Traffic Ticket Options

The Lake County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller collects all criminal and traffic fines, fees, and costs and distributes the proceeds according to Florida Statutes. Fees and fines can be paid all at once, or a payment plan can be established to make periodic payments towards your case.

For civil traffic tickets, you must do one of the following within thirty (30) days of receiving a ticket:

OPTION 1: Pay the Ticket

If you choose to pay the ticket, points will be assessed against your driver license for all moving violations. The amount due for civil penalties is written on your citation by the law enforcement officer.

Fines, fees, and costs may be paid by cash, cashier’s check, money order, and most may be paid with a credit card. For credit card payments, the financial service provider charges a nonrefundable fee for each transaction. NOTE: We do not accept cashier’s checks dated more than two (2) months from the issue date.

Credit cards accepted are Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. The only debit cards which will be accepted are those with the Visa or MasterCard logo. If using a credit card in person, a photo I.D., which matches the name of the credit card holder, must be presented at the time of the transaction.

Check and money order payments to the Clerk’s Office should be made payable to “Gary J. Cooney, Clerk of Court & Comptroller.” Payments by cashier’s check and money order may be mailed to: Lake County Clerk’s Office, ATTN: Court Payments, P.O. Box 7800, Tavares, FL 32778. Be sure to make note of the citation or case number on your check or money order.

Payments must be in U.S. currency, and can be made using one of the following methods:

• Online:

  Pay Online using a credit or debit card for eligible cases only. NOTE: you may not make your payment online if a mandatory court appearance or proof of compliance is required.
  

• By mail:

  Pay by mail with check or money order only (no cash). NOTE: personal checks are accepted on civil traffic citations only. You may use the pre-addressed blue mailing envelope given to you at the time the citation was issued. When paying by mail, enclose a copy of the citation to ensure prompt processing of any payment.
  

• By Phone:

  To make a payment by phone for a civil traffic citation, call (352) 742-3846 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. If paying by phone, the name on the credit card must match the name on the case.

• In- Person:

  Pay in-person by cash, credit card, money order, or check (made payable to “Gary J. Cooney, Clerk of the Court & Comptroller”) at the Lake County Courthouse, East Wing, First Floor, 550 W. Main St., Tavares, FL 32778. NOTE: Personal checks are accepted on civil traffic citations only. We do not accept cashier’s checks dated more than two (2) months from the issue date.
  

• Payment Plans:

  Payment plans are available to help you in paying your fees and fines for a civil traffic citation. There is a $25 administrative fee for each payment contract signed.

OPTION 2: Go to Driver Improvement School

If you choose to go to Driver Improvement School, you must first sign a Driving School Affidavit (PDF), submit it to the Clerk’s office, and pay the applicable court costs.

You must then contact a Driver Improvement School and pay the required fees to attend the school. In general, the total cost to attend Driver Improvement School is more than the fine, but no points will be assessed against your driver license if you complete the school, and provide proof of such completion to the Clerk’s Office within sixty (60) days of making the election. Certain restrictions do apply.

For further information, you should contact the Traffic Division at (352) 742-4133.

OPTION 3: Contest the ticket (Go to Court)

If you choose to contest your ticket, you must request a hearing either in person at the Clerk’s office (Lake County Courthouse, 550 W. Main St., East Wing, First Floor, Tavares, FL 32778), or by mail. A mailed request should be addressed to:

Gary J. Cooney, Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
Attn: Traffic Division
P.O. Box 7800
Tavares, FL 32778-7800

You will be notified of your court date.

Failure to comply with one of the options above within thirty (30) days after the date of receiving the citation will result in an automatic suspension of your driver license.

To see if you are eligible to attend Driver Improvement School, have unpaid citations or suspensions, or to inquire if your driver license is valid, visit Florida’s Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles Driver License Check website.