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State Cert Guide

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Can I take traffic school in Florida for my ticket?

Yes, if you hold no commercial license or permit, weren't in a commercial vehicle, and haven't used this option in the last 12 months. You can use it no more than eight times in your life. Some tickets are left out, such as speeding 30 miles per hour or more over the limit. Check yours first. Florida lets you take a driver improvement course the state has approved, instead of going to court.

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The rule, fact by fact

Who needs it
No commercial license or permit, and cited while driving a noncommercial motor vehicleThat's who can pick a course instead of court. The law leaves some tickets out, so check yours.
Verified. Florida Legislature · Florida Statutes 318.14 (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Tickets left out
Some tickets are left out, including speeding 30 miles per hour or more over the limitSpeeding at that level is one of the tickets left out. Ask the clerk about yours.
Same source and date as above
Use limit
Not if used in the preceding 12 months, or more than eight times in your lifetimeSo check how many times you've used it, and when.
Same source and date as above
Penalty and points
Civil penalty reduced by 18 percent when you pick the courseIf you qualify, the court withholds adjudication, which is not a conviction. Any civil penalty imposed under section 318.18(3) is cut by 18 percent, and points can't be added. That holds only if you attend the course within the court's deadline. If you don't, points are assessed and you repay the 18 percent cut plus a processing fee.
Same source and date as above
Extra fee
A $2.50 fee is collected in addition to the regular course feeAsk what the price covers.
Verified. Florida Legislature · Florida Statutes 318.1451 (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check your ticket first. You can pick a course in place of a court date only if you hold no commercial driver license or commercial learner's permit and were cited while driving a noncommercial motor vehicle for an infraction the law covers. You also can't have used this option in the preceding 12 months, or more than eight times in your life. Some tickets are left out, such as speeding 30 miles per hour or more over the limit. If you're not sure, call the clerk of court before you pay for a course.

  2. Step 2. Pick a course the state has approved. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles won't take proof that you went to a school that doesn't teach an approved course. Ask the clerk of court, not the course seller, whether the course you're looking at counts for your ticket. For a course that uses technology as the delivery method, the law says the department considers only courses with approval for statewide delivery, so ask the provider whether the course has it.

  3. Step 3. Take the course within the time the court gives you. Ask the clerk what your deadline is. If you pick the course and pay the civil penalty but don't go in that time, the law says you're deemed to have admitted the infraction and you're adjudicated guilty. The clerk tells the department, and points are assessed. If you got the 18 percent cut, you must pay that amount to the clerk, plus a processing fee of up to $18.

  4. Step 4. Ask the provider for your certificate. The law says the department must require providers to issue one when you finish. The law also says providers must send your course record and ticket number to the clerk of the circuit court in the county where you were cited, within 3 days after they get the unique certificate number. Ask the provider to confirm that it was sent.

Before you pay

Ask the clerk of court, not the course seller, whether your ticket qualifies and whether the course counts. Ask what your deadline is.

Ask the provider what the price covers. The law says the department must require providers to list all fees and not charge a fee they didn't list when you signed up.

Ask whether the $2.50 fee is in the price you see, and whether a copy of your certificate costs extra.

Ask the provider to confirm it will send your course record to the clerk.

We haven't confirmed a course price or which providers are on the state's list.

Questions

Who can pick a course instead of court?

A person with no commercial license or permit who was cited while driving a noncommercial vehicle. Some tickets are left out, such as speeding 30 miles per hour or more over the limit. You also can't use it if you used it in the preceding 12 months, or more than eight times in your lifetime.

What do I get if I take the course?

The law says the court must withhold adjudication, which is not a conviction. Any civil penalty imposed under section 318.18(3) is cut by 18 percent, and points may not be assessed. All of that depends on taking the course within the court's deadline. The course has its own fee, and the law adds a $2.50 fee to the regular course fee.

What if I go to a hearing instead?

After a hearing, if the infraction is proven, the law says the person who hears your case may impose a civil penalty, or require you to go to a driver improvement school, or both.

Can I take it online?

Maybe. Florida's rules cover courses that use technology as a delivery method, and for those the law says the department considers only courses with approval for statewide delivery. The department also won't take proof from a school that doesn't teach an approved course. Ask the clerk, not the seller, whether the course counts, and ask the provider whether you can take it online.

Does anyone send my certificate to the court?

The law says providers must send your course record and ticket number to the clerk of the circuit court in the county where you were cited, within 3 days after they get the unique certificate number. Ask the clerk what else your court needs.

Which providers are on the state's list?

The law says the department or the court may prepare a traffic school reference guide that names the fully approved providers. Ask your clerk whether there is one, and check a provider against it before you pay.

What to do next

Call the clerk of court before you pay. Then read the Florida law on taking a course instead of court and on driver improvement schools.

Sources we read