The Pinellas Clerk’s Operation Green Light initiative aimed to help individuals with Pinellas County cases in collections and it did just that. Over 1,000 customers attended the driver license reinstatement event which took place on October 16, 17 and 19. During those three days, eligible Pinellas County customers with suspended driver licenses had an opportunity to pay overdue court and traffic fines, while saving up to 25 percent on collections fees.
The savings were substantial for customers as over $100,000 in collections fees was waived. Over 60 driver licenses were reinstated with more than 400 being cleared. It took a few hours of waiting, but by mid-morning Richard Walker got his license reinstated. “I can definitely say this program has brought me a slice of freedom and it will help me achieve goals I couldn’t do without my license,” stated Walker.
Ken Burke, Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, was pleased with the number of people who attended the event and all the hard work his team contributed to the program’s success. “Operation Green Light offered a great opportunity to customers with cases in collections and we’re happy so many people got the break they needed to get their license back,” stated Burke. “The goal was to get more legal drivers out there and this initiative helped customers be able to afford it.”
The customers greatly benefitted from the savings and reinstatements, as did the Clerk’s office given the collection of payments on fines that would have gone unpaid otherwise. With the passing of a new state law, Clerk’s across the state of Florida have been mandated to offer a Driver License Reinstatement Days program at least once a year. However, there is no need to wait until next year’s event to discuss the option of a payment plan with the Clerk’s office. Those who couldn’t participate in the event are still encouraged to contact the Pinellas Clerk’s office as payment plans are available year-round.
For more information, please visit www.mypinellasclerk.org or call (727) 464-7000.