Nassau County is located in North Florida. Nassau County is in the greater Jacksonville area. With so many tourists and residents, there is no wonder there is plenty of traffic. Of course, traffic means that there are a multitude of police officers ensuring the traffic laws are abided. Jacksonville Police Department, Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, and Florida Highway Patrol monitor the traffic ebb and flow.
The county police agencies can issue two types of citations: criminal and civil. Criminal citations will require a hearing. Criminal citations come with higher penalties. The higher penalties include jail time, probation, community service, among other violations. You may also be eligible for a drug and alcohol treatment program. Points may also be assessed on your license and your license may be suspended for certain defined periods of time. Criminal citations require a hearing. At the hearing, you, your Nassau County Traffic Attorney, any witnesses, and a judge or magistrate presiding over your case will be present. The judge will determine the penalties and/or treatment plan for your case.
Civil infractions can result in other methods to remedy them. The first option is to pay the citation and have points assessed on your license. The second option is to pay the fine and elect to take a Driver Improvement course. The driver improvement course is approximately 4 hours long. It may be taken online, in person in a classroom setting or on DVD/video. The driver improvement course does have some limitations as to how many times it can be taken. It can only be taken once every 12 months. It can only be taken 5 times in your lifetime. These limitations may render you to not be able to take the course and thereby accept the points on your license or contest the citation itself. By contesting the citation, you will need to attend a hearing. You will need to alert the Clerk of the Court that you intend to take the driver improvement course within thirty (30) days from your citation. The address to do so is: 76347 Veteran’s Way, Yulee, Florida. Then, you must complete the course within sixty (60) days. At the end of the course you will receive a Certificate of Completion. You must file the Certificate of Completion with the Clerk of the Court at the address listed above in order to avoid higher penalties and/or possible license suspension. This brings us to option three, which is to contest the ticket. Should you decide to contest the ticket, you, your Nassau County Traffic Attorney should you choose to hire one, any witnesses, and a judge or magistrate that will preside over your case. Your attorney can help you determine what the best outcome and a plan to arrive at your best case scenario.
Points can be assessed on your license as well. Points on your license can result in two hardships: your license may be suspended or you may face higher insurance premiums. Your insurance company can determine in its sole discretion that you are a “high risk” driver. Being deemed as such, you will be required to carry SR-22 insurance. These policies can be up to four (4) times as much as safe driver premiums. Also, your license may be suspended as well. If you accrue 12 points in 12 months, your license may be suspended for one month. If you accrue 18 points in 18 months, your license may be suspended for three months. Finally, if you accrue 24 points in 36 months, your license may be suspended for one year. Any additional violations may result in your license being suspended for an additional three months.
Points are assessed according to the following schedule:
| POINTS | VIOLATIONS |
|---|---|
| 0 | Non moving violations |
| 3 | Unlawful speed 15 miles per hour or less over the speed limit, careless driving, moving violations that are not specified |
| 4 | Reckless driving, passing a stopped school bus, unlawful speed 16 miles per hour or more over the speed limit |
| 6 | Collision resulting from unlawful speed or leaving the scene of an accident (>$50 damage) |
Points accrue and may remain on your record for up to five (5) years. At that time, your violations may be expunged off your record.
If you find yourself with a traffic citation or should your license be suspended, you should hire a Nassau County Speeding Ticket Lawyer. A lawyer can educate you on the process, give you details on how to best proceed on your case and determine your best case scenario. Remember, the facts in your case are unique and you may need some assistance in how to obtain the outcome you find the most agreeable. Should you be concerned about your traffic violation, the best way to ease your discomfort is to be educated on your case and your rights. The most important thing you need to do is protect your constitutionally given rights, and the only way to know what those rights are and how to protect them is to hire a Nassau County Traffic Attorney as soon as possible. There may be deadlines that you do not want to miss, so contact a Nassau County Speeding Ticket Lawyer today and be prepared!
