Communities in and around Seminole County, including Lake Mary and Casselbury, have either adopted or are considering installing red light cameras as part of their traffic safety programs. Have you received a red light notice of violation and wondered what happens if you don’t pay red light camera tickets? The answer is simple: nothing good.
Just because you get a red light camera ticket doesn’t mean you necessarily must pay it. You may not need to pay any fine or fee if you have a valid justification.
However, you must still take action within the time allotted, or else you could lose the opportunity to challenge your ticket. There can be a negative impact on a driving record for camera tickets that aren’t addressed in a timely manner.
Hiring an experienced Seminole County camera ticket attorney immediately after receiving a notice in the mail can help ensure you don’t lose your right to contest your ticket.
How Red Light Camera Enforcement Works in Seminole County
Before discussing what happens if you don’t pay a red light camera ticket in Seminole County, understanding traffic camera tickets in general can be helpful. These devices are stationary cameras placed at certain high-volume or high-risk intersections in towns and cities that have decided to use them.
When a traffic signal at one of these intersections changes from a yellow light to a red light, the camera takes a photo or video of the rear license plate of vehicles that enter the intersection illegally. The purpose of these images is to identify the vehicle and document the red light violation.
Before a notice of violation is issued, a law enforcement officer will review the images to verify that they show the vehicle running the red light. The officer will then mail a red light camera ticket to the registered owner of the vehicle.
You generally have 60 days from the notice issuance date to either pay the fine noted on the ticket or request a hearing. If you ask for a hearing, you or your attorney can present evidence challenging the allegation that you unlawfully ran a red light.
Know Your Options if You’ve Received a Citation
You have options when you receive a red light camera ticket in the mail, but only if you act promptly. The consequences of ignoring red light camera tickets can be serious and go beyond merely paying a late fee.
Here’s how you can proceed:
Pay the Fine
One option is to simply pay the fine and any applicable fees indicated on the ticket.
By addressing the red light ticket before the due date, you’ll avoid any increased penalties and consequences that come from failing to pay. However, paying the fine is a tacit admission of responsibility, and your insurer could take this into account when setting your premiums and other insurance costs in the future.
Contest the Ticket
If you think the red light camera ticket is unfair, you have 60 days from the date it was issued to request a hearing.
At this proceeding, you or your attorney can enter a not-guilty plea to the alleged violation. The judge would then set a court date for a subsequent hearing. There, you and your Seminole County red light ticket defense attorney can challenge the ticket and raise any defenses you may have.
Contesting a red light camera ticket in Florida may seem like more of a hassle than it’s worth. However, when you consider the potential impact on your insurance and other possible consequences of failing to pay, disputing the ticket may be the best course of action.
What Happens if You Ignore a Red Light Camera Ticket in Seminole County?
If you don’t pay the red light camera ticket or request a hearing within the time allotted, a series of negative consequences can follow. First, a formal traffic citation will be filed against you, and you’ll be required to appear in court.
Neglecting to pay or failing to appear (FTA) for a red light camera ticket in Florida can cost you in both the short and long term. There are increased fines for unpaid camera citations. Whereas a red light camera notice of violation typically costs $158, a formal citation can cost upwards of $264.
After some time, the fine you owe can be turned over to a collection agency. The collection and credit impact of camera tickets could create additional challenges for you. Not only can the collection account be listed on your credit report, but it can stay on your report for up to seven years.
One question many Seminole County residents have about unpaid camera tickets is, “Can they suspend a license for unpaid tickets?” The answer is yes — if your formal citation remains unpaid and no hearing has been scheduled after 90 days, the State of Florida can take action to suspend your driving privileges.
How to Challenge a Red Light Camera Ticket Effectively
You’ve decided to fight your red light camera ticket, but you’re not sure how to do so. To have the best chance of success with your defense, keep the following tips in mind:
File Your Request for a Hearing Promptly
You might have a solid defense to your red light ticket, but that defense won’t help you if you don’t first contest the notice. You should file your request for a hearing as soon as you decide you want to dispute the ticket. Remember, you may have as few as 60 days to register an objection and contest the violation notice.
Determine the Grounds for Your Defense
Challenging a ticket because you think it’s “unfair” isn’t a winning strategy. Instead, you’ll need evidence showing that the violation is legally or factually unsupported. Possible grounds for challenging a red light ticket include:
- The car photographed wasn’t your vehicle
- The photograph or video provided doesn’t show a traffic violation
- There’s a discrepancy between where the notice alleges the violation occurred and where the photograph was taken
- You weren’t the person driving your vehicle at the time of the violation
- The traffic signal was malfunctioning in some way
Knowing how you’re going to contest your ticket will help focus on the next crucial task: collecting evidence.
Gather Evidence
You’ll want to gather as much evidence about the violation and the surrounding circumstances as possible. This includes all photographs and videos of the alleged violation that city officials may have.
Make sure you know who the police officer was who signed off on the notice, especially if there are gaps between the facts alleged in the notice and the actual circumstances.
You may also need additional evidence to support your defense against the violation.
For example, if someone else were driving your car, you’d need a signed and notarized affidavit from that person. Similarly, if you have reason to believe that the traffic light was malfunctioning, you would want to obtain maintenance records and other information about the light.
Appear in Court
All of the work that preparing a defense entails will be wasted if you don’t appear in court when your hearing is scheduled. Make sure to write down the precise date and time of the hearing. If you aren’t familiar with the area where it’s being held, get directions before the trial date.
Be prepared to present your evidence in court for the judge to consider. If you intend to have witnesses provide statements, make sure they have the hearing information before your trial date and know when to appear.
Work With an Attorney
Fighting a red light ticket can involve complicated legal issues that many people might not know how to handle. If any of these steps sound overwhelming, don’t be discouraged. Reach out to a qualified attorney to get the guidance and advocacy you need as you prepare to contest your violation.
Steps to Prevent Escalating Penalties
Whether you choose to contest the red light camera ticket or not, acting quickly once you receive a red light camera ticket is essential for avoiding increased fines and penalties. Here’s a step-by-step guide for how to do so:
Keep Your Address Current With the State
Confirm that the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) has your current mailing address on record. If you’re issued a red light notice of violation, it and any accompanying paperwork will be mailed to the most recent address the state has on file for you.
If your address isn’t current in the state’s system, you could miss one or more red light camera notices and face additional penalties, even if you never actually received the notice. Undoing these consequences is more costly and time-consuming than keeping the FLHSMV advised of your current address.
Check Your Mail Regularly
A Notice of Violation from a red light camera will arrive in the mail, so make sure you’re checking your mailbox regularly. Otherwise, a notice could go unseen and unaddressed for days or weeks, increasing the risk that you might inadvertently forget to pay or contest it.
Review the Notice and Supporting Documentation
Suppose that you receive a red light camera violation notice in the mail. One of the first things you should do is review the notice and any photographs or other evidence it contains. Before paying the ticket, ask yourself:
- Is the vehicle depicted in the photograph mine?
- Does the citation accurately list my name and the vehicle I drive?
- Was I present where and when the violation is alleged to have occurred?
- Did I let someone use my car around the time of the alleged violation?
- Do the photographs provided clearly show my vehicle and license plate?
After ascertaining that the notice accurately refers to a demonstrable violation, you can then determine how to address it.
Read the Instructions and Take Action
The notice will include instructions on how to pay or dispute camera tickets online, by mail, or in person. Decide how to respond to the notice and take action sooner rather than later. Hiring an experienced Seminole County traffic defense lawyer can help you take prompt, effective action if you elect to fight the notice.
Keep All Records
Whether you pay the ticket or contest it, it’s a good idea to keep all correspondence and receipts relating to the ticket somewhere safe. Having these items readily available could be the key to resolving questions about whether you paid or contested your ticket on time.
Why Legal Support Matters
Ignoring a red light camera ticket can lead to fines and other consequences. However, paying the fine for a red light violation when you haven’t actually broken the law is an equally poor decision. Not only would you be paying a fine for something you didn’t do, but you could face other repercussions in the form of higher insurance premiums.
Knowing when and how to challenge a red light ticket is critical for avoiding unnecessary penalties. Private citizens may lack the confidence or legal background to understand how best to navigate their cases. That’s why retaining knowledgeable legal counsel is so important.
An experienced attorney will be familiar with state law and the policies of local governments and can provide much-needed representation and assistance, including:
- Reviewing your notice and supporting evidence
- Advising you on the defenses you have available to you
- Filing your request for a hearing within the appropriate timeframe
- Helping you gather evidence and find witnesses to challenge the prosecution’s evidence
- Advocating for you in court
- Presenting your case at your hearing and making legally and factually sound arguments
Your lawyer’s intervention can relieve any anxiety or stress you might be feeling about your situation. You can be confident you’re making an informed decision about how best to respond to your traffic camera tickets.
Turn to The Ticket Fighter Law Firm for Help With Your Red Light Camera Violation
If you’ve received a notice of violation in the mail claiming that you ran a red light, you can’t afford not to take action.
Contact The Ticket Fighter Law Firm and schedule a free consultation as soon as possible. Our capable team of attorneys and support staff can help you understand your legal options and figure out the best way to handle a red light camera ticket.
When you retain our services, you can rest easy knowing you’re being represented by a seasoned traffic ticket lawyer in Seminole County, FL. We’ll always keep you informed about the progress of your case as we work toward a favorable resolution.
Reach out today to talk to a traffic ticket defense attorney if you’ve received a notice about a red light camera violation in Lake Mary or elsewhere in Seminole County.