Red Light Camera Tickets in California
A red light camera notice in the mail can be one of three things: a court citation, an SB 720 civil notice from a city or county, or a notice that only asks who was driving. Each one is handled differently. Here is whether they are legal, whether you have to pay, and how to respond to each.
Reviewed by the TicketClear teamLast reviewed
The three kinds of red light camera notice at a glance
| Kind of notice | Who sends it | Amount | DMV point | How to contest | Trial by Written Declaration? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Court citation (Vehicle Code 21453, under a 21455.5 camera program) | A city or county camera program; the citation names the superior court | $100 base, $486 total on the 2026 bail schedule (some counties charge more) | 1 point if you are convicted | With the superior court named on it, in person or in writing | Yes (Vehicle Code 40902) |
| SB 720 civil notice (Vehicle Code 21455.9) | A city or county that opted in to the civil program | $100, $200, $350 or $500, depending on violations in the previous three years; late fees can apply | None (Vehicle Code 21455.9(h)(1)) | A free initial review with the agency within 30 calendar days of mailing, then an administrative hearing, then an appeal to superior court | No court trial by declaration (Vehicle Code 40902); the administrative hearing can be held on a written declaration, by video or in person (Vehicle Code 21455.9(j)(3)(A)) |
| A notice that asks who was driving (Vehicle Code 40518(c)) | The agency or its camera vendor, mailed to the registered owner | None: it is not a citation | None: it is not a citation | Nothing to contest. The notice shows what it asks and by when; if you are unsure, check with the agency named on the notice | No: it is not a citation |
Are red light camera tickets legal in California?
Yes. California law allows two kinds of red light camera program, and a city or county can use either one (Vehicle Code 21455.5(j)).
Vehicle Code 21455.5
Court program
The traditional kind. The city must post signs within 200 feet of the intersection and issue only warnings for its first 30 days. The ticket is a court citation (a notice to appear) for running a red light under Vehicle Code 21453: a $100 base fine, $486 total under the Judicial Council’s 2026 bail schedule (some counties charge more), and 1 DMV point if you are convicted. A right turn on red without a full stop (Vehicle Code 21453(b)) is $35 base, $234 total. Your notice shows the exact amount.
SB 720, Vehicle Code 21455.9
Civil program
In effect since January 1, 2026, only where a city or county opts in. The notice is a civil penalty: $100 if no fine was assessed in the previous three years, then $200, $350 or $500 for repeat violations within three years. No DMV point and no license suspension. The program starts with 60 days of warning notices.
Do you have to pay a red light camera ticket?
First check which of the three you have. The answer is different for each, and so is where you respond.
Vehicle Code 21455.5
Court citation
Yes, you have to answer it. It is a court case, and you respond by the date on the citation or the court’s notice: pay the bail, contest it, or ask the court about its other options. If you do nothing, the court can record a failure to appear and may add a civil assessment of up to $100 (Penal Code 1214.1).
How to tell: It names a superior court and cites Vehicle Code 21453.
Vehicle Code 21455.9
SB 720 civil notice
It is a civil penalty owed to the city or county, not a court case. Pay within 30 calendar days of the mailing date, or request a free initial review with the agency in that time. If the review is denied, you can request an administrative hearing within 21 days, then appeal to superior court within 30 days of the final decision. Unpaid penalties can draw late fees of up to $50, then up to $100.
How to tell: It is a Notice of Violation from a city or county agency and offers an initial review with that agency.
Vehicle Code 40518(c)
A notice that asks who was driving
Not a citation. The law lets the agency or its camera vendor mail a notice of nonliability to the registered owner before a notice to appear. The Assembly’s analysis of SB 1303 (2012) calls these 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.
How to tell: It asks you to identify the driver. A real court citation names the court and the date to respond by (Vehicle Code 40518(b)). A court’s own courtesy notice about a filed citation is different and needs an answer by its date.
Red light camera guides
Which red light notice did you get? How to respond to each
Contest a court red light citation by Trial by Written Declaration
How much a red light camera ticket costs
Camera ticket or court ticket? How to tell
Which California cities have taken an SB 720 step
Grounds people raise on a red light camera ticket
SB 720 explained: what the civil red light camera law says
Speed camera notices are a separate program with their own rules; see California speed camera tickets.
Red light cameras by city
Program status as of October 7, 2026, from each city’s own records. Programs can start or end, and the notice you received says which court or agency issued it.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles County
Program ended
San Diego
San Diego County
Program ended
San Jose
Santa Clara County
Court program (VC 21455.5)
Fresno
Fresno County
No active program
Bakersfield
Kern County
Issuing tickets; the city does not say under which law
How TicketClear helps
- For a court citation, TicketClear prepares a Trial by Written Declaration from your answers, with the TR-205 form and mailing instructions for the court.
- You choose the grounds that apply, then review, sign and send it yourself.
- Upload your notice first: we check what kind of ticket it is before you pay.
TicketClear is a document preparation service, not a law firm, and does not give legal advice. No one can promise the result of a contest.
Red light camera ticket questions
Are red light camera tickets legal in California?
Yes. Vehicle Code 21455.5 lets a city or county put a red light camera at an intersection if it posts signs within 200 feet and issues only warnings for the first 30 days. Those tickets are court citations for a Vehicle Code 21453 violation: a $100 base fine, $486 total under the Judicial Council’s 2026 bail schedule (some counties charge more), and 1 DMV point if you are convicted. Since January 1, 2026, SB 720 (Vehicle Code 21455.9) also lets a city or county opt in to a civil program instead, with no DMV point.
Do you have to pay a red light camera ticket in California?
It depends on which notice you got. A court citation is a court case: respond by the date on it, by paying, contesting or asking the court about its other options. If you do nothing, the court can record a failure to appear and may add a civil assessment of up to $100 (Penal Code 1214.1). An SB 720 civil notice must be paid within 30 calendar days of its mailing date unless you request a free initial review with the city or county in that time, and unpaid penalties can draw late fees of up to $50, then up to $100 (Vehicle Code 21455.9). A notice that only asks who was driving is not a citation.
What is a red light camera “snitch ticket”?
It is a notice mailed to the registered owner that asks who was driving, before any citation is issued. 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 filed citation is different: answer that one by its date.
Do red light camera tickets add a point to my record?
A conviction on a court citation adds 1 DMV point, as the Judicial Council’s bail schedule lists for Vehicle Code 21453. An SB 720 civil notice adds no point and cannot lead to a license suspension (Vehicle Code 21455.9(h)(1)).
Does a red light camera ticket affect my insurance?
California law makes your driving safety record the first factor insurers weigh in setting auto insurance rates (Insurance Code 1861.02(a)). A conviction on a court red light camera citation adds 1 DMV point (Vehicle Code 12810(f)), and to qualify for a Good Driver Discount policy you can have no more than one violation point in the previous three years (Insurance Code 1861.025). An SB 720 civil notice adds no point (Vehicle Code 21455.9(h)(1)). How much your premium changes depends on your insurer.
How do I contest a red light camera ticket?
A court citation is contested with the superior court named on it, in person or by Trial by Written Declaration (Vehicle Code 40902), usually with the bail deposited when you file. An SB 720 civil notice is contested with the city or county: an initial review requested within 30 calendar days of mailing, then an administrative hearing requested within 21 days of the review result, then an appeal to superior court within 30 days of the final decision.
Sources
Laws read on the California Legislature’s website on October 16 and 17, 2026. The notice you received controls.
- Vehicle Code 21455.5 (court red light camera programs)
- Vehicle Code 21455.9 (SB 720 civil red light camera programs)
- Vehicle Code 40518 (mailed notice to appear; notice of nonliability)
- Vehicle Code 42001.15 ($100 fine for a red light violation)
- SB 1303 (Stats. 2012, ch. 735), which added the notice of nonliability
- Assembly committee analysis of SB 1303 (courtesy notices and “snitch tickets”)
- Judicial Council Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules, 2026 edition
- Vehicle Code 12810 (DMV point values)
- Insurance Code 1861.02 (rating factors, driving safety record first)
- Insurance Code 1861.025 (Good Driver Discount eligibility)
- Penal Code 1214.1 (civil assessment)
- California Courts: Trial by Written Declaration
Got a red light camera ticket?
Upload your notice and answer a few questions. We check what kind of ticket it is before you pay, then prepare your documents from your answers.
Check my ticketYour ticket has a deadline. Tell your side today.
Most California citations have a 60-day deadline. Write what happened in your own words, then review, edit and sign your declaration.
Start my declarationFree to start · $49.99 when you're ready to download