Florida traffic school for a ticket: how the BDI election works

In Florida, most drivers who get a ticket for a noncriminal moving violation can choose to take a Basic Driver Improvement (BDI) course instead of going to court. People usually call this “electing traffic school”. If you elect it in time and finish the course, the ticket doesn’t add points to your record.

What electing traffic school does

Under s. 318.14(9) of the Florida Statutes, when you elect a BDI course:

• adjudication is withheld — you are not convicted of the infraction;
• no points are assessed for that ticket;
• the civil penalty is reduced by 18%. The reduction applies to the penalty itself, not to court costs and surcharges added on top, so the total you pay falls by less than 18%.

You still pay the reduced penalty and any clerk fees. Community service ordered under s. 318.18(8) isn’t waived.

Who can elect it

You can elect the course for a noncriminal moving violation if all of these apply:

1. You don’t hold a commercial driver license (CDL) or commercial learner’s permit, and you weren’t driving a commercial vehicle.
2. You weren’t caught speeding 30 mph or more over the posted limit.
3. You haven’t elected a BDI course in the previous 12 months.
4. You’ve made fewer than eight elections in your lifetime.

Some paperwork offences are also excluded, such as expired registration or not having your license with you. Criminal traffic offences — for example DUI, reckless driving, or driving with a suspended license — go to court and can’t be handled this way.

How to elect: step by step

1. Act within 30 days of the citation date. That’s the general deadline in s. 318.14(4) to respond to a civil citation.
2. Contact the clerk of court in the county where you got the ticket. You elect through the clerk, not through the course provider. Most clerks have an election form or affidavit and take payment online, by mail or in person. The Walton County clerk, for example, asks for its notarized Traffic Citation Option Form and fees within 30 calendar days.
3. Pay the reduced civil penalty and the clerk’s fees. Fees vary by county. The Citrus County clerk charges a $7 affidavit fee, for example.
4. Take an approved BDI course from the FLHSMV list of approved driver improvement schools. Online courses are allowed. Most providers sell a 4-hour course.
5. Finish by the clerk’s deadline and make sure the clerk receives your completion. Providers report completions electronically, and the law requires them to tell the clerk within 3 days. Even so, several clerks still tell drivers to deliver the certificate themselves, so keep your certificate and check with the clerk.

How long you have to finish

No single statewide deadline appears in the statutes; the clerk sets it. In practice:

• Citrus County: within 60 days of the payment date.
• Walton County: within 60 days of paying and filing the election.
• Osceola County: 90 days.

Use the date on your clerk’s notice, not a general figure from the internet.

What happens if you don’t finish

If you elect traffic school but don’t complete it in time, the clerk can add fees, the points are assessed and your license may be suspended. Citrus County warns of “additional fees” and possible suspension. You also can’t elect again for 12 months.

How much it costs

• Reduced civil penalty and clerk fees: depend on the offence and the county.
• The course: online BDI courses typically cost about $19–$37 all-in. Some providers advertise a very low headline price and add a separate “certificate” or “handling” fee at checkout, so compare total prices. The only state fee in the statute is a $2.50 assessment, which the school collects and usually includes in its price.

Insurance

Florida law (s. 626.9541) bars insurers from adding a premium, cancelling or non-renewing your policy because of an infraction where adjudication was withheld and no points were assessed. The exception is an accident where you were at fault and the insurer paid a loss.

This is separate from the mature driver discount: drivers aged 55 and over who complete a different, approved accident prevention course get a premium reduction for three years under s. 627.0652. The statute doesn’t set a percentage.

Don’t confuse it with other courses

• Court-ordered courses (for example after certain crashes or a judge’s order) are different courses with their own rules.
• The separate nolo contendere election in s. 318.14(10) applies to certain non-moving offences and has its own limit of three elections.