CLERK OF COURT & COMPTROLLER
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA
What are your options with Proof of Compliance Tickets?
PAY: By paying the civil penalty, you are admitting guilt. The Florida Department of Motor Vehicles will assess points on your driving record (or share the information with the out-of-state authority that issued your driver's license) for compliance violations. You have up to 60 calendar days from the date the traffic ticket was issued to pay the entire penalty. There are no options to extend the payment period; you were already automatically granted a 30 day extension for payment. If you do not pay for the ticket within the 60 calendar days, your penalties will increase and your driver's license may be suspended.
SUBMIT PROOF: If your traffic ticket is for improper or faulty equipment and you repair the defect within 60 calendar days from the date the ticket was issued, you can have a law enforcement officer inspect your vehicle to see that the defect was corrected and the officer will then sign the affidavit of compliance portion of the ticket. You must submit this signed ticket to this Clerk's Office within 60 calendar days from the date the ticket was issued. Once the affidavit has been validated by the Clerk, you will be instructed to pay a fee and you will have your points waived. If your ticket if for not carrying your driver's license, not carrying proof of insurance, or failing to display your vehicle registration, and your driver's license was valid at the time of the ticket, your insurance policy was in effect at the time of the ticket, and/or your vehicle registration was current at the time of the ticket, you can submit documentation proof to this Clerk's Office within 60 calendar days from the date the ticket was issued. Once this proof has been validated by the Clerk, you will be instructed to pay a fee, and you will not be assessed any points. This option is not available if you have a Commercial Driver's License (CDL), or if you have elected this option more than once in the past 12 months, or if you have elected this option more than three times in your lifetime.
COURT: If you decide to challenge the traffic ticket in court, you are making a plea of not guilty. Once you request a court hearing, you give up your right to pay the civil penalty amount. If you are found guilty, however, you might be fined up to $1,000 plus court costs. You will also be responsible for your attorney's fees. You must request a court hearing within 30 calendar days from the date the ticket was issued. If you wait until after 30 calendar days, you must first pay any late fees and suspension costs before a court hearing date will be scheduled. If you request a court hearing, you must let this Clerk's Office know if your address changes -- your hearing notices and court information are mailed to your last known address. If you fail to appear in court on the day, time and location of the hearing, your penalties may increase and your driver's license may be suspended. There is no option to select the court hearing date of your choice; you will be scheduled for the next available court date.
NO SELECTION: If you do not make a selection (Court within 30 calendar days; or Pay or Submit Proof within 60 calendar days from the date the ticket was issued), the only option available to you is to pay the traffic ticket penalty in full within 60 calendar days from the date the ticket was issued, submit proof that you are now in compliance with the violation, and be assessed points.
Now that you know what your options are with this type of ticket, here are links to those options so that you can resolve this.
Varying Traffic Ticket Fine Amounts