CLAY COUNTY — For the next couple of weeks, you may happen to see some Clay County clerks donning bright green T-shirts.

Although Saint Patrick’s Day has passed, residents are still in luck. 

That’s because the Clay County Clerk of Court and Comptroller Office is hosting their annual Operation Green Light event, dedicated to getting drivers back on the road and back on track. 

Beginning on March 31, individuals with unpaid traffic tickets or outstanding court fees have the option to get their driver’s licenses reinstated at a discounted price, saving anywhere from 20% to 25% on fees.

During the event, staff pull back each case from collections agencies and waive what’s typically a mandatory collection fee. 

According to Drive Safely, Florida driver’s license reinstatement fees range from $45 to $175 for a suspended license and $75 to $205 for a revoked license. And, if you have a fee for more than one offense, the total cost will be all of them added together. 

“In essence, it's saving them money,” said Clerk of Court Tara Green. 

In 2024 alone, the Clay County Clerk's Office said there were at least 271 arrests made in the county for illegal driving.

The event, incorporated into Florida Statutes, began back in 2015, created by all 67 Florida Court clerks and comptrollers as a way to make it easier for those in the community who may be struggling to pay.

“People get busy with life. They’re trying to make the mortgage payment, pay the light bills and sometimes we know the individuals don’t have a choice,” Green said. “Am I buying groceries for the family, or am I paying on a criminal case or traffic citation? Right, wrong or indifferent.”

This year, Green said the Northeast Florida Clerk of Court offices in Clay, Baker, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns counties are teaming up to get the message out to the broader community. 

Last year, Operation Green Light represented nearly 800 cases paid in full in Northeast Florida, with more than 730 people whose driver licenses were made eligible for reinstatement at a lower cost. 

By taking advantage of the event, residents can visit any of the offices where they have unpaid tickets or court fees, and either pay the waived price in full or start a payment plan. Green said that as long as the person doesn't have outstanding fines in any other county, they are able to get their license back and ready to use the same day. 

If the person does have other unpaid fees in another county, the clerks are able to go into the system and mark them as eligible for reinstatement. Green said that way, depending on wherever their last stop was, the county will then release the full suspension.

Green said there also have been significant changes this year to make the process easier and more convenient. 

In a partnership with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), Green said they now have the authority to reinstate at a clerk’s office, to prevent encouraging an individual to walk out the door with a suspended license, an effort Green said she led. 

She said that last year, if you had a criminal case you were sent to the DHSMV, causing an inconvenience.

“They’re walking out the door possibly on a suspended license,” she said. “That’s why they’re here. So, that just didn’t seem like good policy to us.”

Additionally, this year the offices were successful in allowing residents to only have to pay the reinstatement fee on time. 

She said that historically, the initial policy was that if you came to the county and paid off a traffic citation, you had to pay a $60 reinstatement fee. For any outstanding fees in another county, you would have to go there and pay that ticket and reinstatement fee separately.

“So, they were paying reinstatement fees for every single suspension. Because you can get suspensions on multiple things in multiple counties. And what we did in working with DHSMV is to get that policy change to say the individual pays that reinstatement fee at the point in which it can be fully reinstated,” Green said. 

Three years ago, Green said they had a man come with all his money ready to pay off the many cases he had. 

However, Green said once he found out that he had to pay a reinstatement fee for each suspension on those cases, he was hit with an additional $600 worth of fees. 

“He didn’t get to walk out with the relief he thought he was getting,” she said. “And it was heartbreaking because that was just a policy that had been created years ago before events like this and things like this were going on.”

Green said although that is a revenue stream for some offices, good public policy takes precedence over funding models. 

“That was a little bit of a controversial one to get through, but all the clerks came together and agreed that that’s what our constituents need. That’s the fair thing to do,” Green said.

Last year, in Clay County alone, 345 cases either got paid off or put on a payment plan, making 322 people eligible for reinstatement. This year, Green said that several large payment plans were established on the first day.

She said staff are looking forward to what the coming weeks will bring. 

“We're [really] excited about this year for the two weeks. I would love to double those numbers. I know people are taking advantage of the event,” Green said. 

The event will be offered at two locations – the Clay County Courthouse in Green Cove Springs at 825 N Orange Ave. and the Clerk of Court office in Orange Park at 1590 Park Ave. 

The rest of the event will run Thursday, April 3, through Friday, April 11, Monday through Friday during normal business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information or an advanced estimated of your reduced total, contact the Clerk of Court in any Northeast Florida county where you have unpaid tickets or court fees.