Can I Ignore a Camera Ticket in California? Three Kinds of Notices, Three Answers

Camera mail in California comes in different kinds, and the answer to “can I ignore it?” is different for each. Read the notice first: who sent it, what law it cites, and what it asks you to do.

Not sure which one you have? Three questions to tell them apart. Camera Ticket or Court Ticket? How to Tell →

1. A Red Light Camera Citation From a Court

Under Vehicle Code 21455.5, a red light camera ticket is a notice to appear for a Vehicle Code 21453 infraction, mailed to the registered owner (Vehicle Code 40518). A real court citation names the court and the date to respond by (Vehicle Code 40518(b)). It is a court case, and it stays open until you respond.

The California Courts self-help guide says that if you ignore your ticket, the court may add up to $100 as a late fee (called a civil assessment), charge you with failure to appear and add the violation to your DMV record. If you missed your due date for a good reason, like being sick, it says to contact the court right away; the court may cancel the extra fees.

You can contest it in court, including by trial by written declaration (Vehicle Code 40902), or pay it. A conviction adds 1 DMV point.

Contesting a court citation in writing, step by step: Contest a Red Light Camera Citation by Mail →

2. A Notice That Only Asks Who Was Driving

Some notices are mailed to the registered owner before any citation is issued and ask who was driving. Vehicle Code 40518(c) lets the agency or its camera vendor mail a notice of nonliability before a notice to appear, so it is not a citation. The Assembly’s analysis of SB 1303 (2012), which added that rule, calls these notices courtesy notices and says people call them “snitch tickets.”

The notice shows what it asks and by when. If you are unsure, check with the agency named on the notice, or ask the superior court for that county whether it has a case in your name. A court’s own courtesy notice about a citation that has been filed is different: answer that one by its date.

The three kinds of red light camera mail, side by side: Which Red Light Camera Notice Did You Get? →

3. A Civil AB 645 Speed Camera Notice From a City

In the six AB 645 cities (Los Angeles, San Jose, Oakland, Glendale, Long Beach and San Francisco), a speed camera notice is a notice of violation mailed to the registered owner (Vehicle Code 22426). It is a civil penalty, not a court case, and it adds no DMV point (Vehicle Code 22426(a)). It is not contested with form TR-205 or through the courts’ MyCitations tool.

The absence of DMV points does not mean you can ignore the citation. To contest, you must request an initial review within 30 calendar days of the notice’s mailing date (Vehicle Code 22427(a)). The notice must also say that payment is due no later than 30 calendar days from its mailing date, or that you may contest it (Vehicle Code 22426(e)(4)). Missing the deadline could limit your options for contesting the notice. Read your notice for what the city does if the penalty stays unpaid.

A city or county that opts in to SB 720 (Vehicle Code 21455.9) can also send civil red light notices. A civil SB 720 notice from a city or county is not a court case, so you contest it with the issuing agency instead, starting with an initial review within 30 calendar days of mailing.

How AB 645 notices work, from warning period to appeal: AB 645 Speed Cameras Explained →

Every camera deadline in one place: How Long You Have to Respond to a Camera Ticket →

Check your city’s program status and warning dates. Speed Camera Tickets by City →