Search Alachua County Traffic Court Records

Alachua County traffic court records are managed by the Clerk of Courts office in Gainesville. With a population of roughly 270,000, this county processes a large volume of traffic citations each year. The Alachua County Clerk provides online tools for searching traffic cases, paying fines, and checking case status. You can look up current and past traffic court records using a citation number or your name. Court records in Alachua County date back decades, and the online index covers civil traffic cases filed since September 2001. If you got a ticket anywhere in Alachua County, these records are the place to start.

Alachua County Clerk of Courts Traffic Office

The Alachua County Clerk of Courts handles all traffic citation processing in the county. Clerk J.K. "Jess" Irby runs this office. The traffic bureau deals with new citations, court dates, fines, and record requests. You can reach them by phone, email, or in person at the Gainesville courthouse. The office processes traffic court records for every city and road in Alachua County, from Gainesville to Hawthorne to Archer and all points in between.

If you have questions about a specific traffic case in Alachua County, the traffic bureau email is the fastest way to get an answer. Staff can look up your case and tell you your options. Court filings cannot be accepted by email, though. Those must go through the clerk window or the e-filing portal. For general info about the Alachua County traffic court records system, call the main line listed below.

Note: Allow 24 hours of office processing time before a new citation shows up in the Alachua County online system.

How to Search Traffic Records in Alachua County

Alachua County offers a free online traffic citation search tool. The Clerk of Courts built this index to give the public direct access to civil traffic case data. You can find it on the Alachua County traffic citation search page. The search covers currently managed citations in Alachua County. While the clerk has tried to keep the online index accurate, it is not the official index. It serves as a reference tool for looking up traffic court records in Alachua County.

The Alachua County Clerk also provides a separate court records search portal that covers all case types. This includes civil traffic, criminal traffic, and other court filings. The oldest case on file dates back to July 23, 1928. Online documents for civil traffic cases start from September 2001. Criminal case documents go back to December 2005. This gives you a deep look at Alachua County traffic court records over many years.

The Alachua County Clerk's online traffic citation search page lets you look up cases filed in Gainesville and the rest of the county.

A few things to keep in mind when searching Alachua County traffic court records online. Sessions time out after 30 minutes of no activity. Document retrieval is limited to 60 documents per hour. Non-USA billing addresses cannot use the online payment service. For the broadest search of Alachua County records, use the court records portal rather than the citation-only tool.

Traffic Citation Options in Alachua County

When you get a traffic ticket in Alachua County, you have 30 days from the date of the citation to pick one of four options. This 30-day window is set by Florida law. Under Florida Statute Chapter 316, all traffic laws in the state are uniform. The Alachua County Clerk enforces these rules at the local level. Missing the 30-day deadline results in a $23.00 late fee and could lead to a license suspension, so act fast on any Alachua County traffic citation.

Option 1 is to pay the citation in full. This counts as a guilty plea. Points will go on your driving record. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles tracks these points under the state point system. You can pay online through the Alachua County pay ticket page or through the statewide PayFLClerk portal that covers all 67 Florida counties.

Option 2 is to elect traffic school. You plead no contest, and the court withholds adjudication. No points go on your license. You must file the Traffic School Election Form and pay the citation amount within 30 days. The Alachua County Clerk then gives you an extra 60 days to complete a state-approved driver improvement course. The fine may be reduced with this option. Under Florida Statute 318.18, penalty amounts vary by violation type and whether you pick the school option in Alachua County.

The Alachua County Clerk's online payment page lets you pay traffic fines with a credit card from home.

Option 3 is a plea of no contest or guilty with a court appearance. The judge can withhold adjudication, order a driver improvement course, or impose fines and court costs. This option gives the judge more say in your case. Option 4 is to plead not guilty and ask for a hearing. You must file this within 30 days. The Alachua County court will set a date for your case. At the hearing, you can present your side and challenge the traffic citation.

Alachua County Traffic Fines and Collections

Traffic fines in Alachua County vary based on the type of violation. Moving violations cost more than non-moving ones. Speeding tickets, running red lights, and reckless driving all carry different fine amounts. The Alachua County Clerk collects these fines and adds a $23.00 late fee if you miss the 30-day deadline. Payment of the civil penalty counts as a conviction under Florida law, so it is not just a fine. Points get added to your record too.

If an Alachua County traffic fine stays unpaid for more than 90 days, the clerk can send it to a collection agency. Florida Statute 28.246 allows this. The collection agency can add up to 40% of the original amount as their fee. That means a $200 fine could become $280 if it goes to collections. This also triggers a driver license suspension through FLHSMV. Getting your license back requires paying the fine plus a reinstatement fee. Avoid collections by paying your Alachua County traffic citation on time.

Note: Points from traffic violations in Alachua County may increase your car insurance rates or lead to a license suspension if you accumulate too many.

Public Access to Alachua County Court Records

Traffic court records in Alachua County are public. Florida has some of the strongest public records laws in the country. Under Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes, all state, county, and municipal records are open for personal inspection and copying by any person. This includes traffic court records in Alachua County. You do not need to be the person named in the case to look up a record.

The Alachua County Clerk offers public access to court records through its online court records portal. This portal covers civil traffic, criminal, and civil cases. You can search by name or case number. Some records have document images you can view. The Florida Supreme Court, through Administrative Order AOSC 15-18, says that traffic court cases involving adult defendants should be visible online, including the actual court documents.

The Alachua County court records search portal gives the public free access to case data going back to 1928.

Certain details are kept confidential even in public traffic court records. Social security numbers, bank account numbers, and similar personal data are redacted. Search warrants and arrest warrants remain sealed until served. But the basic facts of any Alachua County traffic case, such as the charges, court dates, dispositions, and fines, are all public information. The Florida Clerks of Court Operations Corporation oversees standards for all 67 clerks, including how Alachua County handles public record requests.

Traffic Court Process in Alachua County

Traffic cases in Alachua County follow a standard path. A law enforcement officer writes the citation. It goes to the Alachua County Clerk within a few days. The clerk enters it into the system. From there, you have 30 days to respond. If you do nothing, the clerk adds the late fee and sends a notice to FLHSMV to suspend your license. That creates more records in your Alachua County traffic court file.

If you contest a ticket, the Alachua County court sets a hearing date. You get a notice in the mail. At the hearing, the judge reviews the facts. You can bring witnesses or evidence. The officer who wrote the citation may or may not appear. The judge makes a ruling. If you lose, you pay the fine plus court costs. If you win, the case gets dismissed. Either way, the full record of the proceeding stays in the Alachua County court system and is part of the public record. You can access your Alachua County traffic court records at any time through the clerk's online tools or by visiting the office on University Avenue in Gainesville.

Cities in Alachua County

Alachua County covers Gainesville and several smaller towns. All traffic citations issued anywhere in the county go through the Alachua County Clerk of Courts. It does not matter which city police department or sheriff deputy wrote the ticket. The Alachua County traffic court system handles them all.

Other communities in Alachua County include Alachua, Archer, Hawthorne, High Springs, Micanopy, Newberry, and Waldo. Traffic citations from these areas are all processed by the Alachua County Clerk in Gainesville.

Nearby Counties

These counties share a border with Alachua County. If your citation was issued near a county line, make sure you check with the right clerk. Each county runs its own traffic court records system.