If you get a moving or non-moving violation ticket, you can request a court hearing to contest the ticket. However, you will have to take time out of your day to appear in court and hope that the law enforcement officer who issues the ticket doesn’t appear. You do not have the right to a court-appointed attorney during traffic court, so you will be fighting your case on your own. The Florida Rules of Evidence and Florida Rules of Traffic Procedure apply and the judge will expect you to abide by these rules.

As with any court case, it is best to have an experienced traffic ticket attorney on your side. The traffic ticket attorney will appear for you in court so you won’t have to take time out of your day. They have a better understanding of traffic laws and court procedures and can fight the case on your behalf.

When you hire a traffic ticket law firm to represent you in court, you have an increased chance of not receiving points on your license, regardless of if the officer who issued the ticket appears or not. This will help prevent you from potentially having a suspended license due to too many points. The attorney can also fight for you to not have to go to driving school and can negotiate to get a lower fine or if speeding, reduce the speed on the citation.

Most importantly, the attorney will search for defects in the ticket or other ways to have the ticket completely dismissed. If a ticket is dismissed it will not appear on your driving record. Challenging a traffic ticket is the only option that gives you a chance for dismissal. Paying the citation or electing traffic school will result in the ticket going onto your driving record.

If you are a CDL holder, the stakes are higher. The DMV no longer offers CDL holders the option to elect traffic school to avoid points. Therefore, fighting the ticket in court is often the best option. Hiring an experienced traffic lawyer is well worth the money when your career as a professional driver is on the line.

Certain traffic violations can lead to the revocation of your CDL license. Commercial drivers with two serious traffic violations in three years will face a minimum 60-day CDL revocation. Having three serious violations in three years carries a minimum 120-day CDL revocation. These violations include, among other things, speeding 15 mph over the limit, improper lane change, and following too closely.

If you receive a traffic ticket, it is best to have an experienced traffic ticket attorney on your side. The attorney will appear on your behalf and may get you a better deal in court than you would on your own. A seasoned attorney will likely be aware of grounds for dismissal of which you may not. Having your ticket dismissed is the best way to keep your insurance premiums from increasing. Many people find that hiring an attorney is far less expensive than having to pay more for insurance.