Clay County Traffic Ticket Records

Clay County traffic ticket records are managed by the Clerk of Courts in Green Cove Springs. This northeast Florida county sits just south of Jacksonville and has a population of roughly 225,000 residents. The clerk's office processes all civil traffic citations issued within Clay County, whether they come from the Clay County Sheriff, Florida Highway Patrol, or local police departments in Orange Park and other communities. Online payment, traffic school elections, and court hearing requests all go through the same office.

Clay County Clerk of Courts Office

The Clay County Clerk of Courts handles every traffic citation filed in the county. The main office is on Orange Avenue in Green Cove Springs. Staff there can look up your ticket, walk you through your options, and take your payment. The office also manages court hearing schedules for drivers who want to contest a ticket. If you have a question about a Clay County traffic ticket, the phone line is the fastest way to get an answer.

Clay County is part of the 4th Judicial Circuit, shared with Duval and Nassau counties. The circuit court system means some forms and procedures overlap. But the Clay County Clerk runs its own traffic division. A ticket issued in Clay County stays with the Clay County Clerk. It does not matter where you live. The county name on the citation is what determines which clerk handles the case.

Check the clerk's website before calling. Many common questions about Clay County traffic tickets are answered there.

Paying Clay County Traffic Tickets

You have 30 days to pay a Clay County traffic ticket. That deadline is set by Florida Statute 318.14 and it does not bend. Miss it and a $16 late fee gets added. After that, the clerk sends word to FLHSMV and your license faces suspension. So pay on time.

The quickest way to pay is online through PayFLClerk.com. Select Clay County, enter your citation number, and pay with a credit or debit card. There is a convenience fee on card payments. You can also pay by phone through the automated system. Mail payments go to P.O. Box 698, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043. Use a check or money order and write your citation number on it. Cash payments are only taken in person at the clerk's office on Orange Avenue. Allow a few extra days for mailed payments to arrive at the Clay County office.

The Clay County Clerk's website at clayclerk.com has the full list of ways to pay a traffic ticket in the county.

Below is the Clay County Clerk of Courts homepage where you can find traffic ticket payment and case lookup tools.

The site also has links to forms, office hours, and contact information for the Clay County traffic division.

Traffic Ticket Options in Clay County

Three options are open to you when you get a traffic ticket in Clay County. You have to pick one within 30 days. Doing nothing is not a real option because the consequences get worse the longer you wait.

Option one is to pay the fine. Simple and fast. You plead guilty, points go on your driving record, and the case closes. You can do this online, by mail, or in person at the Clay County Clerk's office. Option two is to pay the fine and elect traffic school. The fine drops by 18%, and points stay off your record if you finish the course within 90 days. This is what most Clay County drivers choose when they want to protect their insurance rates. Option three is to contest the citation. You request a hearing through the Clay County Clerk, and a judge decides whether the ticket stands. Win and you owe nothing. Lose and fines can reach $500 for most violations or $1,000 for school zone and construction zone offenses under Florida Statute 318.18.

Each choice has trade-offs. Think about your driving record, your budget, and your schedule before you pick one for your Clay County ticket.

Clay County Traffic School

Electing traffic school is the most popular way to deal with a Clay County traffic ticket without taking points. The process works like this: you tell the clerk you want to elect the course when you pay, the fine gets cut by 18%, and you then take an approved Basic Driver Improvement class. The state keeps a full list of approved schools on FLHSMV's website. Most offer online courses you can do from home.

You have 90 days from the citation date to complete the course and file the certificate with the Clay County Clerk. Some schools file it for you, but not all do. Call the clerk at 904-269-6302 to confirm they received it. If the certificate does not show up before the deadline, points go on your record, extra fees get tacked on, and your license faces suspension. There are also eligibility limits. You can only use traffic school five times in your lifetime. Not more than once in any 12-month period. CDL holders cannot use it. Drivers caught going 30 mph or more over the limit in Clay County are not eligible either.

Clay County Traffic Ticket Fines

Fine amounts in Clay County match the statewide schedule. The base fines are the same in every Florida county. Court costs and local surcharges are added on top. Speeding 6 to 9 mph over the limit is a $25 base fine. At 10 to 14 over, the base is $100. Going 15 to 19 over costs $150. Between 20 and 29 mph over the limit, the base rises to $175. And 30 mph or more above the posted speed carries a $250 base fine plus a mandatory court appearance in Clay County.

Moving violations carry a $60 base fine. Nonmoving violations are $30. School zone fines double. Construction zone fines also double when workers are on site. A $16 late fee applies if you miss the 30-day payment deadline on your Clay County traffic ticket. Those added costs stack up quickly, and they are all avoidable by just paying on time. The FLHSMV traffic citations page has more on how fines are calculated across the state.

License Suspension for Clay County Tickets

If you ignore a Clay County traffic ticket, your license will be suspended. That is not a maybe. Under Florida Statute 318.15, the clerk has to report you to FLHSMV when you fail to pay or respond within 30 days. The state mails you a notice, and the suspension kicks in 20 days later. Once suspended, it stays on your FLHSMV record for seven years. Driving on a suspended license is a criminal offense.

To get reinstated, you must pay off the full Clay County ticket balance plus a $60 reinstatement fee to FLHSMV. Check your status at the MyDMV Portal or call the Clay County Clerk. Once you pay everything, the clerk sends a compliance certificate to the state. FLHSMV then lifts the suspension. You can also pull your driving record from FLHSMV to see if any old Clay County tickets are causing problems you did not know about.

Cities in Clay County

Clay County includes the communities of Green Cove Springs, Orange Park, Middleburg, Fleming Island, and Keystone Heights. All traffic tickets issued within Clay County go through the clerk's office in Green Cove Springs. None of these communities meet the population threshold for a separate city page, but the same Clay County Clerk handles every citation regardless of where it was issued within the county.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Clay County. Make sure the county name on your citation is Clay before contacting this clerk. A ticket written just across the line belongs to a different county's office.