Vacationing in Miami is expensive, but most tourists do not know all of the expenses. Sure, you know that you will have to pay for airfare, a car rental, hotel, food and entertainment. What you do not know is that you might also leave with another little bill. Actually, it’s not a little bill. It is an outrageous tax on tourists. Sometimes, native Floridians have to pay it, but they often know ways to get out of paying it. Tourists, not being familiar with the local legal system, do not know how to avoid the tax. I’m talking about a Miami Dade traffic ticket. You see in most places in the United States, you get a speeding ticket, you pay it. You assume that since you are guilty, you should just pay it. Or more likely, you figure you have no choice. What can you do, it’s not like you are going to come back to Florida to fight your ticket. Nor are you going to hire a lawyer. Who hires a lawyer to fight a speeding ticket. Well, in Florida, everyone who knows that you NEVER pay a traffic ticket in Florida without calling a lawyer.

THE TRAFFIC TICKET TAX

Yes, traffic tickets are a tax. It used to be that people from out-of-state could visit Florida and be fairly certain that they would not get ticketed for any minor traffic violations. Florida has always relied heavily on the tourism industry, so tourists were usually given a break on tickets. Local governments did not want people going back home with an unpleasant experience to share with their friends and family. However, traffic tickets have continuously grown to be a larger and larger source of revenue for local governments, including those in Miami-Dade County. People want services, but they do not want to pay direct taxes for those services. Instead of cutting back, local governments have pressured the police to spend more of their time writing traffic tickets.

TARGETING TOURISTS

One thing that local governments and the police have learned is that local citizens will often fight traffic tickets. A local will often do everything that he or she can to avoid paying the ticket because paying it has other consequences, such as increased insurance rates and points against their driver’s licenses. Most tourists, however, do not think that they can fight the ticket or that it is worth their time to do so. They return home with ticket in hand. They are not going to travel back to Florida just to appear in court to fight the ticket, so they just mail in a check to take care of it. Local governments and police officers have noticed this and so they have started writing more tickets for tourists.

It is not really fair and there is not too much you can do to stop from getting the tickets in the first place. You might have even committed a violation that would not have been one where you live. You can not be expected to read up on all of Florida’s specific traffic laws before you visit the state. Don’t get me wrong, Miami-Dade County still wants your tourism dollars. They would just also like those dollars to include the cost of a Miami Dade traffic ticket. The great thing is that you might not need to personally appear in court to fight a Miami Dade traffic ticket. An experienced traffic ticket lawyer in Miami can take care of things for you. No, the lawyer is not going to do it for free. However, it will almost always be for a lot less than the cost of the ticket plus the increased cost for your auto insurance. Yes, your insurer will find out about the ticket eventually and raise your rates. Worse, if you just pay the ticket, they will notify your home state so they can add points to your license.

I have helped many tourists with their Miami Dade traffic tickets. I can help you if you call my office. We will be happy to talk to you about the process and provide further details about how we can help you with this outrageous tax on tourists. Remember, the cost of our consultation in FREE. So call me, Jason Diamond, any time.