Find Traffic Records in Madison County

Madison County traffic court records are kept by the Clerk of Court in the city of Madison, the county seat. This rural North Florida county has a population of about 18,000 and handles traffic cases through its circuit court system. If you need to search for a traffic citation, pay a fine, or check on the status of a court case in Madison County, the clerk's office is the place to go. You can reach them by phone or mail, and some records can be accessed through the statewide online payment system. Finding your Madison County traffic court records starts with knowing where to look and what options you have for resolving any open cases.

Madison County Clerk of Court Office

The Madison County Clerk of Court is the main office for all traffic citation work in this county. Located in the town of Madison, the clerk handles new tickets, fine payments, court scheduling, and public record requests. This office serves every road and town in Madison County. Whether a state trooper wrote the ticket on Interstate 10 or a local officer issued it on a county road, the Madison County Clerk processes the case.

You can contact the clerk by phone at 850-973-1503 during normal business hours. For mail, send items to PO Box 237, Madison, FL 32341. The clerk's office also has a website at madisonclerk.org where you can find basic info about court services. Madison County is a small county, so wait times tend to be shorter than in bigger metro areas. Still, it helps to call first before you visit.

Note: Madison County traffic court records for older cases may need to be pulled from physical files at the clerk's office.

Searching Traffic Records in Madison County

Finding traffic court records in Madison County takes a few steps. The Florida Courts E-Filing Portal provides some level of online case search for counties across the state. You can try looking up a Madison County case there by name or case number. The portal covers traffic, criminal, and civil case types. For a more direct search, call the clerk's office and give them your citation number or full name. They can look up your case and tell you what shows in the Madison County system.

The clerk's website at madisonclerk.org is another starting point for finding Madison County traffic court records. Smaller counties like Madison may not have the same depth of online tools that larger counties offer, but the statewide systems fill in many of those gaps. The Florida Clerks of Court Operations Corporation supports all 67 Florida clerks, and Madison County is part of that network.

You can visit the Madison County Clerk of Court website below to learn more about their court services and traffic records.

If you cannot find what you need online, an in-person visit to the Madison County courthouse is always an option. Bring your citation number or driver license, and the staff can pull your record quickly.

Madison County Traffic Citation Options

When you get a traffic ticket in Madison County, Florida law gives you 30 days to respond. The rules come from Chapter 316 of the Florida Statutes, which makes traffic laws the same across every county. You have three basic paths. Pay the fine. Elect traffic school. Or contest the ticket in court. Each choice affects your Madison County traffic court record in a different way.

Paying the fine is the simplest option. It counts as a guilty plea. Points go on your driving record through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. You can pay Madison County traffic fines online using the PayFLClerk system, which covers all 67 Florida counties. You can also pay by mail with a check or money order sent to the Madison County Clerk. Paying in person at the courthouse works too.

Traffic school is the second option. You plead no contest, and the court withholds adjudication. No points go on your license. You still pay the fine amount, but the long-term impact on your record is much smaller. Under Florida Statute 318.18, penalty amounts depend on the type of violation. Traffic school is not always available. It cannot be used for certain violations, and there are limits on how often you can elect this option. The Madison County Clerk can tell you if your case qualifies.

The third option is to plead not guilty and request a hearing. You must do this within 30 days. The Madison County court will set a date. You appear before a judge and make your case. If you win, the citation gets tossed. If you lose, you pay the fine plus court costs. Either way, the full proceeding becomes part of your Madison County traffic court records.

Fines and Collections in Madison County

Traffic fines in Madison County follow the same structure as the rest of Florida. Moving violations cost more than non-moving ones. Speed, red light, and reckless driving tickets all carry different amounts. The exact fine depends on the violation and whether you elect traffic school. If you miss the 30-day deadline, expect a late fee on top of the base fine.

Unpaid fines become a bigger problem over time. Under Florida Statute 28.246, any fine that stays unpaid after 90 days can be sent to a collection agency. That agency can tack on up to 40% of what you owe. So a $150 Madison County traffic fine could grow to $210 in collections. On top of that, your license gets suspended through FLHSMV. Getting it back means paying the fine, the collection fee, and a reinstatement charge. The best move is to handle your Madison County traffic citation within the first 30 days.

Note: Accumulating too many points on your driving record from Madison County or any other Florida county can lead to a license suspension.

Public Records Access in Madison County

Traffic court records in Madison County are public under Florida law. Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes says that all state, county, and municipal records are open for inspection and copying. You do not need to be the person on the ticket. Anyone can request to see Madison County traffic court records for any case.

Some information gets removed from public records. Social security numbers, bank account details, and other sensitive data are redacted. But the core facts of a Madison County traffic case, like the charge, fine amount, court dates, and outcome, are all available. The Florida Supreme Court's Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 sets the standard for what is public and what stays sealed. In general, adult traffic cases are open to the public in their entirety.

How the Court Process Works in Madison County

A traffic case in Madison County starts when an officer writes a citation. That ticket makes its way to the clerk's office within a few days. The clerk enters it into the court system. From that point, you have 30 days to pick an option. If you ignore the ticket, the clerk adds a late fee and tells FLHSMV to suspend your license. More entries pile onto your Madison County traffic court record each time something happens in the case.

If you ask for a court date, the Madison County judge hears the case. You can bring evidence and argue your side. The officer who wrote the ticket may show up to testify. After the hearing, the judge rules. A guilty finding means fines and possibly points. A not guilty finding means the case is dismissed. The record of the hearing stays in the system regardless of the outcome. Every step of a Madison County traffic case is documented and becomes part of the permanent court record.

For those who need help navigating Madison County traffic court, the FLHSMV locations page can point you to nearby driver license offices for reinstatement questions.

Cities in Madison County

Madison County includes several small communities. The town of Madison is the county seat and largest population center. Other communities include Greenville and Lee. No cities in Madison County meet the population threshold for a separate page, but all traffic citations issued anywhere in the county are processed by the Madison County Clerk of Court. It does not matter which agency wrote the ticket.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Madison County. If your ticket was issued near a county line, double check which clerk handles your case. Each Florida county runs its own traffic court records system.