Your Options Within 30 Days

Every civil traffic citation gives you the same three choices, and the clock on all of them starts the day the citation is issued, not the day you get around to dealing with it:

  • Pay the fine. Treated as an admission to the violation — points and a conviction go on your record.
  • Elect traffic school. Available once every 12 months (up to eight times in a lifetime), this keeps points off your license if you complete the course and file proof with the Clerk within 90 days. It isn't available for citations requiring a mandatory court appearance — including speeding 30 mph or more over the limit — or for CDL holders.
  • Request a hearing. You contest the citation and get a chance to present your case.

Miss the 30-day window without acting, and the citation can escalate on its own — additional penalties, a referral toward license suspension, or a default finding against you.

Requesting a Hearing in Broward County

To contest a citation, you have to submit a written request for a hearing to the Broward County Clerk of Courts within 30 calendar days of the citation date. You don't pick your own court date — the Clerk's office schedules it and notifies you once it's set.

Most civil traffic infraction hearings in Broward are heard by a hearing officer rather than a county judge. Florida counties can opt into the Civil Traffic Infraction Hearing Officer Program under section 318.30 of the Florida Statutes, and Broward participates. A hearing officer is a magistrate operating under the supervision of the court system — the hearing itself works much the same way procedurally, but it's worth knowing who's actually deciding your case.

Broward's Conditional Plea Option

Broward also offers something most drivers don't know about: a Conditional Plea of No Contest and Waiver of Appearance. It's available for civil infractions that don't involve a crash and don't require a mandatory hearing. If the court accepts it, you skip the court hearing entirely, no points go on your license, and adjudication is withheld — meaning you aren't formally found guilty. It's worth asking about before assuming your only choices are pay, traffic school, or a full hearing.

What Happens at the Hearing

The officer who issued the citation is typically present and may testify about what they observed. You, or an attorney on your behalf, have the opportunity to present your side, cross-examine the officer, and raise any available defenses — whether that's a factual dispute, an equipment calibration issue, or a procedural error in how the citation was issued. There's no guarantee of outcome; hearing officers dismiss some citations and uphold others based on the specific evidence presented.

What Happens If You Miss Your Hearing

Requesting a hearing and then not showing up is worse than never requesting one at all. Missing your hearing date typically results in a default judgment — you're found guilty, assessed the full fine and court costs, and points are added to your record. It can also be logged as a failure to appear, which can lead to additional fees or a referral for license suspension. If this happens to you, contact the Clerk's office promptly; in some cases a motion to set aside the default is possible, but it's a much harder position than showing up in the first place.

Should You Handle It Yourself or Bring an Attorney

Plenty of straightforward, low-stakes citations get resolved by drivers representing themselves at a hearing. But the calculation changes when there's more on the line — a citation carrying significant points, a driving record that's already close to a suspension threshold, a CDL that makes any conviction more consequential, or a citation you believe was issued in error where building an actual case matters. In those situations, having someone who's handled the process before, and who can evaluate whether your specific facts support a real defense, is often worth the cost of representation on its own.