St. Petersburg Traffic Ticket Records

Traffic ticket records in St. Petersburg are managed by the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. Ken Burke, CPA, serves as the clerk. St. Petersburg is the largest city in Pinellas County with about 260,000 residents. All traffic citations issued within city limits get filed with the Pinellas County Clerk, whether they come from the St. Petersburg Police Department, the Pinellas County Sheriff, or state troopers. The clerk's St. Petersburg branch office at 545 First Avenue North is the closest location for city residents who want to handle their ticket in person.

Pinellas County Clerk for St. Petersburg Tickets

The Pinellas County Clerk of Courts handles all St. Petersburg traffic ticket records. The clerk has multiple office locations across the county, which is convenient since Pinellas is one of the most densely populated counties in Florida.

The St. Petersburg branch is the most convenient for city residents. But you can handle your ticket at any Pinellas County Clerk location. The North County Customer Information Center in Clearwater is another option at 3165 McMullen Booth Rd., Building B.

How to Pay St. Petersburg Traffic Tickets

You have 30 days from the issue date to pay or respond to a St. Petersburg traffic ticket. Under Florida Statute 318.14, that deadline applies to every noncriminal traffic infraction in the state. Miss it and you face late fees plus a potential license suspension.

Pinellas County gives you many ways to pay. Online payments go through the clerk's website at a 3.5% convenience fee. The 24-hour automated phone line at 727-464-4846 also charges 3.5%. You can mail a check or money order made out to "Clerk of Court" using the envelope that came with your citation. Drop boxes are outside the clerk's office locations. AMSCOT locations across Florida accept cash payments for a $2.50 service fee. In-person payments at any clerk location accept cash, check, money order, or debit and credit cards.

The statewide PayFLClerk.com portal works for Pinellas County. Select Pinellas from the dropdown and you will be redirected to the local payment system.

Pinellas County offers a one-time 30-day extension if you need more time to pay. You must request it on or before the original due date. After that, no extensions are granted.

St. Petersburg Traffic Citation Options

Five options are available for traffic tickets in Pinellas County. That is more choices than some Florida counties offer.

First, you can pay the fine. Points will be assessed for moving violations. This counts as a conviction. Under Florida Statute 318.18, standard moving violations carry a $60 base fine. Speeding tickets range from $25 for going 6 to 9 mph over the limit to $250 for 30 mph or more over. School zone and construction zone fines are doubled.

Second, you can elect a defensive driving course. Pay the civil penalty in full at the time you make the election. Complete the course within 60 calendar days from the election date. That is shorter than some counties. Submit the completion certificate to the clerk's office. This option is limited to once per 12 months or 8 times in a lifetime. CDL holders cannot use it. If you fail to finish the course, you face an $18 processing fee, late fees, license suspension, and full points on your record.

Third, plead not guilty and request a court hearing. Notify the clerk in writing or in person within 30 calendar days. Use the Written Plea of Not Guilty and Request for Hearing form. A court date will be set and the citing officer may appear.

Fourth, submit an Affidavit of Compliance for corrected safety equipment violations. Fifth, provide proof of compliance for license, registration, or insurance violations. If you can show valid documentation from before the ticket date, the ticket may be dismissed with a dismissal fee.

Note: Out-of-county residents can complete an Affidavit of Defense and file it with the clerk's office instead of appearing in court.

St. Petersburg Police and Traffic Enforcement

The St. Petersburg Police Department handles traffic enforcement in the city. Their address is 1300 First Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33705. The non-emergency number is 727-893-7780. The department focuses enforcement on school zones, major intersections, and corridors with frequent crashes.

As with all Florida cities, the police write the ticket but the county clerk processes it. For payments, hearings, and records, you contact the Pinellas County Clerk, not the police. The FLHSMV traffic citations page has statewide information on how traffic tickets work in Florida. You can check your license at the MyDMV Portal.

Parking Tickets in St. Petersburg

Parking tickets in St. Petersburg follow different rules than moving violations. They must be paid within 15 calendar days. Parking fines vary by city ordinance. They do not affect your driver's license. However, three or more unpaid parking tickets (or one unpaid handicap parking ticket) can prevent you from renewing your vehicle registration.

Important: Parking tickets issued by the City of St. Petersburg must be paid directly to the city, not the Pinellas County Clerk. Several other Pinellas municipalities also require direct payment for parking tickets, including Clearwater, Pinellas Park, and Tarpon Springs. Check with the issuing city for their payment process.

St. Petersburg Traffic School Information

The FLHSMV approved traffic schools page lists all authorized Basic Driver Improvement course providers. Many courses are online. Prices vary between providers, but the state standardizes the content.

Pinellas County also has a separate wireless/texting school for first-time texting-while-driving offenses under Florida Statute 316.306. The reduced penalty for a first offense is $106. You have 60 days to complete the approved course. This does not count against your five Basic Driver Improvement elections, and there are no driver's license type exclusions. No points are assessed.

The Pinellas County Clerk's online payment system is shown below. St. Petersburg residents can use this portal to pay traffic tickets with a credit or debit card.

This payment portal serves all of Pinellas County, including St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Largo.

Pinellas County Traffic Records

For complete details on traffic ticket procedures across all of Pinellas County, visit the Pinellas County traffic ticket records page. It covers every court location, payment method, and hearing schedule for the county.

Nearby Cities

Several other cities near St. Petersburg also process traffic tickets through the Pinellas County Clerk. Tampa is just across the bay in Hillsborough County and handles tickets through a different clerk. Clearwater and Largo are fellow Pinellas County cities that use the same clerk's office and follow the same procedures.