Florida Educational Driving School

Attendance Restrictions
If you are a CDL holder or you were cited for speeding more than 30 MPH over the limit, you may not elect to attend traffic school. Also, you may not elect if you have already elected for a previous ticket within the past 12 months, or if you have elected five times within 10 years.

Notifying the Clerk of the Court (that you are taking driving school)
If you wish to go to traffic school for a Florida ticket, you must notify the court. Usually this means sending in the affidavit form that was included with the ticket. Some counties also allow a driver to notify them in person, over the phone, online, or by fax. You should contact the clerk of the court for the county in which you were ticketed to learn their procedures for traffic school election.

What do you need to do after you complete this course?
Once the course is completed, you will receive your certificate immediately via email and available through the site to download. All completions are automatically reported to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DMV) and electronically filed with the Clerk of the Court.

Note: If you have been court ordered directly by a Judge or Magistrate to attend a driver improvement school, you should notify the court once you have completed the course and follow any necessary steps they instruct. The Clerk's Office will provide you with any additional submission requirements.

Other Reasons for Attendance
In addition to voluntarily attending for a Florida ticket, you may take the BDI course for the following reasons:

• Court Ordered: If you contested your Florida ticket and the judge or court ordered you to attend a 4-hour driver improvement course, you should select this reason for attendance.
• Traffic Collision Avoidance Course (TCAC): TCAC students will have received a letter from the Florida DHSMV ordering them to attend a BDI course. TCAC letters are sent out for particular situations, such as two crashes within two years or crashes involving injuries.
• Reckless Driving, Road Racing, Etc.: Drivers who have received a letter from DHSMV regarding road racing, passing a stopped school bus, reckless driving, or running a red light are required to attend a BDI course.
• Auto Insurance Discount: Florida law allows an auto insurance discount of up to 10% for completing a DHSMV approved BDI course. In order to receive the discount, you must first obtain permission from your auto insurance provider. (Note that BDI is not a mature driver course.)
• If you receive a ticket for a non-criminal moving violation, and you do not hold a commercial driver license, you may elect to attend a basic driver improvement course in lieu of points on your driving record.
• In some cases, you may choose to attend a basic driver improvement course to receive insurance discounts. This discount is solely at the discretion of your insurance company.

Electing to Attend Traffic School
Drivers with a Class A, B, or C license may not make an election under this subsection.

If, as a result of a moving violation, you elect to attend and complete a basic driver improvement course, you will receive the following benefits:

1. Your insurance rates cannot go up and your policy cannot be cancelled because of this violation, unless this involved a crash where you were at fault.
2. Points may not be added to your driver license record, adjudication of guilt is withheld, and safe driver status is maintained if applicable. You may not make an election under this subsection if you have made this election in the preceding 12 months. A person may make no more than five elections in a lifetime.

Within 30 days from the date you received the traffic citation and prior to attending class, you must:

1. Inform the Clerk of Court in the county where you received the citation that you want to go to traffic school, and
2. Pay an election fee to the Clerk of Court in the county where you received the citation.

A full list of your options for satisfying your traffic citation is on the back of the citation. You are required to choose one of the three options within 30 days of receiving the citation.

Points
If you choose to pay the civil penalty or are adjudicated guilty by a judge, your driver record will be assessed as follows:

Moving Violations	3 points
Speeding 15 m.p.h or less over posted speed	3 points
Moving Violations	3 points
Speeding more than 15 m.p.h. over posted speeds	4 points
Passing stopped school bus	4 points
Moving violation (non-speeding) resulting in an crash	4 points
Unlawful speed resulting in a crash	6 points
Reckless driving (criminal traffic violation)	4 points
Leaving scene of crash with damage	6 points
Littering	3 points
Violation of child restraint laws	3 points

If you accumulate:

• 12 points in 12 months, your license will be suspended for 30 days;
• 18 points within 18 months results in a 3 month suspension;
• 24 points within 36 months results in a 12 month suspension.

Drivers 15-17 Years Old
If you are driving with a Florida learner's license, you must hold it for at least 12 months without a traffic conviction before you may apply for a Florida Class E license. You may avoid conviction by electing to attend and completing a basic driver improvement course approved by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

If you are driving with a Florida learner's license or a Florida Class E license and you receive 6 points, you are restricted to driving for business purposes only for 12 months or until you reach the age of 18. Restriction time is increased if additional points are accumulated. You may avoid conviction by electing to attend and completing a basic driver improvement course approved by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.