Paying the Ticket – Points

– SPEAK WITH US BEFORE YOU PAY THAT TICKET –

Florida Traffic Ticket Points Lawyer

You may be tempted to pay a traffic ticket and “be done with it.” Paying the fine satisfies the Court, but it doesn’t make the offense go away. In fact, paying the ticket is an admission of guilt and counts a certain number of points against your driver’s license:

(1) The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will suspend your driver’s license if you accumulate too many points within a certain period.

(2) Your auto insurance provider also tracks traffic offenses and points. Your rates may increase substantially, or your insurer could even cancel your policy.

(3) Once you pay a fine, the points cannot be removed and stay on your record for 10 years.

Miami Traffic Violation Defense Lawyers

At the law firm of Ferrer Shane, PL we recommend that you never just the pay a fine, especially without knowing the consequences. Our attorneys are skilled at getting tickets dismissed outright or reduced to lower or no-point offenses. You will save money on the fines and insurance rate hikes, not to mention the embarrassment and hardship or losing your license.

Another option is attending traffic school to avoid points on your license, although there are limits on how many times you can choose this option.

Paying the Ticket: Points Toward Suspension

Depending on the seriousness of the traffic violation and how many prior offenses you have, it may be a bad move to pay a ticket:

– 12 points in a 12-month period can result in license suspension for 30 days.

– 18 points in 18 months can mean suspension for three months.

– 24 points in 36 months can result in suspension for one year.

– If your license is already suspended or your latest traffic violation is a suspendable offense, exceeding these point totals can result in additional suspension or revocation.

– The State of Florida counts points from tickets from other states!

Traffic tickets seem to come in bunches. The points can rack up quickly, and you need to know where you stand before paying a ticket:

• Equipment violations (broken taillight, tinted windows) are 2 points.
• All moving violations are at least 3 points (speeding, improper lane change, illegal passing).
• Many moving violations are 4 points (15+ mph over the limit, reckless driving, passing a stopped school bus, running a stoplight).
• Traffic offenses resulting in a crash, or leaving the scene of an accident, add 6 points to your driving record.

See the Florida DHSMV site for more information about points and suspension.

We Handle All Traffic Offenses

Don’t risk your driving privileges. We can handle traffic tickets starting at $69. To discuss your situation, contact us online or call us at 305-262-2728 (Miami) or toll free at 888-609-5947.