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Tag: Traffic Ticket

Traffic tickets are a common consequence for various driving offenses, ranging from minor infractions like speeding or failing to stop at a red light to more serious violations such as reckless driving. When you receive a traffic ticket, it essentially serves as a notice that you’ve been accused of violating specific traffic laws. These tickets come with financial penalties and can affect your driving record and insurance rates. Understanding the nuances of how traffic tickets work, especially within your state, can help you navigate the situation more effectively.

 

General Information

Upon receiving a traffic ticket, you’re typically issued a Notice to Appear, which outlines the details of the alleged offense, including how to respond to the charge. Options generally include paying the ticket (thereby admitting guilt), contesting the ticket in court, or attending traffic school if eligible to potentially reduce or negate the ticket’s impact on your driving record.

 

Failure to address a traffic ticket by the specified due date can lead to additional fines, a warrant for your arrest, or a suspension of your driving privileges. It’s crucial to carefully read the information provided on your ticket and any subsequent notices from the court to ensure you comply with all legal requirements and deadlines.

 

 The Process Varies by State

For example, let’s look at California, traffic tickets for minor driving offenses or equipment violations are handled in traffic court. The process involves receiving a ticket, which contains instructions on resolving the issue and indicates the county court overseeing your case.

 

Options for Managing Your Traffic Ticket in California:

1. Pay the Ticket: If you choose not to contest the ticket, you can simply pay the fine. Payment can often be made online, by mail, or in person, depending on the instructions provided by the court.

 

2. Traffic School: Eligible individuals may opt for traffic school to avoid points on their driving record, which can mitigate the ticket’s impact on insurance rates. Note that eligibility and the effects on commercial driver’s licenses vary.

 

3. Contest the Ticket: To fight the ticket, you’ll need to plead not guilty and request a trial. This process is initiated by informing the court of your plea, after which you’ll receive further instructions on proceeding with your case.

 

4. Addressing Fix-it Tickets: For correctable violations, such as a broken tail light, you must fix the issue, pay the associated fine, and provide proof of correction to the court.

 

Financial Considerations and Assistance:

If you’re unable to afford the fine, California courts offer options to reduce the amount owed, extend payment deadlines, allow installment payments, or substitute fines with community service in certain cases.

 

Consequences of Ignoring Traffic Tickets:

Ignoring a traffic ticket in California can lead to additional fines, a “Failure to Appear” charge, and significant impacts on your driving record and insurance. It’s best to promptly address any traffic tickets to avoid these complications.

 

DMV Points and Your Driving Record:

In California, traffic convictions add points to your DMV record, affecting your insurance premiums. Points from minor violations typically remain on your record for 3 to 7 years. Completing traffic school, if eligible, prevents points from being added for the specific violation.

 

Navigating the intricacies of traffic tickets requires a clear understanding of your rights and responsibilities. For information on how your state handles the ticket and how you can approach it to minimize the consequences, look at your state’s DMV website. 

By promptly addressing tickets, exploring available options, and complying with court requirements, you can minimize the impact on your driving privileges and financial situation. Whether you pay the ticket, attend traffic school, or contest the charges, informed decision-making is key to effectively managing traffic ticket issues.

Getting points on your license is bad enough when you’re in the car and commit an offense while driving. It’s even worse, however, when you aren’t in the car at all! The last thing you want is to see your insurance rates increase or potentially lose your license due to offenses acquired when you were far away from your car. Fortunately, there is help available for these situations.

Red Light Cameras

Traffic light cameras are one of the biggest causes of points on your license — not to mention unwanted tickets — whether you were in the car or not. If you’re the registered owner of the car, you’re the one who will receive the ticket in the mail if your car has been seen sailing (or even rolling) through a red light. If you’ve committed this offense, you’re probably quite familiar with the system: a few days after the incident, you receive a picture of your car’s tires across the line in the road when the light turned red and a demand that you pay the associated fees.
Unfortunately, if the car is registered in your name, you’re going to get that ticket regardless of whether or not you were the one driving the car. The system is automated and relies on the fact that people will automatically pay the ticket rather than taking the time and effort to contest it. Fortunately, in some cases, it’s easy to prove that you weren’t guilty.

Checking Your Guilt

If you’ve been hit with a red light ticket from a camera, there needs to be solid proof that you were the one driving the car. There needs to be a clear picture of you behind the wheel at the time of the incident. If it’s arbitrary, or if it’s impossible to tell whether or not you were the one behind the wheel — or even better, if it’s obvious that you weren’t the one driving the car — then it’s easy to tell that you aren’t the one responsible for the ticket.

If you know that you weren’t the one driving the car and remember who was at the time of the infraction, you also have the option of sharing that information. You can pass the blame on to the person who was actually responsible, thus avoiding the cost of the ticket and the points on your own license. Keep in mind, however, that you aren’t required to share that information. The burden of proof is on the law.

Check the Calibration of the Cameras

In some cases, the calibration of the camera may not be perfectly matched with the timing of the light. If you crossed the line while the light was still yellow, even if the light turned red while you were still in the intersection, you aren’t guilty of running the light and won’t need to be responsible for the ticket. Ideally, in order to send you a red light ticket based on the input from a camera, you want a picture showing that your front wheels were on the wrong side of the line when the light turned red. If you made it before the light turned, even if you were driving, you’re in the clear!

All Right, It Was You: Removing Points from Your License

Sometimes, red light cameras are able to provide irrefutable proof that you were the one driving and that you did cross into the intersection after the light turned red. In this case, you don't have to live with the points on your license! Attending traffic school can help get those points removed earlier. trafficschoolonline-dev.plume.co.uk/ is the nation's first and most respected traffic school, making it easy for you to take care of those points, erase the ticket, and prevent it from showing up on your driving record all in the convenience of your own home. 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back.

Every day, thousands of motorists are pulled over and issued traffic citations for anything from rolling a stop sign to reckless driving and everything in between. Of course, nobody wants to receive a traffic ticket—and most officers don’t even like writing them. That’s why, by following a few simple officer-interaction tips, you can increase your chances of avoiding a traffic ticket and instead get off with a warning.

Pull Over Right Away

As soon as you see lights and hear sirens behind you, it’s time to pull over as soon as it’s safe for you to do so. If you’re on a freeway, immediately put on your turn signal to get over onto a shoulder, as this will be the safest and closest place for the officer to conduct the stop. Don’t wait until you get to the next exit to pull off the freeway and into a parking lot; this will aggravate the officer and may even lead him or her to believe that you’re trying to run away.

If you find that there’s nowhere safe to pull over your vehicle right away, be sure to turn your right blinker on to indicate to the officer that you intend to pull over but are waiting to find a safe area to do so.

Turn Your Car Off

As soon as you’re safely pulled over, shut your car off completely and set the keys on the seat next to you. This will help to show the officer that you have no intention of trying to run or cause trouble, putting him or her at ease and possibly even leading the officer to approach you more favorably.

If it’s dark out when you get pulled over, be sure to turn on the dome light in your vehicle (most cars allow for interior lights to be turned on, even once the car has been shut off). This will show the officer that you’re not trying to fidget around or reach for any potential weapons. It shows that you have nothing to hide and are ready to comply.

Wait for Officer Instructions

While you’re likely going to be asked for your driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance, it’s always best to wait for the officer to ask you directly for it. Reaching around in your vehicle could be interpreted by the officer as you trying to grab a weapon or even hide something illegal.

Instead, roll your window down and keep both hands on your steering wheel until the officer instructs you to grab your documentation.

Don’t Try to Give Excuses

Last but certainly not least, avoid trying to offer excuses for your driving; honesty really is the best policy when it comes to avoiding a traffic citation. If the officer asks, “do you know why I pulled you over?” and you know you were speeding, admit to it. Don’t try to offer excuses, such as “I was just keeping up with the flow of traffic” or, even worse, “I just wanted to get home.”

Believe it or not, honesty goes a long way with most officers. If you’re willing to own up to your mistake, there’s a pretty good chance you’re not going to get a ticket—assuming you weren’t going double the speed limit or engaging in seriously reckless driving.

Of course, the best way to avoid a traffic citation is always to obey laws while behind the wheel, but everybody makes mistakes, and these tips can be useful for those situations. For more information on traffic safety or to become a safer driver, consider enrolling in an online traffic course.

There’s nothing worse than seeing those flashing lights in your rearview mirror and knowing they’re directed at you. As you pull over, however, it’s important that you handle the situation properly. In some cases, the officer might be pulling you over to warn you of something minor: a tail light out, late registration, or some other minor issue with your vehicle, for example. In others, the way you behave may influence whether the officer gives you a ticket or lets you go — or at least reduces the severity of the violation you’re given. If you’re pulled over, make sure you do these five things to reduce the severity of your citation or even get you a warning instead of a traffic ticket.

1. Carefully Choose Where You Stop

It might not matter to you where you stop, but it does matter to the officer. Many police officers die every year as a result of roadside accidents. When you’ve been pulled over, don’t just pull off the road immediately — especially if it has a narrow shoulder or little room for your vehicle, much less for the officer to stand between it and the road. Instead, put on your turn signal or hazards to signal to the officer that you intend to comply. Then, find a wide, safe area if at all possible. You don’t want to keep driving indefinitely — pulling off the road quickly is advised — but you can choose a safer location for the officer.

2. Prepare and Make Yourself Visible

Many officers are all too aware of the hazards associated with pulling over the wrong person. Shut off the vehicle and any music. Make yourself highly visible, ideally by turning on the light inside the car, to make the officer more comfortable and let him or her know that you’re not scrambling to take care of something else, like hiding contraband or getting out a weapon.

3. Roll Down Your Window as They Come to the Car

Rolling down your window is the easiest way for you to communicate with the officer. If possible, roll down your window while they’re on their way to you so that when they get there, they’ll be able to speak with you easily. If for some reason you aren’t able to roll down the window — a broken automatic window system, for example — make sure that you communicate this clearly to the officer when they arrive at the door. Don’t make a move to open the door or do anything else unless you’re told to.

4. Don’t Reach for Anything

When you pull your car off of the road, place your hands on the steering wheel in easy sight rather than immediately reaching for your glove box, purse, or wallet. Keep them there, without reaching for anything, until the officer tells you to do so. This helps increase the officer’s confidence and sense of safety. Once they’ve told you to get out your license and proof of insurance, you should inform the officer of where you keep those items and confirm with the officer that you intend to reach for those items. Once the officer has verbally confirmed that he or she knows what you are doing, then you can feel free to go after those items. Immediately place your hands back on the steering wheel once you have handed your information to the officer.

5. Be Polite

There are plenty of tactics that supposedly get you out of a ticket: crying or flirting with women, for example. When it comes right down to it, however, being polite to the officer when they pull you over is much more effective. Be respectful, follow instructions, and mind your manners. Avoid the urge most people have to ramble when they are nervous. Answer in simple yes or no answers and don’t make excuses or offer up lengthy statements about why you “weren’t doing anything wrong.” Ultimately, this will go much further in keeping you out of trouble than any tactic you can attempt — especially since the success of the tactic will depend on the officer in question.

When you observe traffic laws and keep your car in working order, getting pulled over is a rare occurrence. Even the best drivers, however, occasionally miss an important traffic rule: they’ll find themselves speeding when they thought they were observing the speed limit, sail through a stop sign, or fail to yield in the appropriate space. When you do get pulled over, following these key steps will help the traffic stop move more smoothly.

trafficschoolonline-dev.plume.co.uk/

The pioneer in online driver improvement with over 1 million satisfied graduates … since 1998.

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trafficschoolonline-dev.plume.co.uk/

The pioneer in online driver improvement with over 1 million satisfied graduates … since 1998.

Find out more now!

If you’ve received a traffic citation in the state of Arizona, you should be aware that there are two completely different types of “traffic schools”, and that there are big differences between the two. Depending on the type of violation you committed, or the type of citation you received, you may be required to attend a class, or you may be given the option to attend a class in exchange for dismissal of your violation.

So, what’s the difference? The short answer is that Traffic Survival School is required, and Defensive Driving is usually optional, though there are some exceptions. You may be required to attend Traffic Survival School if you received a ticket some time ago, and have already had points assessed against your driving record. If you receive a letter from the MVD stating that you must complete a Traffic Survival School program, this is not optional — you must comply, or else risk having the MVD suspend your driver’s license. Defensive Driving is a court diversion program commonly offered to drivers who have received a traffic citation but have not yet been convicted of a violation. In most cases, when you receive a traffic ticket in Arizona, you can choose to attend a Defensive Driving program, whereby upon completion, points will not be assessed to your driving record. Be aware that even if you do not elect to attend Defensive Driving, in some cases, a judge may require you to attend Defensive Driving or Traffic Survival School.

Differences in Course Material and Delivery

There are a few key differences in the rules and curriculum for a Traffic Survival School versus a Defensive Driving School. It is for this reason that the two are not interchangeable. If you accidentally take Defensive Driving when you should have taken Traffic Survival, your completion certificate will not be accepted, and you’ll end up having to enroll with another school and complete the correct type of course in order to remain licensed.

Defensive Driving courses are intended to be 4 – 4 ½ hours long and may be taken either online or in person. The lessons will cover Arizona traffic laws and basic safe driving practices. Defensive Driving is known as a “court diversion” program because (most commonly) the people who take it are doing so to have their violation dismissed and thereby diverted from a conviction.

Traffic Survival School is a slightly more in-depth program. The classes are intended to be 8 hours long, and may only be taken in-person. Online courses are not permitted. This should be a red flag to anyone searching online for an approved Traffic Survival School — if the course itself is conducted via the Internet, it will not satisfy the requirements. Even if you live out of state, you will not be allowed to take the course online. The Traffic Survival School Administration gives detailed instructions for those who live out-of-state, but the requirement to attend a class in person remains the same.

Determining Which Class To Take

In the majority of cases, you will have received some kind of written documentation or notification that clearly states either “Traffic Survival School” or “Defensive Driving”. If you received a letter from the MVD, a court order, or other documentation from the court, give it a thorough read-through and you’ll likely find that the required class type is indicated. Many times a list of schools is provided as well. If you’re given a list of approved schools from an official source, it’s a safe bet to stick to that list.

If you are unable to find a clear indication of which type of class to take, call the court that is handling your citation and inquire.

Am I eligible to take Defensive Driving?

Your eligibility to attend Defensive Driving will depend on several factors, including the severity and/or type of violation committed. Drivers who were issued a citation for involvement in a collision that resulted in serious injury or death are not eligible. The Arizona Supreme Court provides a list of eligible violation codes, to which you can compare the violation code shown on your citation. In some cases, the citation may show more than one violation code. This means that you were cited for more than one violation. The Defensive Driving Court diversion program may be used to dismiss only one violation in a 12-month period, so only one of the violations can be dismissed, while the other will go on your record.

Of course, if you have attended Defensive Driving in the past 12 months for a completely different citation, you wouldn’t be eligible to attend again within that 12-month timeframe. The state of Arizona uses the citation dates to gauge the eligibility time period, meaning that when you take a Defensive Driving course for a violation, you are not eligible to do so again unless the citation date of the second violation is at least 1 year from the citation date of the first violation.

There are also restrictions for commercial drivers. Commercial driver’s license holders who were cited while driving a vehicle that requires a CDL are not eligible to attend Defensive Driving.

Why am I being required to complete Traffic Survival School?

Traffic Survival School is intended as both a penalty and a corrective measure for drivers who have committed severe and/or frequent traffic violations. There are a variety of circumstances or violations that may cause the Arizona MVD (or an individual judge) to require your attendance, including:

  • Red light violation
  • DUI
  • Aggressive driving
  • If you have 8 – 12 points against your license within a 12-month period
  • If you have a graduated driver’s license (drivers 18 or younger) and receive a traffic conviction

The state of Arizona takes a hard-line approach about serious or repeat traffic violators, which is why they will require this more extensive type of program in those cases. The idea is to educate drivers so that they’ll be less likely to commit a violation in the future, and Arizona roads will be that much safer for all of us.

Still not sure which Arizona traffic school course is right for you? Feel free to leave us a comment or contact us with your questions. 

 

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If you get hit with a violation while away from your home state, you can expect it to follow you home nine times out of ten. And if you move between states while you’re carrying points on your license, they’ll usually transfer over according to the terms of the Interstate Compact Act.

Interstate Compacts And Changing Residency

Most of the states have opted into a set of compacts that require them to share DMV information. When you change your residency from one member state to another, your points will follow you if the new state has a points system.

You may not end up with an identical amount of points, however. The points will be re-assessed according to your new state’s rules, based on what they assess for the violation that you committed in the old state.

How States Share Violation Information

Each set of states has to have a formal agreement in place stipulating that they’ll voluntarily submit information about traffic violations and convictions to each other. Before the 1960s, that meant that motorists could sometimes get away with ducking out of a ticket or court appearance if they were pulled over while outside of their state of residence, as not all of the states had clear agreements in place with each other.

That situation began to change in 1960 when the Driver License Compact was created. This is a set of laws that states can opt into, ensuring that information about traffic violations would be shared between them. By the 1990s, the vast majority of the states had opted in. As of 2016, only five states have held out of the Driver License Compact: Massachusetts, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Tennessee. States that have opted in are required to assess their native penalty for out-of-state violations if they have an equivalent law on the books. This means that if you get a speeding ticket in another state, you’ll be assessed for the amount of points that a similar speeding offense would get you in your home state — not the amount that the state you were visiting requires.

The Driver License Compact is not the only agreement between the states, however. It has also largely been paired with the Non-Resident Violator Compact. This agreement stipulates that if you are cited in a member state other than your own and don’t pay your ticket, your home state is allowed to suspend your license. There are certain offenses that this agreement does not apply to, however. Parking violations, exceeding weight limits, and registration issues are not included. These will remain on the books in the state you are cited in, but will not be passed on to your home state. Most states are currently members of this compact, but there are a few holdouts, and in most cases, they differ from the states that have opted out of the Driver License Compact: Alaska, California, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Michigan and Wisconsin have opted out of both the Driver License Compact and the Non-Resident Violator Compact.

A new compact called the Driver License Agreement has been proposed to unify and revise the terms of these two agreements. This compact would expand the terms of the Non-Resident Violator Compact to include things like parking and registration offenses. Thus far, however, adoption of this compact has been very slow. At present, only Arkansas, Connecticut, and Massachusetts have adopted it.

So what if you live in a state that doesn’t have one of these compacts? Or Michigan and Wisconsin, which subscribe to none of them? You’re still not entirely out of hot water. These compacts only mandate that member states report violations to each other. States will very often report violations of this nature to each other as a courtesy even if they aren’t required to. If that happens, even if your state doesn’t have a formal agreement in place with the reporting state, they may still assess your points.

States Without Point Systems

There are nine states that don’t have any sort of point system, but nearly all of them are members of the compacts described above.

If you’re moving from a state without a point system to a state that has one, the new state will usually look at your previous traffic violations and assess points based on its own internal rules.

Ever wonder what type of car gets the most tickets? Well, there’s a verified answer! Both Forbes and insure.com have released a list. The winners (er, losers) are:

  1. Mercedes-Benz SL-class
  2. Toyota Camry Solara
  3. Scion TC
  4. Hummer H2/H3
  5. Scion XB
  6. Mercedes-Benz CLS-63 AMG
  7. Acura Integra
  8. Pontiac Grand Prix
  9. Mercedes-Benz CLK 63 AMG
  10. Volkswagen GTI

The Data Behind the List

Not only do these cars rack up more tickets, they rack up a lot more tickets. The driver of the #1 car on this list, the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, a convertible, was more than 4 times as likely to be issued a ticket than the standard car on the road.

The driver of the #2 car, the Toyota Camry Solara, a coupe, was almost as ticket-prone: they were more than 3.5 times likely to be pulled over. And #3 was not far behind; they got tickets 3.4 times more than Joe or Josephine Average Car.

It is not until you hit the #4 car on the list, the Hummer SUV, that the driver is only (only) 2.9 times more likely to receive a ticket for rolling magisterially down the road. And #5, the Scion XB? 2.7 times more likely.

These data were crunched by a firm that analyzes data for the insurance industry. They toted up how many tickets each car on the road in the U.S. got per 100,000 miles driven. They then figured out which vehicles had the highest number of tickets.

Color Makes Little Difference—And Red Isn’t Frequently Ticketed

So these results come with a lot of data backing them. For one thing, they knock several enduring myths out of the box. The first is that color matters. Do red cars get more tickets? No. They account for 16% of tickets and 14% of cars on the road, and those percentages are pretty equally matched.

The color most often pulled over? Good old solid gray. They constitute 6% of cars total, but get 10% of tickets.

The safest colors? White, which accounts for 25% of the total car population, receive 19% of the tickets, less than they should if all were proportional. Silver, which hits 10% of total cars on the road, was issued just 5% of all tickets. The theory is, that the police may not notice white or silver cars as much.

Younger Men Don’t Get More Tickets

The data also show that the common perception that young men get more tickets than other Americans is a misperception. The top ticketed cars were often driven by more women than men—and middle age was frequent among the winners of the most-ticketed sweepstakes.

Take, for example, the #1 Mercedes. Those drivers are 41% men and nearly 60% female, and the average age of both genders is 53. The #2 Camry Solara is driven by 38% men and 62% women, and the average age is 50.

The #3 car, the Scion TC, does swing younger—the average age is 30—but again, far more women than men drive it, at 39% versus 61%. And the Hummer? It’s the only one of the top 5 with significantly more men, at 73%. Women drive just 27% of Hummers, and the average age of all its drivers is 46. The Scion xB gender breakdown is 40%/60%, with more women, and the average age is 37.

Officials believe that people who like more powerful cars, of both genders, are likely to exert control—and may push speeds and traffic regulations as a result. The rise in women reflects the rise in women being more in control in life generally.

It’s Safe Driving That Matters

Perhaps the most trenchant phrase that matters is this one from insurance.com: “It’s the driver, not the car, who creates dangerous situations – and receives tickets.” The frequency of ticketing reflects the behavior of their drivers. People who want to hear their Mercedes purr or their Hummer roar are acting in ways that cause them to be pulled over—speeding ignoring traffic conditions or running lights.

The corollary? Drivers who pay attention to the speed limit, drive safely according to traffic conditions, and follow traffic rules and regulations are going to be okay—no matter what car they drive.

Getting traffic citations is never fun, but it can be particularly serious for teens. A citation can show you that your teen is not a responsible driver and could be a sign that your teen is in danger. But, taking the right steps after your teen gets a traffic citation can help.

Hire a Lawyer

First of all, you might want to hire a lawyer to help with your teen’s case. Even minor speeding tickets can be a big deal. In some states, your teen might not be able to graduate to the next level of a graduated driver’s license if there is a conviction. Plus, you have to worry about already-high teen insurance rates being even higher. In the end, it could be cheaper to hire a lawyer to help with the situation.

Have Your Teen Take a Driving Course

Consider having your teen take a driving course. There are online options that he or she can take. That way, the course won’t get in the way of school, homework, or your teen’s part-time job. Along with brushing up on the rules with your teen, this could be a good way to have the ticket reduced or dismissed. But every situation is different, so you will need to talk to your lawyer about this.

Check Your Teen’s Driving Habits

There are apps out there that you can use to track your teen’s driving habits. This might be a good idea if you are now worried about your teen’s safety. This could help to encourage him or her to slow down and pay attention.

Or, you might want to restrict your teen’s driving until he or she is ready to be a responsible driver. You may want to take away your teen’s car or restrict his or her driving to certain places, such as school.

Lead By Example

If you get frequent tickets, you can’t expect your teen to consider a traffic citation to be a big deal. The old motto that says, “Do as I say, and not as I do” doesn’t work well when it comes to driving. If your teen sees you speeding, texting, or playing with the radio, he or she is going to see this as normal behavior.

Consider taking a driving course yourself to show your teen that you are never too old or too experienced to brush up on your driving skills. When you are driving — both with or without your teen in the car — get in the habit of following the laws. It is safer, and it’ll set forth a good example for your teen driver.

Have a Conversation

Sit down and talk to your teen about the dangers of speeding and breaking other driving laws. Make sure that he or she knows that it isn’t about avoiding getting a ticket or being strict for no reason. Following the driving laws is important for everyone so all drivers are safe when they are on the road. Talk to your teen about it so that he or she will understand the importance of being a serious driver.

Realizing that your teen has gotten a traffic citation can be upsetting and infuriating. Luckily, following these steps afterward can help you make the best out of a bad situation.

Erase your traffic ticket fast and easy with America’s #1 Traffic School course.

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There are plenty of reasons why you might not want to pay your red light camera ticket. Maybe you object to red light cameras on principle, maybe you don’t think you really ran the red light, or maybe you just object to handing over your hard-earned money.

If you got your ticket in Texas, you might have more options than you think.

Before you get out your credit card or checkbook, think through these questions to make sure you have to pay that ticket.

If I don’t pay, will the debt be sent to collections?

Yes. Your unpaid red light camera fine will eventually be sent to a collection agency, and you may begin receiving collections calls.

If that sounds like too much hassle, you might consider just paying for the ticket.

If not, read on!

Will the ticket show up on my driving record?

No. By state law, unpaid red light camera tickets cannot be reported on the vehicle owner’s driving record and an arrest warrant cannot be issued.

Will I be able to renew my vehicle registration?

If you fail to pay your ticket, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles or your local county assessor-collector can refuse to register the vehicle allegedly involved in the violation. This is known as a “scofflaw block.”

If you try to renew online directly through the DMV, your registration will be blocked. But if you go to the county assessor-collector office in person, you might be in luck. It’s up to each county to decide whether to enforce a scofflaw block. Some counties have decided that it’s just not worth the extra time and hassle to force drivers to pay their fines to cities.

According to the website TrashYourTicket.com, the following counties do not block vehicle registrations for outstanding red light camera tickets:

  • Calhoun
  • Chambers
  • Galveston
  • Harris
  • Potter
  • Tarrant

Will the unpaid debt hurt my credit?

State law says that unpaid red light camera tickets cannot be reported to a credit bureau. But depending on when the city where you received your ticket started its red light camera program, you could still be on the hook.

The statewide law regulating red light cameras took effect in 2007. According to The Dallas Morning News, any city that had a red light camera contract before 2007 is grandfathered and may report unpaid fines to a credit bureau.

If you got your ticket in one of the following cities, failing to pay will mean a hit to your credit score:

  • Dallas
  • Arlington
  • Cedar Hill
  • Coppell
  • Denton
  • DeSoto
  • Duncanville
  • Farmers Branch
  • Frisco
  • Garland
  • Houston
  • Irving
  • Plano
  • Richardson
  • Rowlett
  • University Park

Please note that this may not be a complete list – make sure to check when your city’s program started before deciding not to pay!

What if the city already ended the program?

Several cities in Texas have voted to end their red light camera programs, but that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for a ticket you received while they were in effect.

Cities may still collect fines for violations that were caught by the cameras. Houston, which ended its program in 2010, still collects fines and advises that no statute of limitations would bar the city from collecting the debt.

Make sure to find out the situation in the city where you received your ticket.

What are my other options?

If you want to fight or contest the ticket, follow the directions listed on the ticket to request this option from your court.

Don’t assume that because the violation was issued by a camera no one will be there to oppose you. According to Texas police departments, an officer reviews the footage of each violation and signs off before a ticket is issued. Be prepared to present your case, or consider hiring an attorney.

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In our recent post on how to avoid running red lights, we left out one major factor affecting intersections in 24 states and Washington, DC – the red light camera.

Getting a ticket from an automated camera is frustrating. You see that telltale flash go off when you squeak through the intersection at the end of the light cycle, and then you have to spend at least a few days dreading having a ticket actually show up in your mailbox.

Once it does, you may think you’re stuck with it. But before you pay up, read through this post – you may have more options than you think!

Make Sure it’s a Real Ticket

Take a good look at the document you received in the mail, and carefully read what it’s asking you to do.

“Snitch” Tickets

Anti-photo enforcement website HighwayRobbery.net has reported that fake tickets, also known as “snitch” tickets, are used by many California cities, as well as some locations in Arizona and possibly in other states. If you’ve got a fake ticket, it may instruct you not to contact the court, or be missing court contact information entirely. In California, snitch tickets are now required to say “Courtesy Notice: This Is Not A Ticket” at the top of the page.

According to HighwayRobbery.net, these fake tickets are sent out when the red light camera photos aren’t clear enough to issue a real ticket. You aren’t actually required to respond to them, but the red light camera company and the police department are hoping you will. Once you admit you were the driver, or name the person who was, a real ticket would be issued.

Real Tickets

Failing to respond to a real ticket on time has serious consequences, which may include additional fines and license suspension. Real tickets should list the name of the court, and include a date by which you’re required to respond. In California, the court system keeps a consistent look for its tickets. You can also confirm it’s real by locating it in your court’s case lookup system, but keep in mind that if you can’t find it, it may still be a real ticket that just hasn’t been filed with the court yet.

Once you’ve made sure it’s a real ticket, follow the instructions for how to respond, and make sure to do it by the due date or appearance date indicated on the ticket.

Typically, you’ll see options to pay the fine, fight the ticket, or name the actual driver if it wasn’t you behind the wheel, but exactly how each of these options works is different in each state, so keep reading!

“Owner Responsibility” States

Many states treat red light camera tickets as sort of like parking violations. Responsibility is automatically pinned on the registered owner of the vehicle, and you have to pay a fine, but no points will appear on your license.

Be aware that the possible penalties may change if you fail to respond or if you contest the ticket, so make sure you clearly understand all of your options before proceeding.

If you weren’t the one driving your car, you may also be able to submit an affidavit describing the circumstances and naming the actual driver.

Arizona and California – “Driver Responsibility” States

Notable exceptions are Arizona and California, where tickets issued by red light cameras have the same penalties as tickets issued by an officer – fines and points on your driving record.

What if someone else was driving my car?

Since the driver is responsible for the violation, the photos have to clearly identify not just the vehicle, but the driver as well. If it’s not you in the pictures, the easiest thing to do is fill out the form included with your citation providing the name and contact information of the actual driver. This will cause the ticket to be re-issued in the driver’s name, mailed to them directly, and you’ll be done with it.

If that doesn’t sound so good to you, HighwayRobbery.net has reported that some California vehicle owners have been able to get their tickets dismissed at the police station or in court without identifying the real driver. This will likely require more effort and preparation on your part, and it may be beneficial to consult a lawyer for advice or representation before proceeding.

Can I take traffic school or defensive driving school?

Yes, if you received a red light camera ticket in Arizona or California, you may have the option to take traffic school. The procedure and eligibility requirements are different for each state, so make sure to check out our Arizona and California FAQ pages before you enroll.

Fighting a Ticket

If you don’t think the ticket was justified, you can consider contesting, or “fighting” the ticket. The following questions may help you start thinking about whether this is the right option for you:

  • Is it clearly you in the photo?
  • Was the yellow light long enough to meet your state’s minimum requirements?
  • Were any signs required by your state posted, and were they large enough?
  • Was your ticket delivered to you within the time frame allowed by your state’s laws?
  • Is your ticket missing any information required by your state?

You may want to contact a lawyer to help you decide how to proceed.

Always make sure you understand what the penalties may be if you lose your case. For example, if you contest a ticket you received in California, it’s up to the judge whether to offer you the option of taking traffic school.

Special Case: Los Angeles County, California

The Los Angeles County Superior Court decided several years ago to stop notifying the DMV when drivers fail to respond to red light camera tickets. The court’s reasoning is that since drivers don’t sign camera tickets like they would if they received it from an officer, it can’t be proven that they actually received the ticket and promised to appear.

While the City of Los Angeles deactivated its red light cameras in 2011 and formally stopped collecting fines for unpaid tickets in 2012, red light camera programs in other cities within the county are still issuing tickets.

According to the LA Weekly (2014), this weird legal situation has made it possible to ignore tickets that were issued by a Los Angeles County law enforcement agency for a location within the county, as long as you never contact the court acknowledging that you received the ticket. That includes discussing the ticket with a court clerk, whether over the phone or in person and even includes looking up your ticket online. If you’ve done any of these things, you’re out of luck – you’ve acknowledged your ticket, and the court will report it to the DMV if you fail to respond.

But is ignoring the ticket even worth the trouble? The LA Weekly reports that you’ll definitely receive a lot of “scary mail,” including notices from the court and eventually letters from a collection agency. And it’s not yet clear what the consequences will be down the line – for example, if you end up having to appear in court for any other reason, the judge will be able to see your unpaid ticket.

If you don’t want to worry about deliberately ignoring the ticket, taking traffic school is an easy way to put that ticket behind you without having points appear on your record.

Looking For More Information?

If red light camera systems are sounding a little shady to you, you’re not alone – since we thought so too, we kept looking! Check back for our next post answering even more of your red light camera questions, including where in the country you need to watch out for cameras, and why some cities are getting rid of their camera systems.