic school course, also called an advanced driver improvement course. Once a student signs up, they will receive a letter of enrollment. NOTE: You will have 90 days to complete the course and provide a completion certificate or your restricted license can be canceled.
2. Go to the Clerk of Court and get a "30 day search" for the Florida driving record. This takes just a few moments and the driver will then receive a letter about their driving record.
3. The driver must present the letter of enrollment from the 12 hour course, and the letter from the Clerk of Court to the DMV with a hearing officer. The driver will still be required to complete the 12 hour course first if they are branded as a "habitual offender." The hardship license will then be processed and mailed once the 12 hour course is completed.

Labels: 12 hour traffic school, adi course, advanced driver improvement course, court ordered traffic school, drivers license, hardship license, restricted license, suspended license