Seminole County Traffic Ticket Records

Seminole County traffic ticket records are maintained by the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller in Sanford. Located just north of Orange County in central Florida, Seminole County has a population of about 475,000. The county includes major commuter corridors like I-4 and State Road 417, which generate a steady flow of traffic citations. The Clerk's office in Sanford handles every step of the traffic ticket process, from initial filing to final resolution. Residents and visitors can look up their citations, pay fines, elect traffic school, or schedule a court hearing all through the clerk's office or its online portal.

Seminole County Clerk of Court Traffic Division

The Seminole County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller runs the traffic division. The office is located at the Seminole County Courthouse in Sanford. Staff can look up any citation issued in Seminole County and explain the steps for paying, electing school, or requesting a hearing. The 18th Judicial Circuit covers Seminole and Brevard counties, but each county runs its own clerk office for traffic tickets.

A new Seminole County traffic ticket may not show up in the clerk's system right away. Allow up to 7 business days after the citation date. Once it appears, all options open up. You can handle your ticket online through the clerk's website, by phone, by mail, or by going to the courthouse in person. The Seminole County Clerk's homepage is shown below and serves as the main entry point for traffic ticket record searches.

From the clerk's website you can navigate to citation lookup, online payments, and court date information for Seminole County traffic tickets.

Paying Seminole County Traffic Tickets

Seminole County gives you several ways to take care of a traffic ticket payment. Online payment through PayFLClerk.com is the fastest option. The statewide portal connects to Seminole County's system and accepts credit and debit cards. A convenience fee is added to every card payment. You can also pay through the Seminole County Clerk's own website at seminoleclerk.org.

For mail payments, send a check or money order to the Seminole County Clerk of Court at 301 N. Park Avenue, Sanford, FL 32771. Put your citation number on the check. Do not send cash. In-person payments are accepted at the Sanford courthouse during business hours. The office takes cash, check, money order, and cards at the window. Walk-in wait times vary, but the staff handles traffic matters quickly most days.

Florida Statute 318.14 gives you 30 days from the date on the citation to pay or respond. That is the law across every county in the state. Missing the 30-day deadline in Seminole County triggers a $16 late fee. After that, the clerk reports the unpaid ticket to FLHSMV, and your license could be suspended. Handling things on time avoids those extra charges and problems.

Traffic Ticket Options in Seminole County

Under Florida Statute 318.14, you have three choices when you receive a civil traffic citation in Seminole County. The first is to pay the fine and accept the guilty plea. Points get added to your driving record based on the violation type. It is the quickest path but has the most impact on your license status. The second is to pay a reduced fine and elect to take a Basic Driver Improvement course. This keeps points off your record if you complete the course in time. The third option is to plead not guilty and fight the ticket at a court hearing.

Choosing a court hearing in Seminole County means contacting the clerk within 30 days to request one. The court assigns a date at the Sanford courthouse. The officer who wrote the ticket may be called to testify. If the judge finds you guilty, fines for most civil traffic violations can reach $500. For school zone or construction zone speeding, fines can go as high as $1,000 under Florida Statute 318.18. A win means the ticket gets dismissed. Every option involves some kind of trade-off, so think it through.

Seminole County Traffic School Election

Electing traffic school is a solid option for Seminole County drivers looking to keep their record clean. You pay a fine that is 18% less than the standard amount. Then you take an approved Basic Driver Improvement course within 90 days. Once done, file the completion certificate with the Seminole County Clerk. If everything checks out, no points go on your record. The FLHSMV approved schools list shows every provider accepted by the state.

There are limits, though. You can elect school no more than five times in your lifetime. You cannot use it more than once in any 12-month period. If you hold a CDL, you are not eligible. If you were going 30 mph or more over the limit in Seminole County, traffic school is not an option for you. The rules are the same across Florida, and the Seminole County Clerk enforces them.

If you miss the 90-day course deadline or do not get the certificate filed, the school election gets voided. Points land on your record and the full fine becomes due. Stay on top of those dates.

Seminole County Traffic Ticket Fines

Seminole County traffic ticket fines follow the state schedule set by Florida Statute 318.18. Speeding ticket base fines in Seminole County are: $25 for 6 to 9 mph over the limit, $100 for 10 to 14 over, $150 for 15 to 19 over, $175 for 20 to 29 over, and $250 for 30 mph or more above the posted speed. Court costs, county surcharges, and other add-on fees bring the total amount above the base fine on every Seminole County traffic ticket.

Moving violations have a $60 base fine. Nonmoving violations cost $30. School zone speeding doubles the fine amount. Construction zone speeding does the same when workers are on site. A $16 late fee gets added if you miss the 30-day deadline. After that, under Florida Statute 318.15, the Seminole County Clerk reports the unpaid ticket to FLHSMV. The state then starts the process to suspend your license, adding a $60 reinstatement fee to your total bill.

License Suspension for Seminole County Tickets

Not dealing with a Seminole County traffic ticket has real costs. Miss the 30-day window, and the clerk notifies FLHSMV. A suspension order gets mailed to your address on file. Twenty days later, the suspension goes into effect. It stays on your FLHSMV record for seven years. That is a long mark over a traffic ticket.

Clearing the suspension means paying everything you owe to the Seminole County Clerk plus a $60 reinstatement fee to FLHSMV. You can check your license status at the MyDMV Portal or request your driving record from FLHSMV. Once Seminole County confirms full payment, they send a certificate of compliance to the state. FLHSMV then lifts the suspension. Driving with a suspended license in Florida is a criminal charge. Take care of your Seminole County ticket before it gets to that point.

Cities in Seminole County

Seminole County includes several cities and communities. All traffic tickets issued anywhere in the county are processed by the Seminole County Clerk of Court in Sanford.

Other communities in Seminole County include Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Lake Mary, Longwood, Oviedo, and Winter Springs. All traffic citations from these areas are handled by the same Seminole County Clerk's office.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Seminole County. If your traffic ticket was issued near a county line, check which county is printed on your citation. That is the county that handles it.