Glades County Traffic Ticket Records

Traffic ticket records in Glades County are managed by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Moore Haven. This small, rural county in south-central Florida sits along the west shore of Lake Okeechobee, and all traffic citations issued here pass through one courthouse. The Glades County Clerk handles payments, court dates, and driver improvement school elections for every citation written within county lines. Because the area has no large cities and limited population, most traffic ticket business is done in person or by mail, though online tools are also open to those who prefer them.

Glades County Clerk of Court

The Clerk of the Circuit Court is where all traffic ticket records are kept in Glades County. This office takes payments, sets court dates, and manages the paperwork for every traffic case. Staff at the clerk's office can look up your citation, tell you how much you owe, and walk you through your options. If you need a copy of a past ticket or want to check the status of a case, the clerk's office is the place to start in Glades County.

Note: It may take 5 to 10 days after a citation is written for it to show up in the clerk's system in Glades County.

Paying Glades County Traffic Tickets

You have 30 days from the date a traffic ticket is issued to pay or take action in Glades County. This deadline comes from Florida Statute 318.14, which covers all noncriminal traffic cases across the state. If you miss the 30-day mark, the clerk adds a $16 late fee. After that, the Florida DHSMV can suspend your license. Getting it back means paying everything you owe plus a $60 reinstatement charge. So act fast.

Glades County gives you a few ways to pay. You can walk into the clerk's office in Moore Haven with cash, a check, or a money order. Mail is also an option if you send a check or money order to the mailing address listed above. For online payment, use the statewide portal at PayFLClerk.com and pick Glades County from the list. A small service fee applies to card payments. You can also pay by phone if you call the clerk's office during business hours. Each method gets you the same result, but keep in mind that mailed payments take a few days to reach the office.

When you pay a traffic ticket in Glades County, it counts as a guilty plea. Points go on your driving record. The number of points depends on what you did wrong. Standard moving violations add three points. More serious ones, like speeding 16 or more over the limit, can add four or even six points. If you want to keep points off your record, traffic school is the way to go in Glades County.

Traffic Ticket Fines in Glades County

Fine amounts for traffic tickets in Glades County follow the schedule set by Florida Statute 318.18. The base fine is just one part of what you pay. Court costs and county surcharges get added on top. A $60 base fine for a standard moving violation can end up at $158 or more once all fees are included. Speeding fines scale with how far over the limit you went.

Speeding 6 to 9 mph over the limit carries a $25 base fine. Go 10 to 14 over and the base jumps to $100. At 15 to 19 over, the fine is $150. Speeding 20 to 29 over costs $175. Hit 30 mph or more over the posted speed and you face $250 plus a required court hearing. School zone tickets double those amounts. The same goes for construction zones when workers are present. These fines are the same everywhere in Florida, and that includes Glades County.

Glades County Traffic School Option

If you got a ticket in Glades County and want to keep points off your record, you can elect to take a Basic Driver Improvement course. This is sometimes called traffic school. You have to tell the clerk's office within 30 days of getting the citation that you want to go this route. The clerk will collect your fine with an 18% discount, and you then have 90 days to finish the course. Once you pass, send the certificate of completion to the Glades County Clerk. Points will not be added to your record if everything is done on time.

There are limits to traffic school. You can only use it five times in your life. You also cannot pick it again if you used it in the past 12 months. Drivers with a CDL are not allowed to elect traffic school. And if you were caught going 30 mph or more over the speed limit, the law blocks you from this option as well. A list of approved course providers is on the FLHSMV website.

Contesting a Traffic Ticket in Glades County

You have the right to fight your ticket. Contact the Glades County Clerk within 30 days and ask for a court hearing. The clerk will set a date for you to appear before a judge. At the hearing, the state has to show that you broke the law. If you win, the ticket gets thrown out. No fine. No points.

Going to court is a risk, though. If the judge finds you guilty, the fine can be higher than what the ticket says. For a standard traffic case, the court can charge up to $500. School zone and construction zone cases can go up to $1,000. You may also have to pay court costs on top of the fine. Most people who contest tickets in Glades County either have strong evidence or hire a traffic lawyer. The courthouse is small and easy to find in Moore Haven, so at least the trip is short.

Note: Criminal traffic offenses like DUI or driving on a suspended license require a court appearance in Glades County regardless of what you want to do.

Glades County Driving Records

Your traffic ticket history is not stored at the Glades County Clerk's office. It is kept by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. You can check your driving record through the MyDMV Portal online. A 3-year record costs $14.25 and a 7-year or complete history is $16.25. This record shows every ticket, point, and suspension tied to your Florida license. If you got a ticket in Glades County, it will show up there once the case is closed.

The FLHSMV driving record page explains how to order your report by mail or online. You can also check your license status through the driver license check tool. Glades County traffic ticket records that result in a conviction or withheld adjudication will appear on your state driving record within a few weeks of the case closing.

Statewide Resources for Glades County

Several Florida-wide tools can help with traffic ticket records in Glades County. The FLHSMV traffic citations page covers the basics of what to do when you get a ticket. It breaks down your three options: pay, contest, or go to traffic school. The Florida Clerks and Comptrollers website also has a directory of all 67 county clerk offices, including Glades County, with links to local payment tools.

The Glades County Clerk's office can be reached by phone at 863-946-6010 for questions about a specific ticket. The staff can look up your case, tell you what you owe, and help you figure out your next steps. For general questions about Florida traffic law, call the FLHSMV customer service line at 850-617-2000.

The statewide payment portal at PayFLClerk.com is the simplest way to pay a Glades County traffic ticket from home. Pick the county, enter your citation number, and follow the steps. The site works for all 67 Florida counties.

Nearby Counties

Glades County shares borders with several other Florida counties. If you are not sure where your ticket was issued, check the citation. It lists the county. You must handle the ticket in the county where you got it.