Frequently Asked Questions

Under the Florida statutes, a civil infraction traffic ticket is a case in which a person is suspected of committing a non-criminal traffic infraction. These violations are classified as either moving, non-moving or bicycle/pedestrian. A moving violation normally assesses points against the driver license while non-moving and bicycle/pedestrian violations do not. These violations are not punishable by incarceration and there is no right to trial by jury or to court-appointed counsel. Examples of Moving Violations are careless driving; fail to yield at a stop sign, etc. Examples of Non-Moving Violations are no seat belt, improper parking, etc.

In most instances, a civil traffic infraction may be disposed of by:

• A payment of a civil penalty, otherwise known as a fine.
• The election and completion of an authorized driver improvement course, including payment of the fine.
• A hearing before the Court.

You may request any of these options by completing the Traffic Citation Option Form and returning it to the Clerk of the Court within the time allowed

You may pay with cash, money order, or a personal check drawn from a United States bank, we also accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. 

Credit card payments can be made online at www.MyFloridaCounty.com. There is a 3.5% nonrefundable service fee when making payments online.   

Cash payments can be made at any local Amscot. Payment processing fees will apply. 

If paying your traffic fine by check, money order, or cashier's check, please make payable to Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court.

Standard Mail

Manatee County Clerk of Court
Attn: Traffic Department
P.O. Box 25400 
Bradenton, FL 34206 

Expedited/Overnight

Manatee County Clerk of Court
Attn: Traffic Department
1115 Manatee Ave W 
Bradenton, FL 34205

If the officer cited you with failure to carry or display a valid driver's license, registration, and/or proof of insurance, and you can prove that these documents were valid at the time the officer issued the citation, then you must submit proof of your valid document(s), the copy of your citation, and pay a dismissal fee (see Traffic Fee Schedule for fee amount) to the Clerk's Office in person or by mail. 

The following charges require a mandatory court hearing:

• Leaving a child in an unattended vehicle
• An accident involving a serious bodily/personal injury
  If found guilty of an offense involving serious bodily injury to another, the court will impose a mandatory fine of $500.00 plus court costs and a mandatory license suspension of 3 months.
• An accident involving a fatality 
  If found guilty of an offense involving a fatality, the court will impose a mandatory fine of $1,000.00 plus court costs and a mandatory license suspension of 6 months.
• Passing on enter/exit side while bus is stopped
• Speed 30+ MPH in excess of posted speed limits

You must present proof of completion of the basic drive improvement course (BDI) to the Manatee County Clerk's Office within 90 calendar days of the date you made payment with the election.

No, the citation will appear on your driving record but will reflect adjudication withheld. This means no points will be assessed against your license. 

No, the election for traffic school must be received with payment within 30 days of the offense date. If payment is received without election, the disposition is reported as adjudicated guilty and points will be assessed against your license. 

Please consult your insurance company for this information.

No, you must send your certificate of completion to the Clerk’s Office within 90 calendar days from the date the option was elected. It is your responsibility to make sure the Clerk receives a copy. 

The Clerk’s Office is required to collect the correct amount as required by Florida statute, even if the officer may have written an incorrect amount.

You may purchase a printout of your Florida driving record (see Traffic Fee Schedule for fee amount). You may also contact the appropriate Drivers License Bureau to find out how many points are assessed against your license.

Once a case has been sent to an outside collection agency, payment must be made to them. Please contact the Traffic Division at (941) 741-4060 to obtain information regarding cases sent to external collection agencies.