Red Light Tickets

What is a red light ticket?

Red means stop. When you see a red light, you need to come to a complete stop before the stop line. If there's no stop line, stop before the crosswalk or intersection. You must remain stopped until the light turns green. Violating this law can result in a red light ticket.

Red light tickets are usually written by law enforcement officers who pull over drivers for running red lights.

Many traffic signals are equipped with red light cameras. These cameras track drivers and notify authorities when a vehicle runs a red light. The cameras automatically take photos of vehicles as they run red lights. If you are caught running a light on a red light camera it can result in a ticket.

How much is a red light ticket fine?

The cost of a red light ticket can vary anywhere from $50 to $500, depending on where you received the ticket and the severity of the violation. You might even get points added to your driving record (you can check your driving record points here).

What should you do if you get a red light ticket?

There are a few options for people who get a red light ticket. It's usually easier to simply pay the fine. If you believe you didn't run the red light, you can hire a lawyer and contest the ticket in court. This can cost you more money than the original ticket even if you win your case.

In many cases, you can take an online defensive driving or traffic school course to dismiss your red light ticket or to remove points from your driving record. (Check out our guide to handling traffic tickets in every state here).

Safe2Drive offers online defensive driving and traffic school courses in most states.