Search Holmes County Traffic Tickets

Holmes County traffic ticket records are maintained by the Clerk of Court in Bonifay. This small, rural county in the Florida Panhandle has a population of about 20,000 people. Despite its size, Holmes County processes traffic citations from drivers on Interstate 10, US-90, and State Road 79. The clerk's office in Bonifay is the single point of contact for paying fines, looking up citations, electing traffic school, or requesting a court hearing for any traffic ticket issued within Holmes County.

Holmes County Clerk of Court Office

The Holmes County Clerk of Court handles every traffic citation filed in the county. The office is in Bonifay, the county seat. Staff there can pull up your ticket, explain your options, and process your payment. Holmes County is a small operation compared to metro areas, but the same state laws and procedures apply here as they do anywhere else in Florida. You get the same 30-day window, the same fine schedule, and the same traffic school rules.

Holmes County sits in the 14th Judicial Circuit along with Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Bay, and Washington counties. Each county runs its own clerk's office for traffic tickets. If the citation says Holmes County, then the Holmes County Clerk is who you deal with. It does not matter if you live in Bay County or anywhere else. The ticket stays with the county where it was written. Staff at the Holmes County office can help you by phone if you cannot make the drive to Bonifay.

Call ahead to check office hours. Rural county clerks sometimes have shorter hours than you might expect.

Paying Holmes County Traffic Tickets

Holmes County offers a few ways to pay a traffic ticket. Online payment through PayFLClerk.com is the most convenient option if you do not want to drive to Bonifay. Pick Holmes County on the site, enter your citation number, and pay with a card. A convenience fee applies. You can also pay by mail. Send a check or money order to P.O. Box 397, Bonifay, FL 32425. Put your citation number on the payment. Do not send cash.

In-person payments are accepted at the clerk's office in Bonifay. You can use cash, check, or money order there. The 30-day deadline from Florida Statute 318.14 applies to every Holmes County traffic ticket. If you miss it, a $16 late fee gets added automatically. After that, the clerk reports you to FLHSMV and the license suspension process starts. That is a lot of hassle over a late payment, so do not let the deadline slip.

The Holmes County Clerk's website at holmesclerk.com posts payment details and contact information for the traffic division.

Here is the Holmes County Clerk of Court homepage, which provides access to traffic ticket services and payment information.

Use the site to find your citation details and learn about your payment options before contacting the office.

Holmes County Citation Options

You get 30 days. That is how long you have after getting a Holmes County traffic ticket to choose how to handle it. Three paths are open to you, and each one leads to a different result.

Path one is to pay the fine outright. This is a guilty plea. Points go on your driving record, and the case closes. It is the quickest way to be done with a Holmes County ticket, but those points can raise your insurance rates. Path two is to pay and elect traffic school. Your fine drops by 18%, and no points go on your record if you finish an approved course within 90 days. Most Holmes County drivers who care about their insurance premiums go this route. Path three is to fight the ticket. You ask the Holmes County Clerk for a hearing, show up in court, and a judge makes the call. If you win, the ticket gets tossed. If you lose, the judge can set a fine up to $500 for standard violations or $1,000 for school zone and construction zone offenses under Florida Statute 318.18.

Whichever path you pick, do it within 30 days. Waiting past the deadline only makes things worse.

Traffic School for Holmes County Tickets

Traffic school is a solid option for most Holmes County drivers. You pay a reduced fine and take an approved Basic Driver Improvement course. Points stay off your record if you finish on time. The state lists approved providers at FLHSMV's website. Online courses are available, which is especially helpful for Holmes County residents who may not have a classroom provider nearby.

You have 90 days from the citation date to complete the course. After you pass, the school issues a certificate. That certificate must be filed with the Holmes County Clerk. Do not assume the school files it for you. Call 850-547-1100 to check. If the certificate does not arrive before the deadline, your license faces suspension and points go on your record anyway. Florida law also limits traffic school to five lifetime uses and no more than one election in any 12-month period. CDL holders cannot use it. And if you were going 30 mph or more over the speed limit in Holmes County, you are not eligible for the course.

Holmes County Traffic Ticket Fines

Holmes County traffic fines follow the same state schedule as every other Florida county. Base fines are set by law. Court costs and surcharges are added on top. Speeding 6 to 9 mph over costs $25 in base fines. Ten to 14 over is $100. Fifteen to 19 over runs $150. Twenty to 29 mph above the limit is $175 base. And 30 or more over carries a $250 base fine plus a mandatory court date in Holmes County. You cannot just pay that one online.

Moving violations carry a $60 base fine. Nonmoving violations are $30. School zone and construction zone speeding doubles the fine. The construction doubling only applies when workers are present. If you miss the 30-day payment window, a $16 late fee is added to whatever you owe. After that, the Holmes County Clerk reports the missed deadline to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The total bill grows fast when you add court costs and surcharges to these base numbers.

License Suspension for Holmes County Tickets

Ignoring a Holmes County traffic ticket will cost you your license. Florida Statute 318.15 requires the clerk to report you to FLHSMV when you do not pay or respond in 30 days. The state sends a suspension notice. Twenty days after that letter, the suspension takes effect. It goes on your FLHSMV record and stays there for seven years.

Getting your license back requires paying off the full Holmes County ticket balance plus a $60 reinstatement fee to FLHSMV. You can check your license status at the MyDMV Portal. The Holmes County Clerk can also look up what you owe. Once the full amount is paid, the clerk sends a compliance certificate to FLHSMV, and the state lifts the suspension. If you think old Holmes County tickets might be causing problems, you can pull your driving record to find out for sure.

Cities in Holmes County

Holmes County includes the towns of Bonifay, Esto, Noma, Ponce de Leon, and Westville. All traffic tickets issued in the county go through the Holmes County Clerk of Court in Bonifay. These communities are small, and the same clerk's office handles every citation no matter where in Holmes County it was written.

Nearby Counties

Holmes County borders three other Panhandle counties. Check the county name on your citation to make sure you are contacting the right clerk's office.