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Traffic Tickets
Florida law allows you 30 calendar days from the date you received your citation to select one of four choices listed below. Please fill out and return the traffic citation choice form included with your citation with your choice to the Clerk's office, and retain a copy for your own records:
There are four ways to pay your traffic citation. Please allow 5 to 7 days for our office to receive and process your citation before attempting to make a payment.
Please note: Tickets must be satisfied in the county in which they were issued. For example, if you received a traffic ticket in Orlando, Florida, you must pay for it in Orange County. You may not pay for it in Polk County.
4 Ways to Pay
Pay Online
Important information, please read before paying online. This service requires you to enter your citation number as it appears on the citation. Do not include dashes as part of the citation number. Do not include the additional number after the citation number since the last digit is the check-digit and not part of the actual citation number. Payments processed after 7 pm EST will be applied to the next business day and may be subject to delinquent fees. This service requires you to enter your date of birth as it appears on the citation. Do not enter the date of birth with hyphens or slashes between month/day/year. Enter the date of birth as MMDDYYYY (such as 10151965).
By proceeding to the online payment link, I acknowledge that I've read and understand the above information.
Pay in Person
Visit the locations page for the nearest Clerk's office. Credit cards and cash are accepted. View accepted credit cards. Note that the credit card processing vendor charges a convenience fee. The Clerk's office does not receive any portion of this fee. You can also pay with cash at any Amscot. (Amscot charges a $2.50 service fee) or Clerk's office locations. It may take a few days for Amscot payments to post to our system.
Pay by Mail
Payments by mail must have the proper postage and must be received by the due date to avoid late fees and suspension of your driver's license. Mailing instructions are available at the bottom of traffic citations. The Clerk's office accepts check or money order. Make checks payable to Clerk of Court in the envelope you received.
Mail to: Polk County Clerk & Comptroller
P.O. Box 9000, Drawer CC-10
Bartow, FL 33831-9000
Pay by Phone
To pay by phone, call the automated payment line at 877-716-1781 available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please have your citation and a debit or credit card. Note, this payment option is not available for past-due payments.
By selecting this choice, you will be issued a court date and will waive your right to pay the civil penalty or attend a Basic Driver Improvement course. The Court may impose a fine of up to $500 along with the court cost and require completion of a basic driver improvement course, or both. You will be required to appear at an arraignment hearing and enter a plea of Guilty, No Contest, or Not Guilty. If you enter a Not Guilty plea you will be required to re-appear for a non-jury trial date at a later time. The Clerk's office will mail you further instructions.
By entering a plea of not guilty and requesting a court hearing, you acknowledge the following:
- I am waiving my right to pay the civil penalty listed on the citation.
- I am waiving my right to elect driver improvement school.
- If I am found guilty, I may be assessed a fine up to $500 plus court costs and, in some cases, up to $1,000 plus court costs.
- I may be required to attend a driver improvement school in addition to paying a fine and court costs.
- If I fail to appear, the hearing officer will conduct the hearing in my absence.
- I am confirming that no fatality or serious bodily injury resulted from an accident involved with this citation and no criminal traffic charges were issued with this citation.
- In order to cancel this hearing I must pay the fine and subpoena fees per subpoena issued at least 24 hours prior to the hearing if I pay in person, and 3 days prior if paid by mail
- My hearing will only be rescheduled for good cause and any request for rescheduling must be received 10 days prior to the hearing.
- My right to a speedy trial is waived if, for any reason, a delay in this hearing is at my request.
- If I fail to attend the court date assigned, in addition to statutory civil penalty and/or costs, my driving privilege may be suspended until such time as my case is satisfied. Late fees may also be assessed.
- If there are any witnesses which I would like to have subpoenaed for my hearing , I must provide their names and addresses to the Clerk’s Office and pay all applicable fees.
If you are eligible and wish to attend traffic school, select this option on the insert that was provided to you with your citation and return it and your fine payment by mail, in person to our office, or make your payment online. You must contact an approved traffic course of your choice in the state of Florida.
Visit the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website or check the yellow pages for a list of approved driving schools. Traffic school enrollment fees apply in addition to any fees listed for your citation. Traffic school and applicable fees must be completed 90 days from the selection of traffic school, and you will be given 90 days to file a course completion certificate with the Clerk's office.
Failure to provide the Clerk's Office with a Driver Improvement School Certificate of Completion by the due date will result in additional fees and the suspension of your driver's license.