Tallahassee Traffic Court Records

Tallahassee traffic court records are filed and stored at the Leon County Clerk of Courts office. As the state capital of Florida, Tallahassee sees a high volume of traffic cases from commuters, state workers, and students at Florida State University and Florida A&M. All traffic citations written in Tallahassee go to Leon County for processing, payment, and court hearings. You can search for Tallahassee traffic records online or visit the clerk's office in person to look up case details and find out what you owe. The Leon County Clerk handles both civil traffic infractions and criminal traffic offenses for every part of Tallahassee.

Leon County Handles Tallahassee Filings

Traffic court records for Tallahassee are kept by the Leon County Clerk of Courts. This is how Florida works. Cities do not run their own traffic courts. The county clerk handles all filings, payments, and record requests for every city in the county. For Tallahassee, that means Leon County is where you go for everything related to traffic citations.

The Leon County Clerk office is at 1920 Thomasville Road in Tallahassee. You can call them at 850-577-4100. The Leon County Clerk website has online tools for looking up cases, making payments, and checking the status of your traffic citation. Since Tallahassee is the county seat and by far the largest city in Leon County, most of the traffic cases the clerk processes come from within city limits. Under Chapter 316 of the Florida Statutes, uniform traffic control laws apply across the state, so the rules for Tallahassee traffic violations are the same as anywhere else in Florida.

Note: The Leon County Clerk office also handles Tallahassee traffic court records for criminal traffic offenses, not just civil infractions.

Search Tallahassee Traffic Records Online

You can search for Tallahassee traffic court records through the Leon County Clerk's website. The online search tool lets you look up cases by name, case number, or citation number. Results show basic case info like the charge, the date it was filed, and the current status. This is a quick way to check on a Tallahassee traffic case without driving to the courthouse.

The screenshot below shows the statewide payment portal at payflclerk.com, which covers all 67 Florida counties including Leon County.

This site lets you pay Tallahassee traffic fines from any computer or phone without visiting the clerk office.

Florida's public records law gives you the right to see traffic court records. Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes says all state, county, and municipal records are open for personal inspection and copying. That covers traffic citations, court filings, and case dispositions in Tallahassee. Some personal data like social security numbers stays private, but the main facts of a traffic case are public. Anyone can request these records. You do not need to be a party to the case or give a reason for your search.

Tallahassee Citation Options

When you get a traffic citation in Tallahassee, you have 30 days to act on it. This is a firm deadline set by state law. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles explains the three main choices: pay the fine, elect traffic school, or plead not guilty and request a hearing. Each option creates a different kind of entry in your Tallahassee traffic court record.

Paying the fine is the fastest option. It closes the case. But paying is the same as a guilty plea. Points will go on your driving record for most moving violations. Traffic school is a better choice if you want to keep points off your license. You still pay the fine amount, but the court withholds adjudication. That means no conviction shows up on your Tallahassee traffic record. You get extra time to finish the course. The third option is to fight the ticket by requesting a court hearing in Leon County.

Here are some ways to pay a Tallahassee traffic citation:

• Online through the Leon County Clerk website or payflclerk.com
• In person at the Leon County Clerk office on Thomasville Road
• By mail to the Leon County Clerk of Courts
• At any Florida AMSCOT location for cash payments

Keep in mind that missing the 30-day window brings extra costs. Under Florida Statute 318.18, penalties for traffic infractions vary by the type of violation. Late fees get tacked on, and your license can be suspended if you ignore the citation. The Tallahassee traffic court takes these deadlines seriously.

Tallahassee Traffic Court Fees

Fees for traffic cases in Tallahassee are set by the state and administered through Leon County. The fine amount depends on what you were cited for. Moving violations cost more than non-moving ones. Speeding fines depend on how fast you were going over the limit. The Leon County Clerk collects all fines and fees for Tallahassee traffic court records.

If you miss a payment deadline, things get expensive fast. Fines, fees, or costs that stay unpaid for more than 90 days get sent to a collection agency under Florida Statute 28.246. The collection agency can add up to 40% on top of what you already owe. A $150 fine can grow past $200 before you know it. Call the Leon County Clerk at 850-577-4100 to ask about your balance or set up a plan before your case goes to collections. Payment of the civil penalty counts as a conviction, and the state will put points on your driving record for most Tallahassee traffic violations.

Note: Copy costs for Tallahassee traffic court records vary, so call the Leon County Clerk to check current per-page rates.

Tallahassee Police Department Records

The Tallahassee Police Department issues traffic citations within city limits. Their records division handles accident reports and incident reports, not court records. If you need a copy of the traffic stop report or a crash report from an accident in Tallahassee, that comes from the police department. The court record itself is at the Leon County Clerk.

Once an officer writes a traffic citation in Tallahassee, that ticket gets sent to the Leon County Clerk for processing. The clerk logs it into the system, which usually takes about 24 hours. After that, you can find it through the clerk's online search tool. The police keep the enforcement side. The clerk keeps the court side. Both are public records under Florida law, but you request them from different offices depending on what you need.

Public Access to Tallahassee Records

Florida has some of the strongest public records laws in the country. The Florida Clerks of Court Operations Corporation supports all 67 county clerks in making records available. For Tallahassee traffic court records, this means most case files are open to the public. You can look up names, case numbers, hearing dates, and outcomes without needing special permission.

The Florida Supreme Court sets the rules for electronic access to court records through Administrative Order AOSC 15-18. Under these rules, traffic court records for adult defendants should be visible online, including the actual court documents. Things like social security numbers, bank accounts, and information that could identify victims of certain crimes stay private. Everything else in a Tallahassee traffic case file is fair game for public review. You can find details on your traffic case or anyone else's through the Leon County Clerk system. The FLHSMV locations page can also help you find a nearby office if you need driver license services tied to your traffic case.

Leon County Traffic Court Records

Tallahassee is in Leon County, and all traffic filings go through the Leon County Clerk of Courts. The county court handles cases for the entire county, with Tallahassee making up the bulk of the caseload. For more on how the county court system works, fee lists, and links to other resources, see the full Leon County page.

View Leon County Traffic Court Records

Nearby Cities

Tallahassee is the only city in Leon County with a population over 75,000. Nearby Florida cities with their own traffic court information pages include those in neighboring counties. If you got a citation near a county line, check the ticket to see which county it was filed in. The county on the citation determines where your traffic court record is kept.