What Is a Plea of No Contest?
A Plea of No Contest permits you to ask the Court to Withhold an Adjudication of Guilt (no points) without having to go to court. You are ineligible to make this election if the violation involves a traffic crash or a violation of driving while your driver’s license is revoked or suspended. You are ineligible to make this election if you hold a commercial driver’s license. You must submit your Plea to the Clerk of Courts within 30 days of the violation date. A judge or traffic hearing officer will review your past driving history and your signed request to determine whether to grant or deny your plea.
You are only permitted to submit a Plea of No Contest and Request for Withhold of Adjudication once in a twelve (12) month period and no more than five (5) times in a lifetime.
Filing a Plea
If you choose to file a Plea of No Contest, you agree to waive your right to a speedy trial. If your plea is accepted, you will still be required to pay the civil penalty and may be ordered to attend a defensive driving school or an advanced driver improvement class.
When completing the request to enter a Plea of No Contest and Request for Withhold of Adjudication, you must select one of the following options in the event the Court denies your plea:
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Pay the civil penalty within 30 days from the date of the Court’s ruling.
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Elect to attend defensive driving school and pay the civil penalty within 30 days of the Court’s ruling, and complete defensive driving school within 60 days of the Court’s ruling. You must ensure that you are eligible to elect to attend the defensive driving school.
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Plead not guilty and appear in person at a future scheduled hearing.
Submitting the Paperwork
When submitting your paperwork through the mail, please be sure to include a copy of your traffic citation. All pleadings/paperwork may be mailed to:
Brevard County Clerk of Courts
P.O. Box 219
Titusville, FL 32781-0219
Rendering a Decision
The Civil Traffic Hearing Officer has sixty (60) days from the filing of the conditional plea to render a decision. You may review your case by visiting the Clerk of Court’s Case Search page.
To determine your eligibility to attend defensive driving school, check the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website at flhsmv.gov.