Do You Have to Pay Camera Tickets?

A camera ticket is a ticket you receive in the mail after a traffic camera took a picture of your vehicle violating a traffic law. It is a civil violation against the vehicle and does not get reported to the DMV or your insurance company. These tickets are essentially a money grab by the City of New Orleans.

Traffic tickets are given to you directly by a police officer. It is far more important to have a lawyer handle this type of ticket than a camera ticket. If you get a ticket from a police officer and fail to appear or pay the ticket, it can result in a warrant for your arrest and your license being suspended.

Recently, State Senator Alan Seabaugh of the Shreveport area has launched a legislative campaign against traffic enforcement cameras, proposing a statewide ban on these devices. Citing concerns over constitutionality and the distribution of fine revenues, Senate Bill 21 aims to eliminate the use of automated speed enforcement devices, mobile speed cameras, and red-light cameras throughout the state. But, for now, camera tickets are still in place and will cause problems if not paid.

Unfortunately, camera tickets are much harder to fight than tickets you receive from a police officer. The primary reason is that it is handled by a city employee who acts as a hearing officer; they are not judges, and the court rules are different. It is easier for them to look at the video or picture from the ticket and find you guilty. To receive a camera ticket, there must be a photo of your vehicle committing the traffic violation, and they must consider the photo to be conclusive evidence of the violation. There are ways of fighting them, but it can become costly.

The good news is if you fail to pay the camera ticket, the worst thing that can happen is that they will boot your car or tow it. While this is not ideal, it is much better than being arrested and brought to jail for missing court or for having a suspended license. The most important thing to remember is that you should always hire an attorney for a traffic ticket given to you by a police officer. Even seemingly minor moving violations can have serious consequences for your driving record and your insurance rates if you admit fault by paying the ticket. We can go to Court and make sure that it doesn’t end up on your driving record or end up costing you an arm and leg in court costs.

Be careful who you lend your car to; if they receive camera tickets or parking tickets while out and about in your vehicle, you are the one who will face the consequences if the tickets go unpaid. The last thing you want is to come out of your house in the morning to drive to work and find a boot on your car because your friend got a parking ticket on your car and didn’t tell you. Camera tickets and parking tickets are enforced against the vehicle, not the driver, so the owner of the vehicle is liable. It can be extremely difficult and cost much more than the amount of the ticket to prove that you weren’t driving at the time of the violation.

At the end if the day, it usually makes sense to just pay camera tickets and not let them stack up or fall behind on paying them. You can get away with having unpaid camera tickets for awhile but if you ever park your car on the street, you’ll get booted eventually. Call me today to discuss any tickets you might receive. It never hurts to have a candid conversation with an attorney about your options. If you have any questions call me at 504-300-8338 to discuss. Remember … When No One’s Carin’ Call McLaren!