Traffic

Traffic violations are non-criminal, payable offenses that generally do not require a court appearance. The Clerk of the Circuit Court's Office processes traffic citations issued by every law enforcement agency in Manatee County. The duties of the Traffic Division include informing the public of all the options available for disposition of their traffic citation, collecting fines, distributing the proceeds according to Florida Law, and maintaining accurate public records.

Available Options for Traffic Violations
If you have received a traffic citation in Manatee County, you have thirty (30) calendar days from the date the ticket was issued to choose one of the following three (3) options to resolve the ticket.  

Please have your citation number and/or case number readily available when contacting the clerk's office by telephone.  A printable Traffic Option Form can be download from our site under the Forms section.

1. Pay the ticket
2. Plead Not Guilty
3. Elect Driver Improvement School

If you choose option 1, to pay the ticket, points are assessed against your driver's license, if applicable. You have thirty (30) calendar days from the date you received your ticket to pay your fine and fill out the Option Form. Failure to pay the fine will result in the report for suspension of your driver's license and the assessment of late fees.

If you choose option 2, to plead not guilty, you must make your request for a hearing in writing to the Clerk within thirty (30) calendar days of the date the ticket was received. You will be notified in writing of your court date.

If you choose option 3, to attend driver improvement school (see Related Links), you must pay the fine and fill out the Option Form and file it with the Clerk's Office within thirty (30) calendar days of the date you received the ticket. You will be granted an extra ninety (90) days to attend a Driver Improvement School in the State of Florida, no points are assessed against your driver's license. Failure to attend Driver Improvement School will result in the report for suspension of your license and the assessment of late fees. Traffic School election can only be made once every 12 months, no more than 5 times in your lifetime.
You can provide proof of completion in person, by fax, or by email. Please see contact information.
Traffic@manateeclerk.com

***The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall require any operator convicted of violations 316.074(1), 316.075(1)C1, 316.172, 316.191, or 319.192 to attend a department-approved driver improvement course in order to maintain driving privileges if traffic school is not elected***

***Failure to provide insurance proof which was valid at the time the citation was issued, may result in a suspension of your drivers license by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles pursuant to Florida statute 316.646(3)***

Drivers License Transcripts

The Manatee County Clerk's Office sells Florida driver's license transcripts only. Citizens can purchase copies of their driver license transcripts, which contain driver's history information, from the Clerk's Office. There is a $23.25 fee charge for the transcript. A person can only request and/or purchase their own driver license transcript and must present a valid form of identification with both a valid picture and signature.

Red-Light Camera Citations

With the end of Manatee County's red-light camera program, Notice of Violations are null and void, meaning you do not have to pay the $158 fine.

However, if you received a red-light camera uniform traffic citation, you must still pay the $264 fine or risk having your driver's license suspended.

Watch this two-minute video to learn the difference between a red-light camera Notice of Violation and a red-light camera Uniform Traffic Citation.

If you have questions about the red-light camera program and any violations you've received, please call Manatee County's Code Enforcement at (941) 748-2071.