How to Fight Red Light Camera Tickets in San Francisco
Start fighting your traffic ticket in under a minute
When you are in a hurry, it can seem like red lights are everywhere. In some parts of San Francisco, if you don’t hit the light sequence just right, you can pretty much count on having to sit and wait at every single red light.
And if things weren’t already challenging enough, California has hundreds upon hundreds of bay area cameras installed at traffic lights across the city. So you never know when you are going to be sorting through your mail one day and discover you are on the hook for a hefty fine.
But there is a bit of bright light in the midst of all this gloom, and that is what you are about to read! As it turns out, it is a lot easier to fight red light camera San Francisco tickets than you may have realized. Find out how to get your ticket dismissed quickly and easily.
Why Not Just Pay the Fine & Move On?
Red light camera San Francisco tickets are very common in the city. They are one of the most frequently issued ticket types, which means every day someone is waking up to that dreaded envelope in the mail.
Just seeing the envelope nearly guarantees a hefty fine. One news source recently reported fines for a single red light camera ticket in California can run you as high as $500 per incident.
Even worse, along with the fine comes the dreaded point on your license. That point will remain there, stubbornly clinging to your license number (and your car insurance premiums) for three long years.
So you really don’t want to just admit you are guilty and pay the fine if you can help it, and not just because you don’t want to shell out $500.
Options to Get Red Light Camera San Francisco Tickets Dismissed
You do have a variety of options for what action to take regarding tickets issued by bay area cameras.
1. Ignore the ticket and hope it goes away.
One option that has been much discussed in the news lately is ignoring the ticket. It is true that the CA DOT has no way to prove you didn’t get that envelope and its unwanted notice of the red light camera violation.
But this won’t stop them from pursuing you, upping the fine the longer it goes unpaid, even issuing a warrant for your arrest or sending it to a collection agency, which can then negatively impact your credit report and your credit score.
Plus, now you are looking at a months or years-long stressful process of continually pretending the envelope doesn’t exist while CA DOT insists that it does.
With all the other stressors daily life brings, no one really needs that.
2. Fight the ticket on your own by representing yourself in court.
If you open up the violation notice and see an immediate glaring error, you are in luck. Getting off on a technicality such as an error on your violation is a time-honored way of getting any ticket dismissed.
But unless you spot something right away, you face walking into that court room where the burden of proof is on you (no matter what is said about being innocent until proven guilty – apparently this doesn’t apply to robo cops).
Plus, since there is no no-show officer to pin your dismissal hopes on, your case rests with the judge who may or may not be sympathetic to your argument.
3. Hire an attorney to fight for you in court.
Let’s be honest – if you think traffic tickets aren’t cheap, they are small potatoes compared to the cost of traffic attorneys.
Even if you win, you can still count on being out the cost of the attorney’s retainer and court costs to fight the ticket on your behalf. Plus, you actually don’t need an attorney to successfully contest your ticket and get it dismissed.
4. Fight your red light camera San Francisco ticket using Trial By Declaration.
If you are like most drivers, you may get a ticket here and there, but you are by no means a veteran of the California court system. So chances are good you’ve never heard of “trial by written declaration.”
And yet this option has always existed and is included in the fine print on the back of handwritten traffic citations.
What is trial by declaration? It is a method of going to court without having to go to court. Basically, you complete some written forms and send them to the court. Then the court reviews your documents and the case and makes its decision.
You don’t have to take time off work to go sit in court and wait for your turn to be heard. You don’t have the stress of facing the judge in person.
Why You Should Use GetDismissed to Fight Your Traffic Ticket
GetDismissed has years of expertise helping drivers get a wide variety of traffic ticket types dismissed, including red light camera tickets.
Our process is fast and easy – zero stress to you with maximum chance of a favorable outcome and a ticket dismissal.
You get to go back to your life right away while we go to work on your behalf to get your red light camera ticket dismissed.
And if by some outside chance the ticket is upheld, we will send you to traffic school for free on us!
The process is so easy: just upload a picture of your driver license and a photograph of your citation, tell us what happened in your own words and then we will send you the documents you need to mail to the court (it is required that citations be mailed by the recipient).
Then wait for the letter telling you that your red light camera ticket has been dismissed!
About GetDismissed
GetDismissed is a well-known, verified third party service that helps drivers get a wide variety of traffic tickets dismissed.
To learn more and get started, visit us at www.getdismissed.com
Steve has been leading the fight against traffic tickets for over 22 years and is the CEO/President of GetDismissed, a service that empowers California drivers with traffic tickets to fight back without going to court. As a thought leader and business entrepreneur, Steve has also been featured on TV, Radio, Print, and Online as a traffic ticket expert talking about such subjects as distracted driving, contesting traffic tickets, traffic ticket myths, traffic ticket tips, traffic law, and more. Steve is a published author, releasing his first book in 2011, and now has four books regarding fighting traffic tickets which can be found on Amazon. Read More…
What Types of Tickets Do We Help With?
GetDismissed produces results in fighting all kinds of tickets. Unfortunately, this list does not include exhibition of speed citations. Your best bet in fighting one of these infractions, is to contact an attorney. An attorney can negotiate on your behalf to try and reduce fines, or even to reduce the charges to a lesser infraction which could possibly qualify for traffic school.
We do however, contest infractions revolving around speeding, red lights, red light cameras, cell phones, signs (primarily stop signs), carpool violations, U-turns, out of lane violations, and commercial violations. If you receive a citation and have questions, contact us today.
Follow a manual added link
Photograph your ticket & license.
*If you don’t have your ticket handy, it’s okay — you can still start the process and just add it later!
Follow a manual added link
Provide info through guided questions.
*Be sure to quickly add as many notes about the stop as you can so you don’t leave out any important details!
Follow a manual added link
Sign & send your defense to court.
*We will send you a completed packet for the court that just needs your signature and a stamp!
What Our Customers Are Saying:
“IT WORKS TOO WELL. I’D LIKE TO ARREST THE GUY WHO INVENTED THIS THING.”