How to Search Brevard County Traffic Court Records
The Clerk of the Circuit Court hosts the public case search for Brevard County traffic court records through BECA, the Brevard Electronic Court Application. BECA covers civil infractions, criminal traffic, and parking, and shows charges, court dates, pleas, dispositions, and fine balances. The Clerk also runs a stand-alone traffic page that links the case search, the payment center, and the traffic FAQs. A good first step is to read the Clerk traffic page at brevardclerk.us/traffic, then move on to BECA from the Clerk case search hub. The BECA splash page asks for disclaimer consent before any search runs.
Before starting, have your citation number, full legal name, date of birth, or case number on hand. Name spellings should match the license. A date range helps when the same name returns many hits. BECA carries a current anti-scraper notice: heavy bot traffic has caused slowdowns in the past, so the page may rate-limit during peak load. If a search times out, try again with tighter inputs.
- Open the Clerk case search page and pick the BECA public link.
- Read the BECA disclaimer, mark Accept, and click Submit.
- Pick General Public Court Records Search on the next screen.
- Enter a citation number, or a last name plus first name and a date range.
- Open the case to view charges, court dates, plea, and disposition.
- Use the payment link to pay, or visit a Clerk branch for a certified copy.
Note: BECA online records are informational and do not count as certified court records under Clerk policy.
The Clerk traffic page is the front door for paying, electing school, or reading citation rules. It is the source of truth used here.
View the Brevard Clerk traffic page for the full menu of payment and case options.
The page groups civil traffic, criminal traffic, school election, payment routes, and citation timing in one place, which is why it anchors most of the steps shown above.
Which Courts Handle Traffic Cases in Brevard County
County Court is the trial court that hears most Brevard County traffic court cases. It handles civil traffic infractions, criminal traffic charges such as driving while license suspended, reckless driving, and most first-offense DUI cases. Circuit Court takes over the small share of serious felony traffic matters, such as DUI manslaughter or vehicular homicide. The Clerk processes paperwork for both. Brevard sits inside the Eighteenth Judicial Circuit, shared with Seminole County.
Hearings can sit at the Moore Justice Center in Viera, the Melbourne courthouse, or the Titusville historic courthouse, based on the part of the county where the ticket was written. The Clerk staffs counters at each location and at the Palm Bay office. For deeper background on the trial courts, see the Brevard County Court page and the circuit court page.
Note: Felony DUI charges flow to circuit court, but the Clerk still keeps the file in BECA.
Types of Brevard County Traffic Cases on Record
Brevard County traffic court records sweep up many ticket types. The Clerk groups them on the traffic page so users can pick the right path for pay, contest, or school. Civil infractions sit on one side, criminal traffic on the other, with parking and school election records as smaller groups. Each type ends in a docket entry, a fine ledger, and a final disposition.
- Civil traffic infractions - speeding, red light, careless driving, and other non-criminal tickets that can be paid or sent to school.
- Criminal traffic - DUI, driving while license suspended or revoked, reckless driving, and leaving the scene; court appearance is required.
- Parking citations - city or county parking tickets routed through the Clerk for payment and tracking.
- School election records - file notes showing that a driver chose driver improvement school instead of a conviction.
- Payments and court dates - the Clerk logs each payment, hearing, and continuance against the citation file.
- Dispositions - the final entry such as paid, withhold of adjudication, guilty, dismissed, or nolle prosequi.
What Brevard County Traffic Court Records Show
A Brevard County traffic court record reads like a small case file. It tracks who wrote the ticket, what the charge was, where it happened, what the driver did with it, and what the court ordered. The Clerk maps these fields into BECA, where the public can view them after accepting the disclaimer. The table below lists the fields users see most often.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Citation Number | The unique ticket number written by the officer at the stop. |
| Issue Date | The day the citation was issued, used to count the 30-day clock. |
| Officer and Agency | The badge or ID of the officer and the agency such as BCSO or FHP. |
| Statute | The Florida Statute section the driver is charged with breaking. |
| Charge | The plain language of the offense, such as speeding 14 mph over limit. |
| Location | The road, intersection, or mile marker where the stop was made. |
| Court Date | Scheduled hearing date, if a court appearance is set. |
| Plea | Guilty, not guilty, or no contest entered by the driver. |
| Disposition | Final outcome such as paid, dismissed, withhold, or guilty. |
| Fine and Fee Total | The dollar amount due, including court costs and add-ons. |
| Points | Note of points reported by the Clerk to the state driver record. |
| School Election | Flag showing the driver picked driver improvement school. |
Searching by Citation Number vs by Name
BECA lets users look up a Brevard County traffic citation by number, by name, or by case number. The Clerk traffic FAQ tells drivers that the citation number is the fastest path, since it returns one file. A name search can pull a long list when the name is common, so a date range or date of birth helps. The Clerk traffic FAQ walks through the same options.
The table below lists the public search fields BECA offers for traffic records. Required marks show what BECA will not accept blank.
| Search Field | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citation Number | Text | One of these is required | Use the full number printed on the ticket; fastest lookup. |
| Last Name | Text | Required for name search | Spell as printed on the driver license. |
| First Name | Text | Optional | Narrows results when a last name is common. |
| Case Number | Text | Optional | Format such as 05-2024-TR-012345. |
| Date Range | Date | Optional | Limit by file date or citation date to cut hit count. |
The Clerk case search hub at brevardclerk.us/case-search is the cleanest start point.
Open the Clerk case search page to begin a BECA lookup.
The hub links both the public BECA route and the subscriber login, which is why the page above is the main jump-off for searches.
Paying or Contesting a Brevard County Traffic Ticket
Civil traffic fines must be paid within 30 days of the ticket issue date. The Clerk accepts payment by mail, by internet, through Western Union, at Amscot, or in person at a Clerk branch. Pay by check, cashier's check, certified check, money order, or credit card. Do not mail cash. Missing the 30-day window can add a late fee and may suspend the license. Drivers who want to fight the ticket must request a court hearing in writing before the deadline.
- Read the ticket and note the issue date and the 30-day deadline.
- Pick a path: pay the fine, elect driver improvement school, or request a hearing.
- To pay online, use the Clerk Payment Center linked from the traffic page.
- To pay by mail, send a check or money order to the Clerk; never send cash.
- To pay in person, visit a Clerk counter at Viera, Melbourne, Titusville, or Palm Bay.
- To pay through Western Union or Amscot, follow the steps on the Clerk traffic page.
- To contest, file a written hearing request with the Clerk before day 30.
- For criminal traffic, plan to appear in court on the date listed in BECA.
The Clerk traffic FAQ at brevardclerk.us/traffic-faqs sets out each route in plain language.
Browse the Clerk traffic FAQ for current pay and contest steps.
The FAQ explains school eligibility, late penalties, and how to ask for a hearing, which lines up with the steps listed above.
Public Access Laws for Traffic Court Records
Florida treats most court files as public records under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. Traffic case files in BECA fall under that policy, with a few cuts for protected data. Court files also follow Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.420, which sets the public access rules for the judicial branch. Personal data such as Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, and minor identifiers get redacted under F.S. 119.0714.
Key Statutes:
Florida Statutes § 119.0714 - Sets the privacy rules for court files, court records, and official records, and lists the data the Clerk must redact.
Florida Rule 2.420 - Governs public access to judicial branch records, including traffic dockets.
For broader open records guidance, see the Brevard County public records page.
Court Traffic Records vs State Driver Records
This split trips up many drivers. The court traffic record is the case file kept by the Brevard Clerk. The state driver record is a different file kept by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Both can list the same ticket, but they are not the same file. The Clerk reports the result of a Brevard case to FLHSMV, which then updates the driver record and points balance. Fixing a name or a charge on the court file does not auto-fix the driver record, and the other way around.
| Trait | Court Traffic Record | State Driver Record |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Brevard Clerk of the Circuit Court; BECA system. | Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. |
| What It Shows | Citation, charge, plea, court date, fine, disposition. | Convictions, points, license status, suspensions. |
| Where to Access | Clerk traffic page and BECA case search. | FLHSMV.gov driver record portal. |
| How to Correct | File a motion with the county court through the Clerk. | Submit a correction request to FLHSMV with proof. |
Note: Always check both files before assuming a Brevard ticket has cleared from a driver history.
CDL and Commercial Driver Records
Commercial drivers face stricter rules in Brevard County traffic court. The Clerk traffic page says CDL holders are not eligible to elect driver improvement school, even on a civil infraction that a regular driver could handle by school. A CDL conviction sticks on the driver record, and federal rules force most CDL holders to report it to the employer within 30 days. Some serious offenses, such as DUI in any vehicle, can trigger a one-year CDL disqualification.
This matters at the file level too. A Brevard traffic court record on a CDL holder will not show a school election flag, because the option is closed. The disposition will reflect a paid plea, a withhold if granted, or a guilty finding. CDL drivers should plan to appear in court more often than other drivers, since trial may be the only path to avoid a conviction.
DUI Cases in Brevard County
DUI in Brevard is a criminal traffic charge, not a civil infraction. Court appearance is required, and the case runs through county court for a first offense and circuit court for serious felony levels. Penalties can include jail, probation, fines, license suspension, ignition interlock, and a long mark on the driver record.
For full Brevard County DUI case information, including arrest data and seal or expunge rules, see the Brevard County criminal records page.
Driver Improvement Course and Withhold of Adjudication
Florida does not call it deferred adjudication, but the closest match for a civil traffic infraction in Brevard is driver improvement school plus a withhold. The Clerk traffic page sets out the limits in plain words. School is not open to every ticket. CDL holders are not eligible. A driver caught going 30 mph or more over the limit must appear in court and cannot pick school. Speed measured by radar or pace must match the citation for school to apply.
School must finish within 90 days of the violation date, and the certificate goes to the Clerk before the deadline. A driver can elect school once in any 12-month window and up to eight times in a lifetime. When school is done in time, the Clerk records a withhold of adjudication, and no points get sent to the driver record. Miss the 90 days, and the ticket flips back to a conviction with full points.
Note: A withhold of adjudication on a Brevard traffic file is not the same as a sealed file; it remains a public record in BECA.
Sealing or Expunging Brevard County Traffic Records
Civil traffic infractions in Brevard are generally not eligible for sealing or expunging under Florida law. The state seal and expunge statutes are built around criminal cases. Criminal traffic charges can be eligible the same way as other criminal records, under F.S. 943.0585 for expunction and F.S. 943.059 for sealing. The first step is a Certificate of Eligibility from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, then a petition to the court that heard the case.
Adjudication of guilt usually blocks the standard process. A withhold of adjudication on a criminal traffic case may keep the door open. Check the case file in BECA to see how the disposition reads, then talk to a lawyer before filing. The Clerk does not pre-screen requests.
Brevard County Traffic Court Record Copy Fees
The Clerk charges set fees for copies of Brevard County traffic court records. Online viewing in BECA is free, but printed copies, certified copies, and media exports cost extra. The Sheriff also charges a small fee for a public records check that may relate to a traffic stop.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plain copy per page | $1.00 |
| Certification of a copy | $2.00 |
| BCSO records check | $2.00 |
| CD or DVD media | $1.00 |
The Clerk civil page at brevardclerk.us/civil gives broader context for self-represented filers who also deal with traffic.
Read the Clerk civil page for related fee and filing guidance.
Civil categories on the page above include small claims and landlord cases, but the same Clerk counters that take traffic payments also process those filings.