Polk County Traffic Records

Polk County traffic ticket records are managed by the Clerk of Courts office in Bartow. Sitting in the center of the state between Tampa and Orlando, Polk County covers a large area with a population of over 725,000 people. Lakeland is the biggest city, but Bartow serves as the county seat where the main clerk's office is located. The county sees heavy traffic on I-4, US-27, and US-98, which means the clerk processes a high volume of citations each year. Whether you need to pay a ticket, check on a court date, or look up a citation, the Polk County Clerk has you covered with online and in-person services.

Polk County Clerk of Courts

The Polk County Clerk of Courts handles all traffic ticket records for the county. The main office is in Bartow at 255 North Broadway Avenue. A mailing address is also available at P.O. Box 9000, Drawer CC-10, Bartow, FL 33831 for anyone who needs to send documents or payments by mail. The general phone number is 863-534-4000. When you get a traffic ticket in Polk County, you have 30 calendar days from the date of receipt to select how you want to handle it.

Polk County sits in the 10th Judicial Circuit, which also covers Hardee and Highlands counties. The clerk's office processes citations from the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Florida Highway Patrol, and local police departments in Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, Haines City, and other cities within the county. New citations may take up to a week to appear in the online system.

Paying Polk County Traffic Tickets

The Polk County Clerk provides several methods for paying traffic citations. Online payment is the fastest option. You can use the clerk's website at polkclerkfl.gov or the statewide PayFLClerk.com portal. Select Polk County from the list, enter your citation number, and follow the payment steps. A convenience fee applies to credit and debit card transactions.

The Polk County Clerk's traffic ticket page at polkclerkfl.gov provides all the details you need about paying your citation and choosing your options.

In-person payments are accepted at the Polk County Clerk's office in Bartow. Cash, checks, money orders, and credit or debit cards all work at the counter. Mail payments should be sent to the P.O. Box listed above. Use a check or money order made payable to the Polk County Clerk of Courts. Do not send cash through the mail. The payment must arrive before the 30-day deadline runs out.

Under Florida Statute 318.14, you have 30 calendar days from the date on your citation to pay or respond. If you miss this window in Polk County, a $16 late fee gets added and the license suspension process begins. AMSCOT locations across Florida also accept cash payments for Polk County traffic tickets with a $2.50 service fee.

Note: The Polk County Clerk requires you to complete a traffic citation choice form when selecting your option, so have it ready when you contact the office.

Polk County Traffic Ticket Options

When you get a traffic ticket in Polk County, the clerk gives you four options. You have 30 calendar days from receipt to pick one. The Polk County Clerk asks that you complete a traffic citation choice form and return it to the office. This form tells the clerk how you want to handle your case.

The first option is to pay the fine in full and accept the conviction. Points will be added to your driving record based on the type of violation. Moving violations carry a base fine of $60, plus court costs and surcharges that raise the total. The second option is to pay the reduced fine and elect a Basic Driver Improvement course. This keeps points off your record if you complete the course on time. Your Polk County fine is reduced by 18% when you pick this option.

The third option is to contest the ticket by pleading not guilty. You request a hearing through the Polk County Clerk, and a judge in the 10th Judicial Circuit will hear your case. The officer who wrote your ticket may appear as a witness. If you are found guilty after a hearing, fines can reach up to $500 for standard violations or $1,000 for school zone and construction zone speeding per Florida Statute 318.18. The fourth option covers correctable violations. If your ticket was for a registration, insurance, or equipment issue that you have since fixed, you can provide proof to the Polk County Clerk and may have the ticket dismissed with a fee.

Traffic School in Polk County

Electing traffic school is a popular choice for Polk County drivers who want to keep their record clean. The process starts when you notify the clerk of your election and pay the reduced fine. You then have 90 days from the date on the citation to finish an approved Basic Driver Improvement course. The FLHSMV approved schools page lists all the providers. Most offer online courses you can do from home in a few hours.

After completing the course, you must file the certificate with the Polk County Clerk. Do not assume the school sends it for you. Some do. Many do not. If the certificate does not reach the clerk's office by the deadline, you face the full fine, a late fee, license suspension, and a conviction with points. The limits on this option are the same across Florida. You can use traffic school five times in your life, no more than once in a 12-month span, and it is not available for CDL holders or drivers caught going 30 mph or more over the limit.

Note: Polk County drivers should confirm their certificate was received by calling the clerk at 863-534-4000 before the 90-day window closes.

Polk County Traffic Ticket Fines

Fines for Polk County traffic tickets follow the state schedule in Florida Statute 318.18. Speeding fines scale up with the number of miles per hour over the limit. A ticket for 6 to 9 mph over carries a $25 base fine. Ten to 14 over is $100. Fifteen to 19 over runs $150. Twenty to 29 over costs $175. Going 30 or more over the limit means a $250 base fine and no eligibility for traffic school.

Court costs get added on top of base fines. Moving violations add $35 in court costs. Nonmoving violations add $18. A standard moving violation in Polk County with a $60 base fine will cost well over $100 once court costs and county surcharges are figured in. School zone speeding doubles the base fine. Construction zone speeding does the same when workers are present on site. The $16 late fee kicks in the moment you miss the 30-day deadline on any Polk County traffic ticket.

License Suspension for Polk County Tickets

If you ignore a Polk County traffic ticket, your license will be suspended. The Polk County Clerk is required to notify FLHSMV when a citation goes unpaid past the 30-day deadline. The state then mails a suspension order to your address on file, and the suspension takes effect 20 days after that letter goes out. Under Florida law, this suspension stays on your FLHSMV record for seven years.

Getting reinstated means paying everything you owe on the original Polk County citation, plus any late fees, plus a $60 reinstatement service charge to FLHSMV. You can check your license status online through the MyDMV Portal. The Polk County Clerk can also tell you your total balance and help walk you through the reinstatement steps. Once you clear everything, the clerk sends a certificate of compliance to FLHSMV and your driving privileges get restored.

Statewide Resources for Polk County

The FLHSMV traffic citations page has general guidance that applies to all Florida counties, including Polk. The Florida Clerks and Comptrollers site offers a directory of all 67 county clerks and links to local payment portals. For a copy of your driving record showing points and suspensions, visit the FLHSMV driving record history page.

Nearby Counties

Polk County has borders with eight other counties. If your ticket was written near a county line, check the county name on the citation. That tells you which clerk's office handles the case.

Cities in Polk County

Polk County includes many cities and towns. Lakeland is the largest. All traffic tickets issued within the county go through the Polk County Clerk of Courts in Bartow.

Other communities in Polk County include Winter Haven, Bartow, Haines City, Lake Wales, Auburndale, and Davenport. Tickets from all of these areas are processed by the same Polk County Clerk's office.