Search Miami-Dade Traffic Court Records
Miami-Dade County traffic court records are managed by Clerk of Court Juan Fernandez-Barquin, Esq. at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building in Miami. As the most populated county in Florida with about 2.7 million residents, Miami-Dade handles a massive volume of traffic citations every single day. The clerk's office provides online search tools, multiple payment methods, and a full traffic court system for resolving cases. Whether you need to find a citation, check a case status, or pay a fine, the Miami-Dade Clerk has dedicated resources built just for traffic cases. Getting familiar with how to search Miami-Dade County traffic court records can save you from missed deadlines and extra fees.
Miami-Dade County Quick Facts
Miami-Dade Clerk of Court Traffic Office
The Miami-Dade Clerk of Court and Comptroller runs the traffic division for the entire county. Clerk Juan Fernandez-Barquin, Esq. oversees this operation from the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building at 1351 NW 12th Street in Miami. Given the county's size, this is one of the busiest traffic court operations in all of Florida. Every citation written by Miami-Dade police, city police departments across the county, Florida Highway Patrol, and other agencies lands on the clerk's desk.
The clerk's office has a dedicated civil traffic infractions page that spells out all your options. Under Florida law, a civil infraction is a non-criminal case where a person is suspected of a traffic violation. These violations are classified as moving or non-moving. Moving violations normally add points to your license. Non-moving violations do not. The Miami-Dade Clerk handles both types and keeps detailed records for each case.
You can reach the clerk by phone at 305-275-1111. This number also connects to an Interactive Voice Response system for making payments. For mail, send items to PO Box 19321, Miami, FL 33101-9321. The physical office is at 1351 NW 12 Street, Miami, FL 33125.
| Office | Miami-Dade Clerk of Court and Comptroller - Traffic Division |
|---|---|
| Clerk | Juan Fernandez-Barquin, Esq. |
| Address | Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building, 1351 NW 12 St, Miami, FL 33125 |
| Mailing Address | PO Box 19321, Miami, FL 33101-9321 |
| Phone/IVR | 305-275-1111 |
| Website | Miami-Dade Clerk - Civil Traffic Infractions |
Note: The Miami-Dade Clerk recently launched new services including a boating and wildlife violations application and the COIN case search tool for broader record access.
Searching Traffic Records in Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County has one of the best online traffic court search tools in the state. The traffic search portal lets you look up citations by name, citation number, case number, or driver license number. This is a free tool. It pulls directly from the Miami-Dade County traffic court records database. You can see case details, fine amounts, due dates, and the current status of any case in the system.
The Miami-Dade Clerk's civil traffic infractions page provides detailed information about how to handle your citation and what options are available to you.
The clerk also offers the Criminal Justice Online Case Search and Images tool, known as COIN. This newer system lets you search case records and view actual court documents. For Miami-Dade County traffic court records, COIN provides deeper access than the basic traffic search tool. It covers adult criminal and traffic cases with document images available for viewing.
Below is the Miami-Dade County traffic search application where you can look up citations using several different search methods.
The statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal is another option for searching Miami-Dade cases. The Florida Clerks of Court Operations Corporation supports all 67 clerks, and Miami-Dade's system is among the most comprehensive in the network.
Miami-Dade Traffic Citation Options
When you get a traffic citation in Miami-Dade County, you have 30 days from the date of issuance to satisfy your obligation. This is a firm deadline set by Chapter 316 of the Florida Statutes. The Miami-Dade Clerk gives you three main paths forward. Each one affects your record and your wallet differently.
The first option is to pay the fine. This works as a guilty plea. Points go on your driving record through the FLHSMV. Miami-Dade County accepts payment several ways. You can pay online with Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express through the clerk's Traffic Online Payment System. You can pay by mail with a check or money order made out to the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller and sent to PO Box 19321, Miami, FL 33101-9321. You can also pay by phone using the IVR system at 305-275-1111. The PayFLClerk statewide portal also handles Miami-Dade payments.
Traffic school is the second option. You plead no contest, and the court withholds adjudication. Points are not assessed against your license. This option is popular in Miami-Dade County because it protects your record from the long-term effects of a conviction. However, traffic school is not available for every type of citation. It cannot be used for tag violations, registration issues, driver license infractions, PIP insurance violations, toll violations, red light camera citations, or if you hold a commercial driver's license. The Miami-Dade Clerk's office can tell you if your case qualifies. Under Florida Statute 318.18, penalty amounts depend on the violation type.
Court Hearings and Late Citations
Requesting a court hearing in Miami-Dade County works differently depending on how old your citation is. If your ticket was issued within the last 30 days, you can request a hearing in person, by mail, by phone, or online. Just tell the clerk you want to plead not guilty and ask for a court date. This is the simplest route if you want to fight the ticket.
If your citation was issued between 31 and 180 days ago, you must pay a $16.00 late fee before the case can be set for court. This fee exists because you missed the original 30-day window. The Miami-Dade Clerk requires the late fee before any hearing can be scheduled. Tickets older than 180 days require a different approach. You have to submit a motion to the administrative traffic judge. This is more formal and may involve additional paperwork. The judge decides whether to let your case move forward or not.
Miami-Dade County also allows a plea of not guilty in absentia. This means you can contest a ticket without showing up in court. To do this, you post bond by mail with a cashier's check or money order. You also need to include a notarized affidavit of defense. Send everything to the Clerk of the Court and Comptroller at PO Box 19321, Miami, FL 33101-9321. This option gives you a way to fight a Miami-Dade traffic citation even if you cannot be in court on the scheduled date.
The Miami-Dade Clerk of Court homepage provides access to traffic services, case search, and other resources for residents across the county.
Note: Miami-Dade County has a Traffic Payment Plan Initiative for citations that have not yet been sent to a collection agency, so ask the clerk about payment plans if you need them.
Compliance Citations in Miami-Dade County
Some Miami-Dade County traffic citations require proof of compliance rather than just a fine payment. These are for violations where the problem can be fixed. If your driver's license was expired by less than four months when you got the ticket, you can show the clerk that you have renewed it. The same goes for expired registration, lapsed PIP insurance, and defective equipment on your vehicle.
For compliance citations, you take care of the underlying issue and then present proof to the Miami-Dade Clerk. The clerk may reduce or dismiss the fine once you show that the problem is resolved. This is a useful option for people who simply had an expired tag or forgot to carry their proof of insurance. The process is straightforward, but you still need to act within the 30-day period to avoid late fees and license problems.
Fines and Collections in Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County traffic fines follow the fee schedule set by Florida law. Moving violations carry higher penalties than non-moving ones. The exact amount depends on the specific charge. On top of the base fine, the clerk adds court costs and surcharges. Late fees apply after the 30-day deadline. The $16.00 late fee for requesting a court date after 30 days is separate from the penalties for simply not paying at all.
Fines unpaid after 90 days can be sent to a collection agency. Florida Statute 28.246 authorizes this step. The collection agency may add up to 40% of what you owe. So a $300 Miami-Dade County traffic fine could become $420 in collections. At the same time, FLHSMV suspends your license. Getting it reinstated requires paying the full amount owed plus reinstatement fees at a FLHSMV office. The Miami-Dade Clerk's Traffic Payment Plan Initiative may offer help if your case has not yet gone to collections. Ask about this when you contact the office at 305-275-1111.
Public Records Access in Miami-Dade
Traffic court records in Miami-Dade County are public. Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes makes all government records open for inspection and copying. Anyone can search for and view Miami-Dade County traffic court records. You do not need to be the driver or have any connection to the case. The clerk must provide access when a valid request is made.
The Florida Supreme Court's Administrative Order AOSC 15-18 specifically states that criminal and traffic court records for adult defendants should be visible online, including the content of the actual court documents. Miami-Dade County follows this directive through its online search tools and the COIN system. Confidential information like social security numbers, bank account numbers, and the identities of certain crime victims are always redacted. But the core of a Miami-Dade traffic case, including charges, fines, plea, and outcome, is fully available to the public.
Cities in Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade County is home to dozens of cities and neighborhoods. All traffic citations issued anywhere in the county are processed by the Miami-Dade Clerk of Court. It does not matter if Miami PD, Hialeah police, the sheriff's office, or any other agency wrote the ticket. They all go through the same clerk. The following cities in Miami-Dade County have dedicated traffic court records pages on this site.
Other communities in Miami-Dade County include Coral Gables, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Aventura, Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, Sunny Isles Beach, and many more. All traffic court records for these areas are held by the Miami-Dade Clerk of Court.
Nearby Counties
Miami-Dade County borders two other Florida counties. If your traffic stop was near a county line, check the citation to confirm which county has jurisdiction over the case.