West Palm Beach Traffic Tickets
Traffic ticket records for West Palm Beach are handled by the Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts. West Palm Beach is the county seat of Palm Beach County with a population around 120,000. The Palm Beach Clerk's main courthouse is right in downtown West Palm Beach, giving city residents easy access to traffic court services. Citations from the West Palm Beach Police, Palm Beach County Sheriff, and Florida Highway Patrol all flow to the same Clerk's office. You have 30 days to respond after getting a ticket.
West Palm Beach Quick Facts
Palm Beach County Clerk Processes West Palm Beach Citations
Every traffic ticket written in West Palm Beach goes to the Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts. The Clerk's main office is at 205 North Dixie Highway in downtown West Palm Beach. It is part of the 15th Judicial Circuit, which covers all of Palm Beach County. Under Florida Statute 318.14, you must respond to your citation within 30 calendar days of the date it was issued.
Palm Beach County is one of the largest counties in Florida. The Clerk has multiple branch locations. For West Palm Beach residents, the main courthouse on Dixie Highway is the closest. The traffic division handles payments, traffic school elections, hearing requests, and payment plans. The Clerk also has a full online system that lets you handle most tasks without an in-person visit.
Palm Beach Clerk Contact Information
| Clerk Office | Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller |
|---|---|
| Address | 205 N. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 |
| Phone | (561) 355-2996 |
| Hours | Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Website | mypalmbeachclerk.com |
Walk-in service is first come, first served. The downtown office is the busiest location in the county, so give yourself extra time. Bring your citation and photo ID. Payment plans must be set up in person. A $25 processing fee per case applies. You cannot arrange a plan by phone or online.
West Palm Beach Police Department
The West Palm Beach Police Department is the primary agency writing traffic citations in the city. Their headquarters is at 600 Banyan Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. The non-emergency line is (561) 822-1900. Officers patrol major roads including Okeechobee Boulevard, Southern Boulevard, Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard, and Military Trail.
After the officer writes a ticket, it goes to the Palm Beach Clerk for processing. New tickets usually appear in the Clerk's system within 5 to 10 business days. The Palm Beach County Sheriff and FHP also issue citations on roads in and around West Palm Beach. I-95 and the Florida Turnpike both run through the area. All citations from every agency are processed by the same Palm Beach County Clerk.
The city website at wpb.org has information on police services and local government resources.
Paying West Palm Beach Traffic Tickets
Paying a traffic ticket is a guilty plea. Points go on your license for moving violations. Under Florida Statute 318.18, a standard moving violation has a $60 base fine before court costs and surcharges. Nonmoving violations are $30. Speeding fines run from $25 for 6 to 9 mph over the limit up to $250 for 30 mph or more over. School zone and construction zone tickets double the base fine.
Online payment is available at the Palm Beach Clerk website or through PayFLClerk. Select Palm Beach County and enter your citation number. A convenience fee applies to card payments. Mail a check or money order to the Clerk at 205 N. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. In person, the downtown courthouse takes cash, checks, money orders, and cards.
Payment plans are an option if you need more time. Go in person to set one up. The $25 per-case processing fee applies to every plan.
Fighting a West Palm Beach Traffic Ticket
You can contest any traffic ticket issued in West Palm Beach. Notify the Palm Beach Clerk within 30 days that you want a hearing. You can do this in person, by phone, or by mail. The court sets a hearing date in the 15th Judicial Circuit. If you lose at trial, penalties can go up to $500 for most tickets or $1,000 for school and construction zone violations.
If you miss the 30-day deadline, a $16 late fee applies under Florida Statute 318.15. After 180 days with no response, the Clerk reports it to the FLHSMV. Your license gets suspended. To clear the suspension, pay all outstanding fines and a $60 reinstatement fee through the MyDMV portal. The suspension stays on your record for seven years. Driving on a suspended license is a criminal charge. Do not let that happen. Even if you want to fight the ticket, file your request on time.
Traffic School for West Palm Beach Drivers
Electing traffic school is a smart move for eligible tickets. A Basic Driver Improvement course keeps points off your record and cuts the fine by 18%. Tell the Palm Beach Clerk within 30 days that you want this option. Pay the reduced fine plus a $7.00 affidavit fee. Finish the course within 90 days.
There are restrictions. CDL holders are not eligible. Tickets for 30 mph or more over the speed limit do not qualify. The lifetime cap is five elections. You can only use it once in any 12-month period. After completing the course, send the original certificate to the Palm Beach Clerk. Do not rely on the school to forward it. If you miss the 90-day deadline, you owe the full fine, a late fee gets added, points go on your license, and your license could be suspended. Check flhsmv.gov for approved courses.
License Points and Suspension
Florida uses a point system for moving violations. Most moving violations add 3 points to your license. Exceeding the speed limit by 16 mph or more adds 4 points. Violations that cause a crash add extra points. If you rack up 12 points in 12 months, your license gets suspended for 30 days. At 18 points in 18 months, it is a 3-month suspension. At 24 points in 36 months, it goes up to a full year.
Traffic school helps avoid these points. But you cannot use it for every ticket. If you have already used all five lifetime elections, your only way to avoid points is winning a hearing. Keep track of how many times you have elected traffic school. The Palm Beach Clerk can tell you if you check.
Searching West Palm Beach Traffic Records Online
The Palm Beach County Clerk has an online case search at their website. You can search by citation number, name, or case number. Results show the ticket status, fine amounts, court dates, and any pending actions. The system is updated daily.
The PayFLClerk statewide portal also works for Palm Beach County records. Your citation number gives the fastest results. Lost your ticket? Call the Clerk at (561) 355-2996. They can look up your case by name and date of birth.
The City of West Palm Beach website provides information on local government, police services, and community resources for residents.
West Palm Beach residents can use the Palm Beach County Clerk's online tools to look up citations, make payments, and check court dates.
Palm Beach County Traffic Records
West Palm Beach is the county seat of Palm Beach County. The Palm Beach County Clerk processes all traffic citations issued in the city and across the county. For complete details on clerk locations, fee schedules, and traffic court procedures, see the county page.
Nearby Cities
Other cities near West Palm Beach with traffic ticket records information: