Find Hardee County Traffic Records

Traffic ticket records in Hardee County are maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Wauchula. Located in central Florida between Tampa and Lake Okeechobee, Hardee County is a largely agricultural area where traffic citations get processed at a single courthouse. The Hardee County Clerk is the office that collects fines, schedules court hearings, and keeps records for all traffic cases. Whether you received a speeding citation on US-17 or a stop sign violation on a county road, this is where you handle it. The clerk also manages traffic school elections and can help you understand your options after getting a ticket in Hardee County.

Hardee County Clerk of Court

The Clerk of the Circuit Court manages all traffic ticket records in Hardee County. Every citation filed with the court passes through this office. The clerk processes payments, files court documents, and maintains the record of each case from start to close. Staff can look up citations, tell you what amount is due, and explain the options that apply to your case. Hardee County sits in the 10th Judicial Circuit, which also covers Highlands and Polk counties.

The courthouse in Wauchula is the only place to handle traffic matters in person for Hardee County. If you cannot make the trip, phone and online options are also available.

Paying Hardee County Traffic Tickets

You must pay or respond to a traffic ticket in Hardee County within 30 days. This deadline is set by Florida Statute 318.14. Miss it and you get a $16 late fee on top of what you already owe. The state will also start the process to suspend your license. Once that happens, you need to clear the balance plus pay a $60 reinstatement fee to the DHSMV. The clock starts the day the officer writes the ticket.

Hardee County accepts several payment methods. You can go to the clerk's office in Wauchula to pay with cash, a check, or a money order. Mail works too. Send a check or money order to P.O. Box 1749, Wauchula, FL 33873. Include the citation number on your payment. The online option is PayFLClerk.com, the statewide traffic ticket payment site. Select Hardee County, enter your info, and pay by card. There is a convenience fee for card payments. Many Florida AMSCOT locations also take cash payments for traffic tickets in Hardee County.

When you pay the fine, it is a guilty plea. Points get added to your Florida driving record based on the type of violation. Standard moving violations add three points. Serious offenses like reckless driving or passing a stopped school bus add more.

Traffic Fine Schedule in Hardee County

Traffic ticket fines in Hardee County are based on Florida Statute 318.18. The numbers below are base fines only. Court costs and county surcharges will be added to every ticket. A basic moving violation at $60 base can total $158 or higher after all the add-ons.

Speeding fines in Hardee County go like this: 6 to 9 mph over the limit is $25 base. At 10 to 14 over, the base jumps to $100. Between 15 and 19 mph over costs $150. Going 20 to 29 over brings a $175 base. And 30 or more mph over the limit is $250 with a mandatory court hearing. School zone tickets double those fines. Construction zone speeding also doubles when workers are on site. Nonmoving violations carry a $30 base fine. Pedestrian infractions are $15.

Note: The $16 late penalty applies to all Hardee County traffic tickets not resolved within 30 days of the citation date.

Hardee County Traffic School

Traffic school lets you avoid points on your license for a Hardee County citation. The program is called the Basic Driver Improvement course. To use it, contact the Hardee County Clerk within 30 days and tell them you want to elect traffic school. You pay the fine with an 18% reduction and then have 90 days to complete an approved course. After you pass, send the completion certificate to the clerk. If everything gets done on time, no points go on your record for that ticket.

Several rules limit who can use traffic school in Hardee County. You get five uses in your lifetime. You cannot pick it again if you used it in the past 12 months. CDL holders are not eligible. Speeding 30 mph or more over the limit makes you ineligible too. If the ticket involved an accident that caused serious injury, traffic school is off the table. A full list of approved courses is at the FLHSMV website. Most providers offer online classes, so you can finish the course from home even if you do not live near Hardee County.

Contesting Tickets in Hardee County

If you believe a traffic ticket in Hardee County was issued in error, you have the right to contest it. Contact the clerk's office within 30 days and ask for a hearing. A court date will be set at the Hardee County Courthouse in Wauchula. At the hearing, the state must prove you committed the violation. If the judge rules in your favor, the ticket is dismissed and you owe nothing.

Going to court has some risk. A guilty finding at the hearing can result in a fine up to $500 for standard violations or up to $1,000 for school zone and construction zone cases. Court costs are separate. Some people hire lawyers for traffic hearings in Hardee County, but it is not a requirement. You can represent yourself. Criminal traffic cases like DUI or driving with a suspended license always require a court appearance, regardless of what you want to do about the charge.

Hardee County Driving Record Access

Your traffic ticket history from Hardee County and the rest of Florida is stored by the FLHSMV, not the local clerk. You can pull your driving record at the MyDMV Portal. A 3-year report costs $14.25. A 7-year or full history is $16.25. The FLHSMV driving record page has full details on ordering. Once a traffic case in Hardee County closes, the outcome shows up on this record within a few weeks.

The FLHSMV traffic citations page gives a good overview of what to do when you get a ticket. The Florida Clerks and Comptrollers website has a directory of all 67 county clerks with links to local resources. Both of these sites can help if you need more info about handling a traffic ticket in Hardee County.

Nearby Counties

Hardee County is in central Florida and borders four other counties. Make sure your ticket was issued in Hardee County before paying or contesting it here. The county name is printed on the citation.