How Much Is a Red Light Ticket in Washington State?

A red light ticket in Washington State starts at a $48 base fine, but mandatory state assessments push an officer-issued ticket to roughly $136 or more by the time you pay it. A ticket generated by an automated red light camera is capped at $145 and is treated like a parking ticket, so it never touches your driving record or your insurance.

Where the Total Comes From

Washington’s courts set traffic infraction penalties through a statewide schedule called IRLJ 6.2. A failure-to-stop violation under RCW 46.61.050 carries a $48 base penalty, and local courts cannot raise it by local rule, though a judge can lower it in an individual case.¹

The $48 is only the starting number. On top of it, the state adds a Public Safety and Education Assessment equal to 60 percent of the base penalty, which comes to $28.80 on a $48 fine.² A separate $24 assessment is required under RCW 46.63.110(8)(a) and cannot be reduced by the court.³ Smaller assessments fund things like the judicial information system and trauma care, and if the total lands on an odd number of cents, the base penalty is rounded up to produce an even dollar figure.¹

Expect the final amount on an officer-issued red light ticket to land between roughly $150 and $200 depending on the court. The base fine is almost beside the point. The assessments are where the money goes.

Red Light Camera Tickets Cost Less and Don’t Follow You

If the ticket came from an automated traffic safety camera rather than an officer, the rules are more forgiving. Washington law caps camera-generated infractions at $145, and the ticket is processed the same way as a parking ticket.⁴ That distinction changes the real cost in three ways:

The infraction is not reported to the Department of Licensing and does not appear on your driving record.⁴
Because the camera photographs the vehicle rather than the driver, the ticket is issued to the registered owner, and your insurer will not see it.
The camera location must be clearly marked with a sign placed before the intersection.⁴

The $145 cap and the parking-ticket treatment apply regardless of where the camera is placed.

The Bigger Cost: Your Record and Your Insurance

An officer-issued red light ticket is a moving violation and gets reported to the Washington State Department of Licensing. Washington does not use a points system. Each moving violation is simply recorded on your driving history, where it stays visible to insurers and employers who run driving record checks.

Insurance companies regularly pull driving records when setting premiums, and a moving violation like running a red light often triggers a rate increase. The size depends on your insurer, your overall record, and how long ago the violation occurred, but the higher premiums commonly last three to five years. That ongoing cost frequently exceeds the ticket itself.

Deadline and Your Three Options

You have 15 days from the date you receive the ticket to respond. If the notice was mailed, you get 18 days from the mailing date.⁵ Within that window, you choose one of the following:

Pay the fine. This counts as an admission that you committed the infraction, and for an officer-issued ticket the violation goes on your driving record.
Request a mitigation hearing. You admit the violation but explain the circumstances to a judge, who has discretion to reduce the fine.
Contest the ticket. You plead not committed and the government must prove you ran the light. If the state doesn’t meet its burden, the ticket is dismissed.

Missing the response deadline adds a $25 penalty on top of everything else.⁶

Deferred Findings Keep It Off Your Record

A deferred finding is the most valuable option most drivers overlook. If a judge grants a deferral, the court holds off on entering a finding for up to one year. During that period you pay an administrative fee and avoid picking up any new traffic infractions. Make it through clean and the ticket is dismissed and never appears on your driving record.⁵

The catch: you can only use a deferral once every seven years for moving violations.⁵ The administrative fee varies by court but commonly runs between $150 and $225. If you have a clean history and this is your first ticket in years, a deferral is almost always worth requesting, because it keeps the violation away from your insurer.

What Ignoring the Ticket Actually Costs

Doing nothing is the worst possible response. If you fail to respond to or appear for a moving violation, the court notifies the Department of Licensing, which suspends your driving privileges.⁷ The suspension stays in place until the court certifies that the case has been resolved and you meet the reinstatement requirements, which typically include a reinstatement fee.

The unpaid fine itself becomes enforceable as a civil judgment, meaning the court can use standard debt collection tools like garnishment to recover the money.⁶ A $150 ticket can turn into a suspended license, collection fees, and reinstatement costs that dwarf the original fine. Respond within the deadline, even if all you do is request a hearing to buy yourself time.

Payment Plans If You Can’t Afford It

If you cannot pay the full amount at once, Washington law requires the court to work with you. When a judge determines that you are unable to pay a traffic penalty in full, the court must set up a payment plan.⁶ You can also request a payment plan after a collection action has started. The key is showing up and asking. A payment arrangement keeps your license intact and avoids the cascade of penalties that comes from not paying at all.

1
Washington Courts. IRLJ 6.2 Monetary Penalty Schedule for Infractions
2
Office of the Attorney General. AGO 1985 No. 9 – Public Safety and Education Assessment
3
Washington State Courts. Anatomy of a Standard Infraction Penalty July 2025
4
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.63.170 – Automated Traffic Safety Cameras
5
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.63.070 – Response to Notice
6
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.63.110 – Monetary Penalties
7
Washington State Legislature. RCW 46.20.289 – Suspension for Failure to Respond, Appear