Find Citrus County Traffic Ticket Records

Citrus County traffic ticket records are kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Inverness. Located along the Gulf Coast in west-central Florida, Citrus County has a population of about 155,000 people. The clerk's office handles all civil traffic infractions written within county lines, from speeding on US-19 to stop sign violations in Crystal River and Homosassa. If you got a ticket in Citrus County, the clerk is who you contact to pay a fine, look up your case, elect traffic school, or set up a court date.

Citrus County Clerk of Court Office

The Citrus County Clerk of the Circuit Court runs the traffic ticket division from the courthouse in Inverness. The office processes all civil traffic citations, takes payments, and keeps the official record for each case. Staff can pull up your ticket, go over your options, and help you file the right forms. You can reach them by phone or email if you have questions about a Citrus County traffic ticket before making the trip in person.

Citrus County is part of the 5th Judicial Circuit, which also includes Hernando, Lake, Marion, and Sumter counties. Each county clerk runs its own traffic division. So if your ticket says Citrus County on it, you deal with the Citrus County Clerk. That is true even if you live in one of the other counties in the circuit. The citation itself tells you which office handles your case.

The clerk's office posts traffic ticket information on their site. Check there first for forms and payment details before you call.

Paying Citrus County Traffic Tickets

Citrus County gives you a few ways to pay a traffic ticket. The fastest route is online through the PayFLClerk.com portal. You select Citrus County, enter your citation number, and pay with a credit or debit card. A convenience fee applies to all card payments. You can also pay by phone, by mail, or in person at the clerk's office on Apopka Avenue in Inverness.

For mail payments, send a check or money order to the Citrus County Clerk of Court at 110 N. Apopka Ave., Inverness, FL 34450. Write your citation number on the payment so staff can match it to your case. Do not send cash through the mail. Allow enough time for delivery before the 30-day deadline set by Florida Statute 318.14. Missing that window adds a $16 late fee and starts the process toward license suspension. In-person payments at the Inverness office accept cash, check, money order, and cards.

The Citrus County Clerk's website at citrusclerk.org has details on all payment options available for traffic tickets in the county.

Below is the Citrus County Clerk of Court homepage, which provides links to traffic ticket payment and lookup services.

Use the website to check your ticket status and find the right payment link before calling the office.

Citrus County Traffic Citation Options

When you get a traffic ticket in Citrus County, you have 30 days to decide what to do. That deadline comes from Florida Statute 318.14. Do not let it pass. There are three main choices, and each one carries different results for your driving record and your wallet.

The first option is to pay the fine and accept the points. This counts as a guilty plea. Points go on your driving record based on the violation type. It is the fastest way to close out a Citrus County traffic ticket, but your insurance company can see those points. The second option is to pay the fine and elect traffic school. You get an 18% cut on the fine amount, and no points go on your record if you finish the course on time. This is the most popular choice for drivers who want to keep their record clean in Citrus County. The third option is to contest the ticket and request a court hearing. You tell the Citrus County Clerk within 30 days that you want to fight it, and a judge hears the case.

Contesting a ticket is a gamble. A win means you owe nothing. But if the judge finds you guilty, fines can go up to $500 for most violations. School zone and construction zone tickets can reach $1,000 under Florida Statute 318.18. Most Citrus County drivers pick either option one or two.

Citrus County Traffic School Election

Traffic school is a good deal for most Citrus County drivers. You pay the reduced fine, take an approved course, and keep points off your record. The state lists approved Basic Driver Improvement schools at FLHSMV's website. Most courses can be done online from home. You have 90 days from the citation date to finish.

Not everyone qualifies though. Florida law caps traffic school at five lifetime uses. You cannot elect it more than once in any 12-month period. If you hold a commercial driver's license, you are not allowed to use this option at all. And if your Citrus County ticket was for going 30 mph or more over the speed limit, traffic school is off the table entirely. After you pass the course, the school gives you a certificate. That certificate must get filed with the Citrus County Clerk. Some schools send it in for you, but not all of them do. Call the clerk at 352-341-6424 to make sure they got it. If the certificate does not arrive on time, your license can be suspended and points will go on your record.

Traffic Ticket Fines in Citrus County

Citrus County traffic ticket fines follow the state schedule. Base fine amounts are the same across all 67 Florida counties. Court costs and county surcharges get added on top. Speeding 6 to 9 mph over the limit carries a $25 base fine. At 10 to 14 over, the base jumps to $100. Going 15 to 19 mph over costs $150. Between 20 and 29 over, the base fine is $175. And 30 mph or more above the limit means a $250 base fine plus a mandatory court appearance in Citrus County.

Standard moving violations carry a $60 base fine. Nonmoving violations are $30. Fines double in school zones. They also double in construction zones when workers are present. Miss the 30-day payment window and a $16 late fee gets added. After that, the Citrus County Clerk must report you to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, which starts the license suspension process. It is much cheaper to handle the ticket on time.

License Suspension for Citrus County Tickets

Letting a Citrus County traffic ticket go unpaid creates real problems. Under Florida Statute 318.15, the clerk must notify FLHSMV when a driver fails to pay or respond within 30 days. The state then mails an order to suspend your license. That suspension takes effect 20 days after the letter goes out. It stays on your FLHSMV record for seven years.

Getting your license back means paying everything you owe on the Citrus County ticket plus a $60 reinstatement fee to FLHSMV. You can check your license status at the MyDMV Portal. The Citrus County Clerk can tell you the exact amount owed. Once you pay in full, the clerk sends a compliance certificate to the state. FLHSMV then lifts the suspension. The process takes time, and driving on a suspended license is a criminal charge in Florida. You can order a copy of your driving record from FLHSMV to see if any old Citrus County tickets are causing issues.

Cities in Citrus County

Citrus County includes the communities of Inverness, Crystal River, Homosassa, Lecanto, and Beverly Hills. All traffic tickets issued within the county are handled by the Citrus County Clerk of Court in Inverness. None of these communities are large enough to have their own dedicated traffic ticket page, but the same clerk's office processes every citation regardless of where in Citrus County it was written.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Citrus County. If you got a ticket near a county line, check which county is listed on the citation. That county's clerk handles your case.