Sarasota County Clerk of Court offers new online payment system

Service is available through the office’s website around the clock

Image from the Clerk of Court and County Comptroller website
Image from the Clerk of Court and County Comptroller website

Sarasota County Clerk of Court and County Comptroller Karen Rushing and her staff have implemented a new system that enables customers to pay traffic tickets, citations, and civil and criminal fines or fees online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

SarasotaClerk e-Pay is a secure option, a news release explains, that “gives the customer the flexibility of completing transactions after hours, from home or office, on the road — and from another county or state, a plus for our out-of-county customers.”

To use the system, a customer may search SarasotaClerk.com by name, citation, ticket or case number, and then choose a payment method “to complete quick, easy and secure transactions,” the release says. If a person is unable to locate his or her information with this initial portal search, the individual will be directed to ClerkNet, the Office of the Sarasota Clerk of Court’s public access system, where more in-depth searches can be conducted, the release points out.

“It’s particularly helpful for those who don’t live in Sarasota County,” as well as those who find it a hardship to visit the office during the work week, Alicia Acardi, communications manager for the Office of the Clerk of Court and County Comptroller, added of the new system.

The system will accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and electronic checks for payments in full. After payment, transaction receipts can be printed, or they can be sent by email or text, the release points out.

As some payments may not be eligible for e-Pay at this time, the release explains, staff will continue to offer customers in-person, mail and phone options.

The third-party vendor selected for the online service is a “nationally recognized electronic payment provider” that conducts business with more than 2,000 judicial and law enforcement customers across the nation, the release says. It works with other Florida clerks of the circuit and county court.