Red light camera tickets can be annoying and expensive to deal with. You may be tempted to ignore them, especially if you feel the ticket was unjustified. However, not paying a red light camera ticket can lead to serious consequences in California. Ignoring the ticket will not make it go away. Here’s a quick overview of what can happen if you fail to pay a red light camera citation in California:
– Late fees and other additional costs will be added to the original fine amount. The cost of a ticket will increase significantly if not paid on time.
– The DMV may place a hold on renewing your driver’s license until the ticket is paid off.
– Your car registration may be suspended until you pay the ticket.
– A failure to appear or failure to pay charge may be added.
– Your credit score may be negatively impacted.
– Civil assessment fees may be added if the case is referred to a collection agency.
– A bench warrant may be issued for your arrest.
As you can see, not paying a red light camera ticket can snowball into large financial burdens and other consequences. So it’s essential to take these tickets seriously and deal with them promptly. Here’s a more detailed look at what can happen.
Late Fees and Additional Costs
If you fail to pay a red light camera ticket in California by the due date, you will start accruing late fees and other additional costs. The fines for red light camera tickets in California typically range from $100 to $500, depending on the city. For example, in Los Angeles, the fine for running a red light is $485.
If this $485 ticket goes unpaid, late fees are added after the due date passes. The late fees are usually substantial, often equal to the initial fine amount. So that $485 ticket could quickly become $970 or more if you let it go unpaid for too long.
On top of late fees, you may be charged other fees like collection fees if the ticket is sent to collections. Additionally, the court charges its own administrative fees for overdue tickets. These can easily add hundreds more to the original fine amount.
So within a few months, you could owe several times the original ticket amount if you ignore the citation. Getting stuck with hefty late penalties can be avoided by simply paying the ticket or contesting it in court in a timely manner.
DMV Registration Hold
Another consequence of not paying a red light camera ticket in California is that the DMV may put a hold on renewing your vehicle’s registration. This means you won’t be able to renew your registration until the ticket is paid off.
Typically, the DMV is notified if you haven’t paid or contested a traffic citation within a certain time frame (usually 60 days from the ticket date). At that point, the DMV will suspend your registration renewal until you resolve the outstanding ticket.
Having an unpaid citation also places a hold on ordering duplicate registration cards or any other DMV services related to your driver’s license and vehicle registration.
If you are pulled over with an expired registration because of a hold due to an unpaid ticket, you could also be cited for driving with expired tags. Reinstating your registration will require paying off the original fine as well as any late penalties that have accrued.
Driver’s License Hold
In addition to holds on your car registration, an unpaid red light camera ticket can also result in the California DMV placing a hold on renewing your driver’s license.
Similar to how registration holds work, the DMV will be notified if you haven’t taken care of a traffic citation. At that point, they will suspend your eligibility to renew your license until you pay the ticket or contest it in court.
Being unable to renew your driver’s license can lead to driving with an invalid license if it expires. That can potentially lead to license suspension, fines, and other penalties if you are pulled over. Taking care of the original red light camera ticket is the only way to lift the hold on your license renewal.
Car Impound
If your vehicle registration expires because of an unpaid red light camera ticket hold, the DMV will notify law enforcement that your registration is not current. This greatly increases the chances of your vehicle being impounded if you are pulled over.
Police have the authority to impound any vehicle with expired tags, especially if they discover the reason is due to unpaid citations. You would be responsible for all impound and towing fees in addition to the original ticket cost to get your vehicle back.
Impound fees typically start around $150 but can be $200 or more depending on the city and how long your vehicle is kept in impound. Make sure to avoid registration holds and expiration by paying red light and speed camera tickets promptly.
Civil Assessment
If you fail to pay a red light camera ticket in California, the case may be referred to a collection agency after a certain time period. This leads to a civil assessment being added to the amount you owe.
The civil assessment is an additional fine that can range between $300-$500 typically. It is meant to cover the costs of collection efforts. The assessment amount varies based on which court your citation is from.
Along with late fees, a civil assessment can increase a red light ticket by $800 or more very quickly. These expensive assessments can be avoided by taking care of tickets in a timely manner before collection efforts are initiated.
Credit Impact
Having unpaid red light camera tickets referred to collections can also negatively impact your credit history and score. The debt from the citations and any collection fees get reported to the major credit bureaus.
This creates a record of bad debt associated with your name and Social Security number. As this record ages without payment, it drags down your credit score over time. A lower score makes it harder to get approved for loans, mortgages, credit cards, and other financing.
Paying off the debt from unpaid tickets won’t immediately remove the negative credit impact. It can take up to 7 years for the collections account to be deleted from your credit reports. But clearing the debt stops further damage and shows you are resolving your obligations.
Bench Warrant for Arrest
Perhaps the most serious consequence of ignoring red light camera tickets in California is having a bench warrant issued for your arrest. If you miss your court date or fail to pay fines for a long period, the court may resort to issuing a warrant.
This is essentially an order for law enforcement to arrest you and bring you before the court to answer for the delinquent tickets. Active bench warrants will also appear on background checks if potential employers, landlords, or others look into your history.
An outstanding warrant means you could be arrested at any time, such as during a routine traffic stop. Being physically arrested can be an embarrassing and traumatic experience. Red light and speed camera citations should never be carelessly ignored to the point of facing a warrant.
What Happens After You’re Arrested
If you do wind up with a bench warrant and are arrested, you will be booked into jail and have to post bail to secure your release until the court date. The bail amount is determined by the court and could be anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on the circumstances.
In addition to bail fees, you will likely have to reimburse the law enforcement agency for warrant service fees and other administrative costs involved with executing the warrant.
After release from jail, you must still appear at your scheduled court date to answer to the original red light camera citation. There, you will also have to explain why you failed to pay or appear previously.
The court will decide on any additional fines or penalties on top of what you already owe in unpaid tickets and late fees. Often, completing traffic school or community service is imposed. Jail time is rare for warrant arrests over unpaid traffic citations.
Having an arrest record, even for minor violations, can impact future employment background checks and have other far-reaching consequences. It’s critical to avoid warrants by handling traffic tickets properly from the start.
Payment Plans
Given the extreme consequences, it’s essential to pay red light camera tickets promptly or contest them legally. If you absolutely cannot afford to pay the full fine up front, request a payment plan from the court.
Most courts will grant payment plans that break up the fine and fees into smaller monthly installments over 6-12 months typically. There may be an additional setup fee to get on a payment plan.
As long as you make the agreed upon monthly payments on time, you can avoid late fees, collection accounts, credit impacts, and warrants. Payment plans give you a way to pay off fines over time while preventing further penalties.
Contesting a Ticket
Instead of paying a red light camera ticket, you always have the option to legally contest it and request a court hearing to argue your case. This can sometimes result in the ticket being dismissed or fine amount reduced.
Reasons to contest a ticket might include:
- You weren’t driving the vehicle at the time of the violation
- There was a mechanical problem or medical issue that caused you to not stop safely
- The traffic light malfunctioned
- Any other circumstances that you feel invalidate the ticket
To start the contest process, you must submit a written request for a hearing within a specified timeframe, usually 10-30 days after receiving a ticket. Details on contesting camera tickets are provided by the court on the citation.
If the judge sides in your favor at the hearing, the ticket may be dismissed without payment. If not, you still have the option to request a payment plan for any fines imposed. Contesting a questionable ticket is often a smart first step before just paying.
Seeking Legal Help
In some cases, having an experienced traffic ticket attorney represent you can be beneficial for getting red light camera citations invalidated or mitigating penalties from unpaid fines. Legal help is advisable if:
- You are at risk for jail time from an arrest warrant
- Your job, driver’s license, or professional licensing is on the line
- You have a defense against the ticket you want professionally argued in court
An attorney may be able to plead down fines, minimize late fees, lift failure to appear charges, vacate warrants, and strike citations from your driving record. Having a lawyer handle the details can alleviate stress and get optimal results when dealing with unpaid tickets.
Conclusion
Ignoring red light and speed camera tickets in California can unleash severe domino effects ranging from late penalties to arrest warrants and license suspension. Simple traffic fines quickly snowball out of control when they go unpaid.
Don’t put yourself at risk when there are options like payment plans and legal defenses available. Address these citations promptly one way or another. If you’ve made some mistakes and are dealing with serious consequences from unpaid tickets, consult with an attorney right away to resolve the situation effectively.
With a smart proactive approach, camera tickets don’t have to be a stressful hassle or lead to negative impacts that follow you for years.