Can You Remove a Speeding Ticket From Your Driving Record in Florida?
Florida speeding tickets can be costly. In addition to the fines for speeding, a traffic ticket can increase your insurance premiums. Keep reading to learn more about speeding tickets and if you can have a speeding ticket removed from your driving record in Florida.
What Happens After You Receive a Speeding Ticket in Jacksonville, FL?
Whether you live in Jacksonville or are passing through, getting a speeding ticket is frustrating. Typically, you have several options for dealing with a Florida speeding ticket.
Ignore a Speeding Ticket
You have 30 calendar days to respond to a traffic ticket. If you ignore a speeding ticket, the state suspends your driver’s license. A suspended driver’s license can lead to many other problems.
Pay the Fine
You can pay the fine for a speeding ticket without a court hearing or other action. However, paying for the ticket means that you are admitting to speeding. Your insurance premium may increase, you may have points assessed against your license, and your “admission of guilt” could be used against you in a personal injury case if you caused an accident while speeding.
You can ask the court for a 30-day extension to pay the speeding ticket. The court can grant a one-time extension of 30 days to give you time to pay the fine. However, you must request an extension before the deadline to pay the speeding ticket.
Attend Driver Improvement School
You must pay the fine for the speeding ticket in full and complete Driver Improvement School. When you return the Certificate of Completion to the court within 60 days, the court does not enter a guilty plea and you will not have points assessed against your license.
This option is only available once every 12 months and eight times during your lifetime. It is not available if you hold a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) or Commercial License Permit (CLP). You cannot elect this option if you receive a speeding ticket while driving a commercial motor vehicle.
Request a Court Hearing
You can contest a speeding ticket by requesting a court hearing. You can schedule a court hearing online unless the ticket relates to an accident causing bodily injury or death. You can also request a court hearing in person, by fax, or by mail.
Court hearings must be requested within 30 calendar days from the date the speeding ticket was issued. You waive your right to pay the speeding ticket when you request a hearing.
Some traffic citations require court hearings. Speeding 30+ mph over the posted speed limit requires a mandatory court hearing.
Can I Remove a Speeding Ticket From My Driving Record in Florida?
Generally, you cannot expunge or remove speeding tickets from your driving record. Speeding tickets usually remain on a driving record for three to five years, depending on the charges. Points against your driver’s license can result in losing your driving privileges if you accumulate too many points.
If you want to challenge a traffic ticket, you might want to consult a traffic ticket defense lawyer. An attorney can advise you of your legal options and chances of success if you fight a speeding ticket. Depending on the factors in your case, you may have one or more defenses to a traffic ticket.
For example, a defense attorney may dispute the accuracy of radar and laser equipment used to determine your speed. A Jacksonville traffic attorney may challenge the officer’s training to operate the equipment. There could be other defenses after an attorney reviews your case.
What Happens After a Car Accident Involving a Speeding Ticket?
Receiving a speeding ticket does not prove that a driver caused an accident. However, if speeding contributed to the cause of the accident, the speeding ticket could be used as evidence in a personal injury claim.
If a driver causes an accident that results in serious injuries, the accident victims may seek compensation for damages from the at-fault driver. The driver’s liability insurance company could be liable for the claim. If the driver does not have liability insurance, they could be personally liable for economic and non-economic damages.
Speeding tickets could be used in a car accident case involving contributory fault. If the defense proves that a victim’s speed contributed to the cause of the accident, the victim’s damages can be reduced by their level of fault. If they are over 50% to blame for causing the crash, they may be barred from receiving damages.
Contact Our Car Accident Law Firm in Jacksonville, FL
Car accidents can cause financial losses and severe injuries. If you need help, please contact the Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra car accident law firm of Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers at the nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.
We serve Duval County, St. Johns County, and its surrounding areas:
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers – Jacksonville
9471 Baymeadows Rd #105,
Jacksonville, FL 32256
(904) 396-1100
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers – Downtown Jacksonville
121 W Forsyth St Suite 1000,
Jacksonville, FL 32202
(904) 822-4225
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers – Ponte Vedra
480 Town Plaza Ave #130,
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32081
(904) 675-1167
