I Got a Photo Radar Ticket in the Mail. What Should I Do?
Nobody likes coming face-to-face with a traffic ticket in the mail, especially when it’s a citation from one of metro-Phoenix’s photo radar cameras. What should you do if you receive one of these citations?
First of all, a mailed citation from a photo radar camera is not an official ticket and does not need to be responded to unless it has been formally served to you.
You have two choices: ignore the ticket and wait to see if you are served with it or respond to the citation (therefore accepting service).
Option 1: Ignoring the Ticket and Waiting for Service
- Check the “Date Issued” listed on the citation you received in the mail. You may be formally served with a ticket up to 90 days after the date issued.
- Some cities are more aggressive than others when it comes to serving tickets.
- Avoid answering your door to strangers during this 90-day period, as these may be process servers.
- Some cities may serve tickets by certified or registered mail. This is the same as being served in-person.
If you are served:
- You will be responsible for paying the process of service fee, which can be up to $100.
- You can pay to take Traffic Survival School to have the ticket dismissed upon completion.
- You can simply accept the ticket and its penalties, typically a civil traffic fine.
- If you want to contest the ticket, you can attend a civil traffic hearing.
- Accepting responsibility for the ticket, or being found responsible at court, will also cause points to be assessed against your license and may cause your insurance rate to increase.
If you are not served:
- If 90 days have passed since your citation’s issue date, you cannot legally be served the ticket any longer and the ticket will be dismissed.
Option 2: Responding to the Citation
- Responding to the mailed citation waives the requirement to formally serve you.
- You can pay to take Traffic Survival School to have the ticket dismissed upon completion.
- You can choose to pay the fine on the ticket, which accepts responsibility (“guilt”) for the violation.
- If you want to contest the ticket, you can attend a civil traffic hearing.
- Accepting responsibility for the ticket, or being found responsible at court, will also cause points to be assessed against your license and may cause your insurance rate to increase.
You should always weigh the risks and benefits of each option when you receive a photo radar citation in the mail. Civil traffic attorneys are not usually required unless you are a repeat offender, a commercially licensed driver, or have already accumulated several points against your license.
For a guide to understanding photo radar tickets, or a listing by city of locations of photo radar cameras in the metro-Phoenix area, read our comprehensive article.
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