Click here to fight your Washington traffic ticket.
Red light camera tickets in Washington State carry serious fines and can result in you having to take off work to fight them in court. That is, unless you hire an experienced lawyer through the WinIt app to fight them for you. Either way, there are a few things you should know about red light camera tickets and how the state enforces them. Let’s get started.
How Much Is a Red Light Camera Ticket in Washington?
Red light camera tickets in Washington vary in fine costs from place to place. Most of the time, the fine will be around $48 before fees and other expenses. However, in Seattle, you can expect to pay $139—and, sometimes, even more.
How Long Does It Take for a Camera Ticket to Arrive?
Red light camera tickets are typically issued one or more weeks after the violation takes place. You can expect a ticket to show up on your doorstep anywhere between 30-60 days on average after the violation occurs.
Will a Red Light Camera Ticket Go on My Record?
Red light camera tickets do not go on your official driving record. Instead, they are treated similarly to how the government treats parking tickets. That means they don’t go on your record, they don’t incur points, and they might go unnoticed by insurance companies.
This makes them different from standard red light tickets, which are issued when a police officer personally sees you run a red light. Those can carry higher fines, can incur points, and can significantly increase your insurance premiums.
How Do I Get a Red Light Camera Ticket Dismissed in Washington?
There are a few ways to get a red light camera ticket dismissed in Washington without having to go through the full legal process of contesting it. The most common way is to sign a written statement under oath (or testify in court) that the vehicle was stolen or in the care, custody, or control of somebody other than you at the time of the violation.
Getting out of a Red Light Camera Ticket
To get out of a red light camera ticket in Washington, you will have to go through the official court process of contesting it. Alternatively, you can hire a lawyer to handle this for you through the WinIt app. If you hire a lawyer to fight your traffic ticket in Washington, you do not have to go to court at all (unless you live in Mason County) for most violations.
Do Not Pay the Fine
For starters, do not pay the fine until after a conviction has been passed down by the judge. Paying a ticket’s fine is commonly considered an admission of guilt, which means you will typically be found guilty of the associated charges if you pay the fine ahead of time.
Plead Not Guilty
To contest a ticket at all, you will need to enter a plea of not guilty. Even if you believe that you did commit the violation but that the judge will let you off because you have good reason, you must plead not guilty. The only way to get in front of a judge to plead your case is by pleading not guilty.
Enter Your Plea Through the Mail or Online
Entering your not guilty plea by mail or online can save you time and ensure that your plea reaches the necessary office on time and before the deadline.
How Do I Fight a Red Light Camera Ticket in Washington?
After entering the plea of not guilty with the court, you can get started contesting your ticket. To do so, you will need to do two things: Request a contested hearing and practice proper courtroom procedures on the day of your hearing.
It is important to note that—no matter how good you are at researching laws and formulating legal arguments—you will almost always experience better results by hiring a lawyer through the WinIt app to fight your red light camera tickets for you.
Ask for a Contested Hearing
You can request a contested hearing by completing the relevant section on the ticket and submitting it to the court. The location of your hearing will depend on the location in which the violation occurred. That location will also determine the methods by which you may request your hearing. For example, to request a contested hearing in Seattle, you may call (206) 684-5600.
Fight the Ticket in Court
The best practices for fighting the ticket in court often include proving that the picture was taken as the result of a technical error, that there was a case of mistaken identity, or that the picture was too blurry to be viewed accurately.
What Are Some Defenses for Red Light Camera Tickets?
There are plenty of common defenses for red light camera tickets all around the country. Some of those that are more commonly used in Washington are as follows:
The Camera Was Not Properly Calibrated or Was Otherwise Malfunctioning
If you can prove that the camera was suffering from some kind of technical or calibration error at the time of the violation, this may be enough to convince the judge that the camera is an inaccurate tool and therefore evidence produced by it is inadmissible in court.
The Photo Is Blurry—either the License Plate of the Vehicle Is Unclear, or the Violation Is Not Clearly Depicted
If the photo does not clearly show both the violation occurring and the license plate of the vehicle, then the picture does not contain all of the evidence necessary to convict you. Therefore, it may be dismissed.
There Are Technical Defects with the Ticket, It Contains Inaccurate Information, or It Lacks Important Documentation
Any of the following issues with the ticket may be used to potentially get your ticket dismissed:
- Information fields are left empty or improperly filled out.
- The wrong person’s information is on the ticket.
- The wrong license plate is listed.
- The photo is missing from the ticket.
Hire an Attorney Through Appwinit.Com to Fight Your Case
Whatever the case, WinIt is here to help you take your case to court and win it. There are countless traffic ticket experts in your area who can help you fight any kind of red light camera ticket in Washington. All you have to do is download the WinIt app and get started today!
