Why Some Experts Are Telling Californians Not To Pay Their Red Light Tickets
Eli Shayotovich
Sun, February 1, 2026 at 4:45 PM UTC
3 min read
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According to the California Governor's Highway Safety Association, in 2021, crashes that involved someone running a red light killed 1,109 people. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that during the following year, 1,149 people died and over 107,000 people were injured when someone ran a red light. It also found that automated red-light detection systems in big cities lowered resulting fatalities by more than 21%.
California State Bill (SB) 720, the Safer Streets Act, is an opt-in program signed into law by Governor Newsom that went into effect in January 2026, which focuses on automated traffic enforcement systems throughout the state. As more cities move towards red light cameras (not all traffic lights have them), more and more people are getting tickets in the mail. As a law-abiding citizen, your first instinct is probably to pay it off as soon as possible to avoid further legal complications. However, some experts are telling Californians to push the pause button on that knee-jerk reaction, because fighting it might be the better option.
Jay Beeber of the National Motorists Association says that California courts can't legally enforce tickets issued by these systems. They can only pass it on to a collection agency, which has no lawful power over you, and technically, they can't send it to a credit reporting agency, so it will never affect your credit. Thanks to this loophole, people are turning to companies like Ticket Snipers (which charges $179) and GetDismissed ($129) to fight them in court. According to Ticket Snipers founder Jorian Goes, they have successfully fought thousands of red light camera tickets over the years.
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Law abiding citizens instinctually feel the need to pay
Jorian Goes says that these electronically issued violations lack a human law enforcement witness or associated first-person testimony, both of which are important in establishing whether or not a traffic violation has occurred. Furthermore, sensors and cameras both need constant recalibration, and a flash from a red-light camera doesn't necessarily mean you were doing anything wrong. Jay Beeber points out they can miss "fraction of a second violations" unseen by the naked eye. Not only that, but an employee of the camera system — not a sworn police officer — usually reviews the video footage.
CBS News California found that, starting in 2016, the three big credit reporting agencies settled with 31 states and stopped reporting on debt arising from traffic tickets. What's more, the Los Angeles Superior Court confirmed that when someone fails to appear in court or take any action by the citation's "appear by date," the case simply moves to a collection agency.
The Safer Streets Act went into effect in January 2026 and allows municipalities to classify red light violations as civil rather than criminal offenses. This makes it much easier for courts to enforce, since they'll no longer need to prove an actual crime was committed, and often removes the need to identify the driver.
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If caught running a red light now, a first-time offender pays a $100 fine (but won't add a point to their license). If it happens within three years after three or more separate previous violations, fines increase to $500. Some jurisdictions outside LA County may send unpaid traffic tickets to the State Franchise Tax Board, so always check your local laws before tossing one away.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.