Bradford County Traffic Court Records

Bradford County traffic court records are maintained by the Clerk of Court in Starke, Florida. This is a small rural county with about 28,000 residents, located in north-central Florida between Gainesville and Jacksonville. All traffic citations issued on roads throughout Bradford County end up at this one clerk office. You can search for traffic court records, find case details, pay fines, and check your citation status by contacting the Bradford County Clerk. US-301 and State Road 100 run through the county, making it a common spot for traffic stops that generate these court records.

Bradford County Clerk of Court Office

The Bradford County Clerk of Court is the single office that processes all traffic court records for the county. The courthouse is in Starke, the county seat. Staff handle citation processing, fine collection, case scheduling, and public record requests. Bradford County is small enough that most business gets done with a phone call or a short visit to the clerk window. If you have a traffic case here, this is the only office you need to deal with.

You can reach the Bradford County Clerk by phone or mail. For in-person visits, head to the courthouse in Starke. Bring your citation number or a valid ID so staff can pull up your Bradford County traffic court records. The office handles all payment types for fines, and they can explain your options if you are not sure what to do with your ticket. The Bradford County Clerk website also has general info on court services.

Searching Traffic Records in Bradford County

Finding Bradford County traffic court records can be done a few different ways. The clerk's website at bradfordclerk.org is the first place to check for case info and court services. For statewide searches that include Bradford County, the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal provides access to court records from all 67 counties. You can look up cases by name or case number.

The Bradford County Clerk's homepage provides access to court services and traffic citation information.

The PayFLClerk statewide payment portal is another way to find your Bradford County traffic citation. When you enter your info to make a payment, the system shows your case details first. This serves as a quick lookup tool. In-person searches work well here too. Walk into the Bradford County courthouse in Starke and ask the staff to pull up your case. They can give you the full picture on your traffic court records right at the window.

Note: Bradford County is a small office, so wait times are generally short for both phone calls and in-person visits.

Bradford County Traffic Citation Options

Drivers who get a traffic ticket in Bradford County have the same options as any other Florida county. You have 30 days from the date the citation was issued to respond. The FLHSMV and the Bradford County Clerk both track this deadline. If you do nothing within 30 days, the clerk adds a late fee and sends a notice to the state to suspend your driver license.

The standard options for a Bradford County civil traffic citation are:

• Pay the fine and accept points on your license
• Pay the fine and elect traffic school to avoid points
• Plead not guilty and request a court hearing

Paying the fine is the quickest route. Points go on your record, and the Bradford County case closes. Traffic school lets you avoid points but costs more in total since you pay for the course on top of the fine. Under Florida Statute 318.18, fines vary by violation type. School eligibility has limits too. You can only use it five times in your life and once per 12-month period. If you want to fight the ticket, Bradford County will schedule a court date. A judge hears the case and makes a ruling. Every option creates a record in the Bradford County traffic court system.

Certain violations in Bradford County require a mandatory court hearing. These include crashes with serious injuries, fatalities, and leaving a child unattended in a vehicle. For these cases, simply paying a fine is not an option under Florida law. The Florida Uniform Traffic Control Law in Chapter 316 sets the rules that Bradford County follows.

Fines and Collections in Bradford County

Traffic fine amounts in Bradford County follow the state schedule. Minor violations cost less. Speeding tickets and moving violations carry higher fines and point assessments. The Bradford County Clerk collects all fines tied to traffic court records. You can pay at the courthouse in Starke, by mail, or online through the statewide PayFLClerk portal.

Missing your payment deadline in Bradford County triggers a late fee. After 90 days of non-payment, Florida Statute 28.246 lets the clerk send the debt to a collection agency. That agency can charge up to 40% on top of what you owe. The FLHSMV also suspends your license for unpaid Bradford County traffic citations. Getting the license back means paying the fine, the collection fees, and a reinstatement fee. This all stays in your Bradford County traffic court records as well. The cost of ignoring a ticket grows fast, so pay on time if you can.

Public Records Access in Bradford County

Bradford County traffic court records are open to the public. Florida Statute Chapter 119 guarantees that all government records, including court records, can be inspected and copied by any person. You do not have to be named in the case to request Bradford County traffic court records. The clerk provides access during normal business hours.

Confidential details like social security numbers and bank account numbers are removed from public copies. But the basic facts of your Bradford County traffic case, such as charges, fine amounts, court dates, and outcomes, are public record. The Florida Clerks of Court Operations Corporation oversees how Bradford County and every other clerk in the state handles public record requests. Copy fees apply for printed documents, and certified copies cost a bit more than standard ones.

The Florida Supreme Court has also ruled that adult traffic court cases should be visible online. This means Bradford County traffic court records for adult defendants are generally available through electronic access portals. The Access Security Matrix set by Administrative Order AOSC 15-18 guides what level of detail each user can see.

Note: If you need certified copies of Bradford County traffic court records for legal proceedings, request them at the clerk window and specify that you need certification.

How Traffic Court Works in Bradford County

The process starts when a law enforcement officer writes a ticket. The citation goes to the Bradford County Clerk. Staff enter it into the system. That creates the traffic court record. You then have 30 days to act. Most people pick one of the three standard options. A smaller number request a hearing. The Bradford County court schedules those hearings and notifies you by mail.

At a hearing in Bradford County, the judge hears from both sides. The officer may testify about the stop. You can present your own evidence or call witnesses. The judge decides the outcome. Guilty verdicts come with fines and points. Dismissed cases close with no penalty. Every detail from the hearing goes into the Bradford County traffic court record, including the judge's ruling, any fines ordered, and the disposition of the case. These records stay in the system permanently and are accessible to the public.

Cities in Bradford County

Bradford County is home to Starke, Lawtey, Hampton, and Brooker. These are all small communities. None meet the population threshold for a separate page. All traffic citations from these towns are processed by the Bradford County Clerk of Court in Starke. The Bradford County Sheriff and local police handle enforcement, but the clerk manages every traffic court record in the county.

Nearby Counties

Bradford County borders five other Florida counties. Check the issuing agency on your citation to make sure you are dealing with the right clerk office. Each county runs its own separate traffic court records system.