Traffic tickets — Sebastian, Florida

A traffic ticket written in Sebastian is paid or contested through the Traffic Department of the Indian River County Clerk of the Circuit Court, not at the Sebastian Police Department.

The City of Sebastian says so in its own FAQ: traffic citations are processed through the Traffic Division of the Indian River County Clerk of the Court's Office (City of Sebastian FAQ). The Sebastian Police Department at 1201 Main Street, non-emergency 772-589-5233, writes citations on city streets such as Barber Street, Roseland Road and Indian River Drive, but the money and the hearing requests go to the county (Sebastian Police Department). The Clerk's Traffic Department handles all traffic tickets issued in Indian River County, along with animal control citations and municipal ordinance and code enforcement infractions (Clerk Traffic page).

The Traffic Department sits in Room 105 of the Indian River County Courthouse, 2000 16th Avenue, Vero Beach, and takes calls at (772) 226-3188 (Indian River County Clerk). Sebastian drivers have a closer counter: the Clerk lists the Traffic counter in the Courthouse or Sebastian office as places to complete a not guilty plea form in person, and the Sebastian Office at 1921 U.S. Highway 1 is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:30 am to 5 pm. A ticket written on US 1 or Sebastian Boulevard therefore follows the same county process as one written anywhere else in Indian River County.

Within 30 days of a Sebastian citation, the driver must pay it, elect a basic driver improvement course, or request a hearing, the three options printed on the back of a Florida ticket.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles states that drivers are required to choose one of the three options within 30 days of the citation date, and a Sebastian ticket is no exception (FLHSMV). Section 318.14 sets out the payment path: within 30 days after the date of issuance, the driver pays the civil penalty by mail or in person, or enters into a payment plan with the clerk (F.S. 318.14). Paying is treated as an admission of the infraction and a waiver of the right to a hearing, although the statute adds that the admission shall not be used as evidence in any other proceedings.

The Indian River County Clerk accepts cash, money orders, cashier's check, Visa, MasterCard or Discover, and payments can be made via nCourt or by phone at 1 (877) 794-0052 (Clerk Traffic page). Mailed payments go to P.O. Box 1028, Vero Beach, FL 32961, with checks made out to Ryan Butler, Clerk of Court. For Sebastian drivers who cannot pay the full amount at once, payment plans are available on most cases by email request to the Clerk, and a $25.00 administration fee per case is added to the fines and costs.

A standard moving violation written in Sebastian carries a $148.00 fine on the Indian River County schedule, and street or highway speeding tickets run from $113.00 to $263.00 before the 30 mph mandatory court line.

The amounts below come from the Indian River County Clerk's fee schedule, which lists a fine amount and a separate amount for drivers who elect the driving school, marked DDS (Clerk Fee Schedule). Non-moving violations, whether written on CR 512 or a side street in the Sebastian Highlands, are listed at $98.00, and a pedestrian or bicyclist citation at $46.50.

State law sets the starting point. Section 318.18 provides $60 for all moving violations not requiring a mandatory appearance, and a fine double the listed speed amount for a driver exceeding the limit in a school zone or designated school crossing (F.S. 318.18). School and construction zone tiers are listed separately, and construction zone penalties apply only when construction personnel are present or operating equipment on or immediately adjacent to the road under construction, according to the Clerk's schedule note.

A Sebastian driver can keep points off a license by electing a Basic Driver Improvement course within 30 days and telling the Indian River County Clerk before taking it.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles states that drivers must voluntarily elect this option within 30 days from the citation date and, prior to attending the course, inform the clerk of court in the county where the citation was issued, which for a Sebastian ticket is Indian River County, and pay an election fee to that clerk (FLHSMV BDI page). The election is not available to a driver who made a BDI election in the preceding 12 months, made eight elections in a lifetime, holds a Commercial Driver License, or was cited for going 30 mph above the posted speed limit. The Indian River County Clerk adds that proof of the driving school completion must be provided to the Clerk's office within 3 months (Clerk Traffic page).

The benefit is written into section 318.14: adjudication must be withheld, the civil penalty imposed under section 318.18(3) must be reduced by 18 percent, and points may not be assessed (F.S. 318.14). Points matter because they stack. FLHSMV lists 3 points for moving violations, 3 points for speeding 15 m.p.h or less over the limit and 4 points for speeding more than 15 m.p.h. over (FLHSMV). A license is suspended at 12 points within 12 months, 18 points within 18 months or 24 points within 36 months. A Sebastian driver under 18, such as a Sebastian River High School student, faces a tighter rule: six or more points within a 12 month period brings an automatic restriction to driving for business purposes only for one year.

To contest a Sebastian ticket, the driver files a Plea of Not Guilty and Request for Hearing with the Indian River County Clerk within 30 calendar days of receiving the citation.

The Clerk accepts the form three ways: by filing electronically through the Florida Eportal at myflcourtaccess.com, by mail to the Indian River County Clerk of Court, Attention Traffic Division, P.O. Box 1028, Vero Beach, FL 32961, or in person at the Traffic counter in the Courthouse or Sebastian office (Clerk Traffic page). The filer needs the case number and citation number of each Sebastian citation being contested. After the plea arrives, a court date is set and a Notice to Appear is mailed or emailed.

A hearing changes the money at stake. Under section 318.14, a driver who elects to appear waives the civil penalty provisions of section 318.18, and if the infraction is proven the official may impose a civil penalty not to exceed $500, or not to exceed $1,000 for unlawful speed in a school zone or construction zone, or require driver improvement school, or both (F.S. 318.14). Speeding 30 mph or more over the limit on any Sebastian road is listed as mandatory court on the Indian River County schedule, so that driver has no pay-by-mail option (Clerk Fee Schedule).

An unpaid Sebastian traffic ticket can pick up Indian River County late fees after 30 days and leads to a Florida driver license suspension once the Clerk reports it to the state.

The Indian River County Clerk warns that if it has been more than 30 days from the date the citation was received, additional late fees may apply (Clerk Traffic page). Section 318.15 then requires the clerk of the court to notify the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles within 10 days after a failure to pay, attend driver improvement school or appear, and the department issues a suspension order effective 20 days after the date the order is provided (F.S. 318.15).

Reversing it runs through the same Indian River County office. If a driver's license is suspended because of an unpaid citation in Indian River County, paying the citation plus late fees and reinstatement fees can reinstate it, according to the Clerk, and the fee schedule lists reinstatement of driver's license, if eligible, at $60.00 (Clerk Fee Schedule). A Sebastian driver checking the result can buy a Florida driving record from the Clerk with a picture ID: $14.25 for a three year record or $16.25 for a complete record (Clerk Traffic page).

Last verified: October 11, 2026, on the Indian River County Clerk of the Circuit Court website, traffic and fee schedule pages.