Lake County Traffic Ticket Lookup
Traffic ticket records in Lake County are handled by the Clerk of Courts based in Tavares. Lake County sits in Central Florida and covers a wide area that includes portions of the Florida Turnpike, US 27, US 441, and State Road 50. With a growing population of over 400,000 residents, the traffic division stays busy year-round. The Lake County Clerk processes payments, traffic school elections, and court hearings for all citations issued in the county. Drivers who get a ticket in Lake County must respond within 30 days or face late fees and a suspended license.
Lake County Quick Facts
Lake County Clerk of Courts
The Lake County Clerk of Courts runs the traffic division that handles all citation records in the county. The main office is in Tavares, and the traffic division has a direct phone line for ticket questions. Whether you need to pay a fine, sign up for traffic school, or set a hearing date, this is where you go. The clerk keeps a record of every traffic ticket from the moment it is filed through its final resolution in Lake County.
Lake County is part of the 5th Judicial Circuit, which also covers Citrus, Hernando, Marion, and Sumter counties. Even though these counties share a circuit court system, each clerk handles traffic tickets for its own county only. If your citation was issued in Lake County, the Lake County Clerk is the one you deal with. The Lake County Clerk website has info on traffic services and office locations throughout the county. The clerk also runs the CLERKPay online payment system for traffic and other court payments in Lake County.
| Mailing Address | P.O. Box 7800, Tavares, FL 32778 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 352-742-4100 |
| Traffic Division | 352-742-4133 |
| Website | lakecountyclerkfl.gov |
| Court Payments | CLERKPay Online Payment |
Pay Lake County Traffic Tickets Online
Lake County offers several ways to pay your traffic ticket. The most used method is online through the CLERKPay system on the clerk's website. Visit the Lake County court payments page to start. You can also reach the payment portal through PayFLClerk.com by selecting Lake County from the dropdown list. Both routes let you search by citation number and pay with a credit or debit card. A processing fee applies to all card payments in Lake County.
Under Florida Statute 318.14, you have 30 days from the citation date to pay or respond. Miss that window and the clerk adds a $16 late fee. After that, the clerk tells DHSMV to start the license suspension process. The total on your Lake County traffic ticket already includes the base fine, court costs, and all surcharges, so pay that full amount to close the case.
You can also pay by mail. Send a check or money order to the Lake County Clerk at P.O. Box 7800, Tavares, FL 32778. Include your citation number with the payment. For in-person payments, visit the clerk's office in Tavares during business hours. Cash payments are accepted at any Florida AMSCOT location as well.
Note: New tickets may take 5 to 10 days to appear in the Lake County system after the officer issues the citation.
Lake County Traffic Citation Options
Three options are available for every noncriminal traffic ticket issued in Lake County. You have 30 days to pick one. The option you choose determines whether points go on your license and how much you pay.
The first option is to pay the full fine. This is quick and easy. You send in the money and the case closes. The downside is that paying equals a guilty plea. The court enters a conviction and DHSMV adds points to your license. Standard moving violations get three points in Lake County. Speeding 16 or more over the limit adds four points. Points raise insurance premiums and can trigger a suspension if you get too many. Twelve points in one year leads to a 30-day suspension. Eighteen points in 18 months means three months off the road.
The second option is traffic school. This is the most popular choice in Lake County for drivers who want to keep a clean record. You tell the clerk you want the Basic Driver Improvement course within 30 days. The fine drops by 18 percent. You then finish the course in 90 days and turn in the certificate. No points go on your license if everything is done on time. Under Florida Statute 318.14, you can use this option up to five times in your life and only once per year. CDL holders cannot elect it. Neither can drivers going 30 or more over the posted speed limit.
The third option is to contest the ticket in court. You ask the clerk for a hearing and make your case to a judge. If you win, the ticket is dismissed. If you lose, the fine could be as high as $500 for a regular violation or $1,000 in a school or construction zone in Lake County.
Lake County Traffic Fine Schedule
Fines for Lake County traffic tickets follow the state schedule in Florida Statute 318.18. The base fine depends on the violation type. Court costs and surcharges get stacked on top. Here are the base fine amounts that apply to citations in Lake County:
- Standard moving violation: $60
- Nonmoving violation: $30
- Speeding 6 to 9 mph over: $25
- Speeding 10 to 14 mph over: $100
- Speeding 15 to 19 mph over: $150
- Speeding 20 to 29 mph over: $175
- Speeding 30 mph or more over: $250
School zone tickets double. Construction zone tickets double when workers are present. Court costs add $35 for moving violations and $18 for nonmoving violations. The total on your Lake County citation includes all of these amounts. If you are late, the clerk adds $16 more. The Florida Clerks and Comptrollers site has general info on traffic fine structures for all 67 Florida counties.
Lake County Driving Record Check
Traffic tickets from Lake County show up on your Florida driving record maintained by DHSMV. You can order your record through the FLHSMV Driving Record History page. A three-year record is $14.25 and a complete history is $16.25. These records list every citation, point assessment, suspension, and course completion tied to your license in Lake County and across the state.
To check your license status quickly, use the MyDMV Portal. This tool shows whether your license is valid, suspended, or has a hold from an unpaid Lake County ticket. If you see a suspension, you must pay off the ticket and then pay a $60 reinstatement fee to DHSMV. Under Florida Statute 318.15, the suspension stays on your record for seven years from the date it was imposed.
Below is a screenshot of the Lake County court payments page where you can look up and pay traffic tickets in Lake County.
The CLERKPay system lets you search by citation number and pay online for Lake County traffic tickets.
Traffic School for Lake County Tickets
Electing a Basic Driver Improvement course is the top way to avoid points from a Lake County traffic ticket. Call the traffic division at 352-742-4133 within 30 days of your citation. Pay the reduced fine and sign up. Then take an approved course within 90 days. The FLHSMV approved course providers page lists every option. Most are online and take about four hours.
After you complete the course, the certificate must reach the Lake County Clerk. Some schools send it directly. Others do not. Call the traffic division to confirm they received it before your deadline runs out. If the certificate is late, the clerk may add points and extra fees. Once the clerk gets the certificate, they close the case and no points go on your record for that Lake County ticket.
Note: Traffic school can be used five times in a lifetime and once per 12-month period across all Florida counties.
Nearby Counties
Lake County borders several other Central Florida counties. If your citation was issued near a county line, check the ticket to see which county handles your case. You must pay in the county listed on the citation.