Tips for paying your traffic fines in Florida

When visiting Florida it’s quite probable that we’ll use rental car rather than public transportation. Not only because the distances between tourist attractions are often long, but also because companies like RentingCarz offer very enticing promotions.

While traveling by auto in an unfamiliar state or city, it might happen that we’ll make a mistake, and many times without even knowing it, commit a traffic infraction. We might pass a stop-sign without stopping, park the car where it’s not permitted, exceed the speed limit, or drive under the speed limit on the highway. We might also be fined for wrongful passing of another vehicle, not having car-seats, not giving right-of-way to pedestrians, drive through a toll-booth without having the SunPass activated, or in the worst cases of irresponsible driving commit a grave error. It’s worth clarifying that fines for driving with alcohol in the bloodstream, or driving while sending text messages are considered grave errors in the United States.

Some tourists might doubt whether to pay a fine or not, because they have returned to their countries and feel far from the problem. Or because they think that because they rented the car the fine will be sent to the owner of the car. However it’s important to know that in The United States traffic fines are issued to the license owner and not to the owner of the vehicle. Depending on the infraction, if the tourist does not pay or appear in court, upon returning to the state he might be arrested or even have problems renewing his visa or returning to The United States. This means that the best thing you can do with a traffic fine or moving violation is to pay it.

Fines for traffic violations and infractions in Florida must be paid within 30 days after the date of issue. It might take up to 3 weeks for the fine to appear in the system, but once it appears it can be paid online. It’s important to remember that the 30 days begin with the day the infraction takes place, not the day it appears in the system. To pay a traffic fine by internet you must enter the fine number, or number of the driver’s license, or first and last names and birthdate of the driver.

The cost of the fine varies depending on the infraction committed. Not having a child-safety seat for example might cost U$130, exceeding the speed limit between U$98 and U$320, not paying at toll-booths U$103, not using a seat belt, U$89. All of these fines must be paid within 30 days, otherwise they become more expensive.

When renting a car, it is recommendable to consider a few details that can reduce your risks of receiving a traffic ticket. Renting a car with GPS in your native language increases your driving safety and prevents any poor judgements due to lack of familiarity with the routes, signs and in some cases with the english language. Also make sure that the car rental has the SunPass service included, to give you peace of mind, and save you from passing distractedly through a tollbooth without paying (remember that these tolls do not have anything to stop you from passing by). And if you have little kids, it is also important that you use a safety seat when renting a car, which you can usually book in advance.

Rent a car, minivan or SUV in Florida through RentingCarz at the best price with the most reputable rental companies on the market. Reserve a car online and fully enjoy Florida and other destinations, such as Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Las Vegas, Miami, Houston.

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