Traffic Frequently Asked Questions - St. Johns County Clerk of Court

1I want a list of providers for the driving course. Where can I find these?

2I was informed my unpaid ticket is now in collections; how do I make payment and clear the suspension of my driver’s license?

You will need to contact the collection agency to comply with your citation; payment will not be accepted at the Clerk’s Office. Please review the collections page for details.

3I failed to pay and choose an option within my 30 days, what now?

If you are past your compliance date, most likely a late fee has been assessed to your citation and notice was sent to your licensed state to suspend your driving privileges for failure to pay the fine. Please contact our office by phone to check the status of your case.

4My citation says Court Appearance Required, what does this mean?

Violations of Speeding 30mph or more over the limit and crash violations involving Serious Bodily Injury or Fatality require a mandatory hearing. Arraignments are set for these types of violations. If you plead Not Guilty at the arraignment then a hearing date will be set, then the officer and any witnesses will be subpoenaed for court.

5How many points will suspend my driving privileges in Florida?

12 points accumulated within 12 months - 30 day suspension
18 points accumulated within 18 months - 3 Month suspension
24 points accumulated within 36 months (3 years) - 1 Year suspension

6I’m under 18, what will happen to my license if I accept the points?

If you are between the ages of 15 and 17 and have accumulated six (6) or more points within a 12 month period, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall notify you and issue you a restricted license for business purposes only per Florida Stature 322.161.

7Am I eligible to elect traffic school for my citation?

A Florida Licensed Driver, under Florida Statute 318.14(9), may only elect traffic school on a citation once in twelve months and eight times in a lifetime. If you are licensed in another state you must check with your local DMV if the election and completion of a Traffic School in Florida will keep the points off your record.

To check eligibility you may visit the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles website. https://services.flhsmv.gov/DLCheck/

8I have a CDL (Commercial license) does this affect my options?

CDL or Commercial Learner’s Permit holders are not eligible to elect traffic school per Florida Statute 318.14(9). CDL or Commercial Learner’s Permit holders must seek assistance from the courts to avoid the points.

9What are my options for citations with points?

You have three options available for Moving Violations, Option Form:

Option #1 – Pay in Full, accept the points and a Guilty verdict on your driving record.
Option #2 – Elect a Court Hearing to dispute your citation or ask for mercy from the courts.
Option #3 – Elect to attend a Traffic School to avoid points on your driving record.

10My citation is a Non-Moving violation and does not assess points, what are my options?

Most Non-Moving violations are payable with no additional process, and you have the option to elect a court hearing on these violations. If your citation was for Failure to Carry Proof of Insurance, Drivers License or Registration; you must provide proof to our office of the item when paying the citation.

Please read over the Failure to Carry options for additional details before submitting proof and payment. If your citation was for Expired Driver’s License or Expired Registration; you must provide proof to our office the item has been renewed or give reason proof cannot be provided.

Please read over the Expired License or Registration options for additional details.

11How long do traffic citation related entries stay on the record?

Citations – 10 years

Citations (adjudication withheld by Clerk of Court) – indefinite

Citations (adjudication withheld by Judge) – indefinite

Suspensions and Revocations – 7 to 11 years

12How long will the points stay on my driving record?

The violation and points are noted on your lifetime record. The points remain active on your driving record for three years past the disposition date of the citation. The suspension process for points is determined by the citations offense date.

13Does my citation place points on my driving record?

All moving violations carry points. Paying the citation is an admission of guilt and will result in the points being assessed on the driver’s license.

14Where do I find important information on my citation?

Please review the citation image example. A few items have been noted in boxes to show the locations of important information.

15Where can I pay in person?

Traffic payments can be made in person by visiting the St. Johns County Richard O. Watson Judicial Center, located at 4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, Fla. Park and enter the courthouse from the South entrance, as the North entrance is currently closed. Our Julington Creek Annex currently only offers passport services.

16Where do I mail my payment?

Mail payments to:

St Johns Co Clerk of Court - Attention: Traffic
4010 Lewis Speedway
St Augustine, FL 32084

17May I pay my citation online?

Payment may be made online through http://www.stjohncopmts.com/ :

Payment may be made online for traffic tickets; the school election will only be available if paid within the first 30 days.
Citations with mandatory court required or failure to carry/expired proof of insurance, registration or drivers license will not be available through this website.
If your ticket exceeds the 30 day due date, you may still be able to pay your citation online. The clearance of your suspension will be noted with the Department of Motor Vehicles electronically if you have a Florida license; if you are licensed out of state your clearance form will be mailed to you.
You can pay online by entering your Citation or Case Number. There is also an option to find your Citation or Case number by running a name search.

18What types of payment are accepted?

Payment may be made in the form of cash, money order, credit card, personal or business checks. Please do not mail cash to pay your citation. Credit card payments will have a convenience fee applied.

19Do you accept personal checks?

Yes, payment can be made by personal check. The name and address must be pre-printed on the check, starter checks are not accepted. When paying by personal check in our office, a valid driver’s license or ID is required.

Out of Country personal checks are not accepted. You must remit a Money Order or Cashier’s Check with the amount specified as US funds.

20May I pay my citation by phone?

Payment can be made by phone through a third party (nCourt) by calling 1-855-796-5764. If your citation requires proof of compliance; such as renewed or valid license, registration or insurance you will not be able to pay by phone or online. You may complete the Credit Card Form and submit the form to our office by fax along with the copy of your renewed or valid license, registration or insurance to pay the citation. There will be a convenience fee charged to your card in addition to the fine amount, please ask the operator to specify the fee being charged.

21May I request an extension to pay my citation?

You have 30 calendar days from the date the citation was issued to resolve it. You may contract a Payment Plan with our office to receive an extension. You can file a request to perform Community Service to pay your fine.

22I would like to request court for my citation, how do I make this request?

You have 30 calendar days from the date your citation was issued to request a court hearing. Complete and return the Court Request. Click here for the form. Send the completed form by email to traffic@stjohnsclerk.com or by mail to 4010 Lewis Speedway, Saint Augustine, FL 32084. Once your request is received your case will be set for a hearing and you will receive notice of your court date.