Getting pulled over by the police can be a stressful experience, and one that no one wants to go through.
But if you are pulled over and issued a ticket for speeding, understanding your rights and responsibilities, including how long you have to pay that ticket, is important.
At the law offices of Skubiak & Rivas P.A., our lawyers can assist you in fighting a speeding ticket, and will represent you throughout the entire process. Please call us today for a free consultation about your options.
How Long Do You Have to Pay a Speeding Ticket?
Once you are issued a speeding ticket, you only have so long to respond to the ticket and ensure that it is paid in full; otherwise, you may face additional consequences.
In Florida, you have 30 days from the date of receipt of your ticket to respond to the ticket.
If you accept the traffic ticket and decide that you will pay it, then you will enter a plea of guilty or no contest. This is the equivalent of accepting the charges against you, and requires that you pay your ticket in full.
In addition to being required to pay your ticket, you will also have any points associated with the speeding offense assessed against you on your record.
If you are paying your ticket, you may do so in person, online in some counties, or through the mail – regardless of the method you choose, the 30-day requirement applies.
Do You Have to Pay a Speeding Ticket?
Keep in mind that you must respond to the speeding ticket within 30 days, but this does not necessarily mean that you have to pay your speeding ticket.
In fact, you have the right to fight the speeding ticket by pleading not guilty.
In order to dispute a ticket, you will need to follow the instructions for setting a court date, which will be found on the back of your ticket or you can call the clerk’s office in the county where you received the ticket.
Should I Pay or Fight My Ticket?
Whether or not you decide to pay your ticket or fight it is a personal choice, and one that may be based on your driving record.
For example, if accepting the ticket and having the points assessed against you would mean enough points on your record to result in a driver’s license suspension, you may want to plead not guilty.
Similarly, you may try to fight the ticket if you truly believe you were not violating the speed limit, or want to avoid a hike in your insurance rate.
While many people choose to just pay the ticket and avoid the hassle, this isn’t always recommended – working with a skilled traffic offenses attorney can prove beneficial in helping you to decide on the best course of action.
What Happens if I Don’t Pay or Respond to My Ticket within 30 Days?
The 30-day time limit for paying or responding to a ticket is a hard limit, and there are consequences for breaching it.
If you do not pay or respond to your speeding ticket within 30 days, the consequence is very serious: your license will be suspended.
If your license is suspended, then you will be breaking the law each time you get behind the wheel of your car and operate your vehicle, and if you are caught by police doing this, you can face additional penalties, including jail time.
Ignoring a speeding ticket is one of the worst things that you can do. If you get a speeding ticket, don’t put off handling it – pay it, request a court date, or/and call a traffic lawyer immediately.
Our Florida Traffic Law Firm Can Help You
If you are issued a traffic citation in Florida, understanding how long you have to deal with that citation–whether that means paying the fine or setting up a court date–is important.
If you fail to act within the required time frame, you may be opening up a can of worms for an entirely different problem, including license suspension.
To deal with your speeding ticket or other traffic violation offense today, call the experienced Florida traffic law attorneys at the office of Skubiak & Rivas P.A. today for your free consultation.
We are more than happy to review your case and provide you with an overview of your options and represent you if you decide to fight the ticket you’ve been issued.
Send us a message using the intake form on our website to tell us more about your case today.
