Florida Red Light Cameras
You could be charged upwards of $150 if a Florida red light camera captures footage of your car running a red light.
A red light camera ticket in Florida could cost upwards of $150, so it’s important to know your options for fighting a citation.
Red light cameras capture video and photo evidence of traffic violations at city intersections. While red light cameras have been shown to reduce fatal car accidents, mistakes happen.
If you’ve received a red light camera ticket and suspect it’s a mistake, it’s important to know how to contest the citation. Fortunately,
car insurance
comparison app
Jerry
has put together a guide about everything you need to know about red light cameras in the Sunshine State (and how avoiding them could keep your
Florida car insurance costs
low).
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Are red light cameras legal in Florida?
Yes.
In 2018, the Florida Supreme Court ruled in
Jimenez v. State
that red light cameras are legal and may be used in the interest of public safety. Despite the ruling, not all counties and cities in Florida—like the city of Miami, for example—utilize red light cameras to issue citations, but many still do, including:
Always check with your city government to see if red light cameras are in operation in your hometown.
What should I do if I receive a red light camera ticket?
The minimum penalty for running a red light in Florida is $158
. If you don’t pay within 30 days after the first mailed notification, your fine will increase all the way to $277.
You have two choices if you receive a red light camera ticket in Florida: you can
pay the fine
or you can
contest the ticket.
Both approaches have advantages and drawbacks, so we’ll go over each one.
How to pay a red light camera ticket
If you’d rather avoid the hassle of fighting the ticket, you can pay the fine
online
,
by mail
, or
in person
at the address listed on the ticket. The good news is that if you pay on time and this is your
first red light camera ticket
, the violation
will not go on your driver’s record.
However, if you miss this deadline, not only will your fine increase, but you will also incur additional costs and three points on your license. Continuing to ignore the citation can result in the suspension of your license, even higher fines, plus the fee of
reinstating your driver’s license
.
How to fight a red light camera ticket
Before you pull out your checkbook or retrieve your credit card to pay the fine, consider whether or not you can successfully contest the ticket. The facts may be on your side! Below are five common ways to fight a red light camera ticket:
-
Request proof that the camera was functioning properly : If you can prove that the camera malfunctioned, you could get the ticket dismissed.
-
Prove that you were not the driver: If someone other than you was operating the vehicle when the violation occurred, you are not liable for the ticket.
-
Explain you were instructed to run the red light: Perhaps you were part of a funeral procession or a law enforcement officer directed you to pass through the light. If you can prove that this was the case, your ticket may be dismissed.
-
Argue that you ran the red light in order to avoid greater harm : Sometimes it’s necessary to run a red light to prevent an accident or to make way for an emergency vehicle.
-
You were making a right turn: Red light camera tickets generally can't be issued in Florida if you turnright on redin a "careful and prudent" manner.
If you can afford to hire an attorney, it could increase the chances of your ticket being dismissed, but always factor in the cost of legal assistance versus the amount of the fine.
Gather your evidence carefully and assemble witnesses if possible before trying to fight a red light camera ticket.
How does a red light camera work?
The sensors in traffic lights are used by red light cameras to
capture photo and video footage
of vehicles that enter an intersection once the light has turned red. If you go run a red light in at an intersection with a red light camera, the system will photograph your vehicle and record your
license plate number
along with the following information:
Nearly all red light cameras are owned by
third-party companies
who send the footage and data from the camera to the respective law enforcement agency. Red light camera tickets are then mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. The notice that comes in the mail must include the date, time, and location of the violation and copies of the photographs.
A 2019 study by the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
found that
red light cameras reduced fatal crashes
at intersections in major cities by
14%
. Due to this success rate, many states allow cities to utilize red light cameras for traffic enforcement.
How to find affordable car insurance in Florida
Fortunately, in Florida, if you pay your red light camera ticket on time or have only ever received one citation, it will not go on your record. If that’s not the case for you, then your insurance will likely go up. But with help from
Jerry
, you can keep your costs down!
Download our
trusted quote comparison app
, answer a few questions, and you’ll have competitive quotes from 50+ top insurance companies within 45 seconds. Jerry will find the lowest available rate and handle all the paperwork. Jerry users save an average of $73 a month on car insurance!
“I have a really bad record, so all of my previous insurance quotes were pretty high. I started usingJerryand the fantastic app saved me $130 a month on my insurance.” —Jett A.
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