Got a Florida ticket? Know your options before you pay.

Most moving violations carry 3 points. Speeding more than 15 mph over the limit, running a red light, and moving violations that cause a crash carry 4 points. Speeding that causes a crash, or leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, carries 6. Seat belt, equipment, and registration tickets carry no points. If you get 12 points within 12 months, your license is suspended for 30 days. 18 points in 18 months means a 3-month suspension, and 24 points in 36 months means 1 year.

Often, yes. For a non-criminal ticket you can elect a 4-hour Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) course within 30 days of the ticket. You pay the fine (reduced by 18%), finish the course within 60 days, and no points are added. You can’t elect it if you hold a CDL, if you took traffic school for a ticket in the last 12 months, if you’ve already used it 5 times, or if the ticket requires a court appearance.

Paying a ticket counts as a conviction, and the points go on your driving record. Insurers check that record, and a moving violation commonly raises premiums for about three years. Traffic school or a dismissal usually keeps the points off your record.

The clerk notifies the DHSMV and your driver license can be suspended. Extra fees are added. Contact the clerk or a lawyer right away. It can usually still be fixed, but sooner is cheaper.

For most non-criminal traffic tickets, no. Your lawyer appears for you, and you won’t need to take time off work. Criminal traffic charges like DUI or reckless driving may require you to appear; we’ll tell you up front.