Access Miami Beach Traffic Ticket Records
Miami Beach traffic ticket records are managed by the Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts and Comptroller. With roughly 90,000 residents and millions of annual visitors, Miami Beach sees a high volume of traffic citations each year. Tickets issued by the Miami Beach Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol, or any other agency on the barrier island all go to the same county clerk. You can look up your citation online, pay your fine, choose traffic school, or request a hearing through the clerk's system.
Miami Beach Quick Facts
Miami-Dade Clerk Processes Miami Beach Traffic Tickets
The Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts processes every traffic ticket written in Miami Beach. There is no local traffic court on the island. All citations feed into the same county system that covers every city in Miami-Dade. The clerk's mailing address is PO Box 19321, Miami, FL 33101-9321. Call 305-275-1111 for the 24-hour automated phone system. It handles payment processing, case lookups, and general traffic information around the clock.
| Court | Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts & Comptroller |
|---|---|
| Mailing Address | PO Box 19321 Miami, FL 33101-9321 |
| Phone | 305-275-1111 (24-hour IVR) |
| Website | www.miamidadeclerk.gov |
| Traffic Page | Civil Traffic Infractions |
| Online System | Online Traffic Search |
Miami Beach falls in the 11th Judicial Circuit. Traffic tickets here are civil infractions, not criminal cases. You will not get a jury trial or a public defender for a standard traffic ticket. A traffic hearing officer handles contested cases. The city of Miami Beach itself does not have authority over traffic ticket records. All of that rests with the county clerk.
Paying Miami Beach Traffic Tickets
You have 30 days from the date on your Miami Beach ticket to pay or take another action. That deadline comes from Florida Statute 318.14. If you choose to pay, the case closes. It counts as a guilty plea and points go on your license for moving violations.
Fine amounts are set by state law. Under Florida Statute 318.18, a standard moving violation is $60 before court costs. Speeding fines start at $25 for going 6 to 9 mph over the posted limit. Going 30 mph or more over carries a $250 fine. School zone and construction zone violations come with double the normal fine amount. These are statewide numbers that apply to every Miami Beach traffic ticket.
Online payment is available through the clerk's website or the PayFLClerk.com portal. Select Miami-Dade County and follow the prompts. Phone payments go through 305-275-1111. Mail a check or money order to PO Box 19321, Miami, FL 33101-9321. Make it payable to "Clerk of the Court and Comptroller." In-person payments are accepted at district court locations throughout Miami-Dade.
Miami Beach Citation Options
Three choices are available after getting a Miami Beach traffic ticket. The clock starts the day the citation is issued.
Paying the fine is the simplest route. The case gets closed and no hearing is needed. However, points are added to your license if the violation was a moving offense. For many Miami Beach visitors who receive a ticket while on vacation, paying online and moving on is the most practical option. Out-of-state drivers still need to deal with the ticket. Florida can report the citation to your home state, and ignoring it can lead to a license hold.
Traffic school lets you avoid points. You pay the fine with an 18% discount, then complete a state-approved Basic Driver Improvement course within 90 days. The clerk withholds adjudication so no conviction appears on your record. Limits apply. You can use this option five times total and no more than once in any 12-month period. CDL holders are not eligible. Tickets for speeding 30 mph or more over the limit cannot use this either.
Contesting the ticket means you request a hearing. Do this within 30 days of the citation date. The court will schedule a hearing before a traffic hearing officer. Between 31 and 180 days, you can still request a hearing if you pay a $16 late fee. After 180 days, a motion to the traffic judge is required. Some Miami Beach drivers submit a conditional plea of no contest, which may resolve the case without a court appearance.
Traffic School for Miami Beach Drivers
The Florida DHSMV maintains a list of approved traffic school providers. You can find it at the FLHSMV approved schools page. Most Basic Driver Improvement courses are available online. You can complete them from anywhere, which makes it convenient for visitors who got a ticket in Miami Beach but live elsewhere.
After finishing the course, make sure your completion certificate reaches the Miami-Dade Clerk. Some schools send it automatically. Some do not. Call 305-275-1111 to confirm the clerk received it. If the certificate never arrives, the clerk will treat the case as if you skipped traffic school. Full points go on your record, and you lose the 18% fine discount. Do not let that happen over a paperwork issue.
License Suspension Risks
Not responding to a Miami Beach traffic ticket leads to trouble. Under Florida Statute 318.15, the FLHSMV can suspend your license if you fail to pay or respond within the allowed time. The suspension stays until you clear the ticket and pay a $60 reinstatement fee. Check your license status through the MyDMV Portal at any time.
Points from Miami Beach tickets add up with points from elsewhere. Twelve points in 12 months triggers a 30-day suspension. Eighteen points in 18 months gets you a 3-month suspension. Twenty-four points in 36 months means a full year. The FLHSMV driving record page lets you check your current point total and full driving history. This is important for Miami Beach residents who drive daily and want to track where they stand.
Searching Miami Beach Traffic Records Online
The Miami-Dade Clerk's online traffic search system lets you look up any Miami Beach citation. Enter your ticket number or name to find your case. The system shows the amount owed, due date, and current status. You can also see if a hearing has been scheduled or if the case is closed.
New tickets take about 5 to 10 business days to appear in the online system. If you just got a citation in Miami Beach and can not find it, try again in a few days. The Miami Beach Police Department, located at 1100 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139, writes many of the local tickets. Visit miamibeachfl.gov for city services and police contact details. But for anything related to payment, hearings, or your traffic record, the Miami-Dade Clerk is the correct office.
The screenshot below shows the City of Miami Beach's official website, which provides local government services and police department contacts.
While the city website does not handle traffic ticket records directly, it is a helpful resource for finding police contacts and understanding local services in Miami Beach.
Miami-Dade County Traffic Ticket Records
Miami Beach is one of many cities in Miami-Dade County. All traffic ticket records for the county are processed by the Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts. For full information on court locations, payment plans, hearing schedules, and county-wide resources, visit the county page.
Nearby Cities
Other cities near Miami Beach with traffic ticket records pages: