You can still receive a red light camera ticket in Texas, but only in a handful of cities whose camera contracts predate the 2019 statewide ban. If one arrives, it is a civil penalty capped at $75, sent to the vehicle’s registered owner, and it cannot be placed on your driving record or trigger an arrest warrant.
Why Most Texas Drivers Will Never Get One
Governor Abbott signed House Bill 1631 on June 2, 2019, and it took effect the same day. The law added Section 707.020 to the Texas Transportation Code, barring any local authority from operating a photographic traffic signal enforcement system on roads under its jurisdiction. A companion section, 707.021, keeps evidence from these systems out of court and out of the hands of government agencies.1Justia Law. Texas Transportation Code Title 7, Subtitle I, Chapter 707
The bill did not force every camera offline overnight. Cities with an active contract as of May 7, 2019 were allowed to keep operating until that contract expired, and any violation issued under a grandfathered program is still governed by the old version of Chapter 707.2Texas Legislature Online. Texas House Bill 1631 – Enrolled Version Most of those contracts have long since ended. Leon Valley, near San Antonio, is the notable outlier: its contract reportedly runs through 2039.
Before assuming a notice is legitimate, check whether the issuing city still has an active grandfathered program. If the contract has expired, the city’s authority to enforce is far weaker than the notice suggests.
What the Notice Says and What It Can Charge You
A red light camera notice in Texas is not a criminal traffic ticket. It is a civil penalty directed at the registered owner of the vehicle, not the driver. That distinction is one reason the programs have always drawn legal criticism, and it also opens a path to contest the charge if someone else was behind the wheel.
Under the old Chapter 707 that governs the remaining programs, the notice must describe the violation, identify the intersection and time, show the license plate image, state the amount owed, give a payment or contest deadline, and warn that missing that deadline counts as admitting liability. It also has to tell you two things in plain terms: no arrest warrant will be issued if you don’t pay, and the violation will not appear on your driving record.3Justia Law. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 707 – Section 707.019
The civil penalty is capped at $75. If you miss the payment deadline, the late fee cannot exceed $25.4Justia Law. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 707 – Section 707.007 The absolute maximum for a single Texas red light camera violation is $100. A notice demanding more than that is asking for more than the statute allows.
Because the violation never touches your driving record, your auto insurer has no way to learn about it through the databases insurers normally check.
What Happens if You Don’t Pay
The consequences are narrower than a regular traffic ticket, but they aren’t zero.
No Arrest, No Points on Your License
Both the old and new versions of the law block an unpaid camera penalty from producing an arrest warrant, and neither allows the violation on your driving record.3Justia Law. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 707 – Section 707.019 Those two protections are printed on every notice because the statute requires it.
A Hold on Your Vehicle Registration
The old Chapter 707 allowed county tax assessor-collectors and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to refuse registration of the specific vehicle involved if the penalty was delinquent.5Justia Law. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 707 – Section 707.017 A city with an active grandfathered contract can still use this tool. Houston, for example, notified the DMV to block registration on vehicles with unpaid penalties while its program was winding down.6City of Houston. Red Light Camera Collections – Frequently Asked Questions For cities whose contracts have already expired, the current code no longer contains this registration-blocking mechanism.
Collections and Lawsuits
Cities have sent unpaid camera debt to collection agencies. Houston’s official guidance stated the city could sue for unpaid penalties no matter how old the debt, citing Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.061, which exempts cities and counties from the standard four-year statute of limitations.6City of Houston. Red Light Camera Collections – Frequently Asked Questions Whether a city will actually spend the resources to sue over a $75 fine is another matter, but the authority exists.
The status of red light camera debt on credit reports is less clear. If a collection agency does report the debt, you may have grounds to dispute it, and an attorney can tell you where you stand before you assume anything about removal.
How to Contest a Notice
You have two realistic paths if you want to fight the penalty.
Request an Administrative Hearing
The notice must tell you how to request an administrative hearing and give you a deadline.7Justia Law. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 707 – Section 707.011 At the hearing you can challenge whether the violation happened at all, whether the camera was working correctly, and whether the images actually identify your vehicle. Miss the deadline and the statute treats it as an admission of liability, so don’t let the notice sit on the counter.
File an Affidavit of Non-Liability
Because the penalty follows the vehicle rather than the driver, you can submit a sworn affidavit stating you were not driving. The common situations are a car that had been sold before the violation, a car reported stolen, or a friend or family member using it. The affidavit usually has to be notarized. If the city accepts it, the penalty is dismissed against you.
Very few of these notices are still being issued in Texas, and drivers who receive one from a city with an expired contract have often chosen not to pay without facing consequences beyond collection letters. Confirm the issuing city’s contract status first, then decide whether to pay, contest, or wait it out.