Receiving a traffic ticket is never a good way to end your day. Maybe you were running late, didn't realize how fast you were going, or simply made a mistake. Whatever the reason, once the officer hands you the citation, you're left with another question:
Got a Hillsborough County Traffic Ticket—What Do I Do Now?
For many drivers, the first reaction may be to pay the ticket and move on. Before doing that, however, it's important to understand what options may be available to you.
If you received a civil traffic ticket in Hillsborough County, your choices may include paying the citation, electing traffic school if you're eligible, or requesting a court hearing to contest the citation. The option you choose can affect the amount you pay, whether points are assessed against your driving record, and what you'll need to do next.
At Florida Pro Driving Academy, we've worked with many drivers who didn't fully understand their options after receiving a citation. Let's walk through the process in plain language.
First, Don't Put the Ticket Aside
One of the biggest mistakes you can make after receiving a traffic ticket is forgetting about it.
For a Hillsborough County civil traffic citation, certain options have important deadlines. For example, electing traffic school or requesting a court hearing generally must be done within 30 calendar days from the date the citation was issued.
Before doing anything else, read your citation carefully and look for:
- The violation you were cited for
- The date the citation was issued
- Whether a court appearance is required
- Your deadline for responding
- Your citation or ticket number
You can also use the Hillsborough County Clerk's Online System to look up your traffic ticket and review the options associated with your citation.
What Are Your Options After a Hillsborough County Traffic Ticket?
Not every traffic citation is handled the same way, and not every driver qualifies for every option. For many civil traffic citations, however, there are three primary choices.
Option 1: Pay the Traffic Ticket
Paying the civil penalty may seem like the simplest choice, but make sure you understand what that decision means.
According to the Hillsborough County Clerk, paying a civil traffic penalty means you are admitting the violation. For a moving violation, points may then be assessed against your Florida driving record.
That's why you shouldn't automatically pay a citation without first understanding the other options that may be available to you.
Option 2: Elect Traffic School
If both you and your citation are eligible, you may be able to elect traffic school and complete a Florida-approved Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) course.
Under Florida law, when an eligible driver properly elects the BDI option and meets the applicable requirements, adjudication is withheld and points are not assessed for the qualifying traffic infraction.
There is an important distinction here:
Signing up for a BDI course is not the same thing as electing traffic school with the Clerk.
You must make the traffic-school election through the appropriate Clerk of Court and meet the eligibility requirements.
Also remember that paying for a BDI course does not take care of the traffic ticket itself. The course fee and the amount owed to the Clerk are separate expenses.
Option 3: Request a Court Hearing
If you believe the citation should be challenged, you may choose to request a court hearing.
According to the Hillsborough County Clerk, requesting a hearing means you are challenging the ticket and entering a plea of not guilty. Once you request a court hearing, you give up the option to simply pay the original civil penalty amount and the option to elect traffic school for that citation.
That's another reason not to rush your decision.
What Is a Basic Driver Improvement Course, and Can It Help Keep Points Off Your Record?
A Basic Driver Improvement course, often called BDI or traffic school, is a driver improvement course approved by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Approved courses address subjects intended to improve driver performance and safety, including driver awareness, crash avoidance and risky driving behaviors.
For many eligible drivers, one of the primary reasons for electing traffic school after a qualifying citation is to prevent points from being assessed.
Under Florida law, when an eligible driver properly elects and completes an approved BDI course for a qualifying traffic infraction, adjudication is withheld and points are not assessed for that violation. The statute also provides for an 18% reduction in the civil penalty.
However, traffic school isn't available for every driver or every violation.
For example, the Hillsborough County Clerk's traffic-school guidance states that drivers with a Commercial Driver License (CDL), drivers operating a commercial motor vehicle at the time of the offense, and certain types of violations are not eligible for the traffic-school election.
Your eligibility can also depend on other factors, so determine what options are available for your particular citation before paying the ticket or registering for a course.
For more information about points, you can also read our article, How to Avoid Points After a Hillsborough County Traffic Ticket.
How Do You Elect Traffic School in Hillsborough County?
This is one of the most important parts of the process.
If your citation was issued in Hillsborough County and you are eligible for traffic school, the Hillsborough County Clerk states that the traffic-school election must be made within 30 calendar days from the date the citation was issued.
The election is made through the Clerk—not through the traffic school.
After making your election and satisfying the Clerk's requirements, you can select a Florida-approved Basic Driver Improvement course provider and complete the course within the required timeframe.
You can review the Hillsborough County Clerk's traffic-school requirements before making your election.
How Long Do You Have to Complete Traffic School?
Once you've elected traffic school, don't put off completing your course until the last minute.
The Hillsborough County Clerk's traffic-school guidance states that completion information containing the ticket number—not the case number—must be electronically filed with the Clerk within the required 60-day period.
Because deadlines are important and can depend on the circumstances of your citation, use the information provided by the Clerk for your case to determine your actual completion deadline.
Missing that deadline can have consequences. Florida law provides that a driver who elects driver improvement school but fails to complete it within the specified time can be adjudicated guilty and have points assessed.
If you've already elected traffic school, give yourself plenty of time to complete the course.
What Happens After You Complete Your Basic Driver Improvement Course?
The course-completion reporting process may be different from what some Florida drivers remember from years ago.
Florida law requires approved course providers to submit course-completion information electronically to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles through its Driver Improvement Certificate Issuance System. Providers must also submit required completion information and the citation number to the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the citation was issued.
For a Hillsborough County citation, the Clerk also advises drivers to verify that their completion information has been received.
That's an important final step.
Don't simply assume everything associated with your ticket has been completed. Check your citation status and make sure the Clerk has received the required completion information.
Choosing a Florida-Approved Basic Driver Improvement Course
Once you've elected traffic school, you can choose a Florida-approved course provider.
When comparing Basic Driver Improvement courses, look beyond price alone. Consider whether the course is approved for the purpose for which you're taking it, convenient to complete, clear about its fees, easy to navigate, supported if you have questions or technical problems, and reliable about processing completion information.
Florida Pro Driving Academy offers a Florida-approved online Basic Driver Improvement Course for eligible drivers that can be completed entirely online from home and on your own schedule.
Our goal isn't simply to help you satisfy a traffic-school requirement. We want you to leave the course with practical information that can help you become a safer and more informed driver.
Received a Hillsborough County Traffic Ticket? Don't Wait Until the Deadline
A traffic ticket can be frustrating, but ignoring it won't make it disappear.
If you've recently received a citation in Hillsborough County, start by reviewing your ticket and determining what options are available to you. If you're eligible and decide that traffic school is the right option, make your election with the Clerk within the required timeframe and give yourself plenty of time to complete the course.
Already elected traffic school and ready to get started?
Florida Pro Driving Academy offers a convenient Florida-approved online Basic Driver Improvement Course for eligible Florida drivers.
Enroll in our Florida-approved online Basic Driver Improvement Course today and complete your course online—before your deadline becomes another problem to worry about.
