Top 10 Reasons Why Red Light Camera Tickets Are Not Enforced

Depending on the state, county or province, the laws regarding red light camera ticket citations are different. Some red light camera ticket photos can't be used or enforced for different reasons. These are the top 10 reasons for the tickets not being enforced:

1) Both images do not show vehicle through intersection during the red light
2) Unreadable license plate due to glare, lighting or obstruction of license plate
3) No license plate or the dealer plate logo is showing from transfer of ownership
4) Out of State plates - Not sure about this one in every State?
5) Weather related image distortion due to rain, snow, dust or wind
6) Invalid or temporary license plates
7) No DMV match to the registered vehicle driver, some states only require photo of the vehicle
8) Traffic signal, camera, flash malfunction
9) Poor image quality or focus
10) The driver was not you and you may submit a Declaration of Non-liability.

As always we would appreciate here feedback about your experiences related to the enforcement of tickets due to these circumstances and any others we are missing. We are especially curious about #4) out of State plates and the enforcement of tickets.

Please do not consider any of the information on this page as legal representative advice to be used in any court of law. PhotoEnforced.com will not be held liable for any information in this article.

13 comments

Vincetastic // April 22, 2009

This is a really great top ten list. I was told that you can argue pretty much any of these because you can argue that the technology is not accurate, and it is basically true. You can post this to our site http://www.toptentopten.com/ and then link back to your site. We are looking for top ten lists and our users can track back to your site. The coolest feature is you can let other people vote on the rankings of your list.
Anonymous // April 24, 2009

Most of these reasons will work in Illinois because due process has been outlawed! Chicago alone collected, robbed and usurped over $50 Million in 2008. No point from which to argue case. If you appeal the $100 ticket they charge you $95 to do it and appear in County Court. They have a 99.5% win ratio and they're proud of it! Our only hope is to add one second to the yellows, like that's going to happen so we're enlisting the media from a safety point of view because car and pedestrian accidents are up at the camera intersections. Barnet NMA member
Anonymous // May 15, 2009

Does a warning sign need to be up in order to receive a ticket?
Anonymous // June 30, 2009

So if you have an out of state plate, will a red light ticket be issued to you, or mailed to you in that other state? anyone know?
Anonymous // September 10, 2009

out of state or out of country plates is interesting
so is rental cars.
corporate vehicles.
i suppose a database needs to be available but unlikely in those situations.
Anonymous // September 12, 2009

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1852&GAID=10&DocTypeID=SB&LegId=44709&SessionID=76&GA=96

This is smae thing but for speeding in IL. Senate right now.
Anonymous // October 11, 2009

How much is the cost for the ticket, if I had stopped a little over the white line, when the light was red, before making a right on red? - IL.
Anonymous // October 13, 2009

I received a photo enforced ticket in the mail showing me turning left on a red arrow...The car in front of me was turning left on the same red arrow....There was construction going on at that intersection at that time, but does not show in the photo's....Do I have a chance to fight this??I believe we were waved through the light due to construction.
Anonymous // October 13, 2009

Does a sign have to be up for it to be enforced?
Jeff Cohn // October 14, 2009

From what I have seen in California a warning sign must be posted before every Photo Enforced intersection.
SMPB // October 20, 2009

I just got a ticket. I was in the far right turn lane. I stopped at the red light while the only 2 cars on the road made their left turn and didn't make a U-Turn..and proceded to make the right turn. There is no sign at this intersection saying you can't make a right turn. It even says in the CA DMV handbook that this move is legal.

So is this ticket legal when I made a legal ticket? What's the best way to fight this?
Anonymous // October 22, 2009

I turned right on red, where no signs stated this wasn't allowed. I think the "right on red" needs to be taken into consideration when they issue these!
donhatton // March 01, 2011

About Warning Signs:
Each state has different requirements for signage, but everything I have seen indicates strict requirements for these notices. You will nbeed to look up the requirements for your particular state.

I am currently building a website for this very purpose, and you can check it out as it is developed. The URL is:www.FightTrafficCameraTickets.com

Please, feel free to contact me through the site to offer suggestionsw for information you'd like to see included.

Thanks!