A Miami-Dade red light camera ticket search happens on the vendor website printed on the notice of violation that was mailed to the registered owner, not on a single countywide portal. Each city in Miami-Dade County runs its own camera program through its own contractor, so the correct lookup page is the one listed on your notice. If you still have the notice in hand, that document tells you where to go, what to enter, and how long you have to respond.
Where to Search for Your Ticket
Miami-Dade County contains dozens of municipalities, and each city that operates a red light camera program contracts with its own enforcement vendor. Many cities direct vehicle owners to a vendor portal such as ViolationInfo.com to look up the notice, view photos and video, and pay. The City of Miami Springs, for example, sends owners to that site to pay by electronic check or card. Other municipalities use different vendors or their own systems.
The most reliable way to find the right portal is to read the notice you received. Florida law requires the notice to state the internet location where you can review the photographic or video evidence against you. That same site is where you check the status of your case and handle payment or a dispute.
The Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court and Comptroller runs a separate traffic search at miamidadeclerk.gov, but that system is for standard traffic citations. Your initial notice of violation lives with the issuing city’s vendor. The Clerk’s site becomes relevant only if the notice has already escalated to a formal Uniform Traffic Citation because you missed the response deadline.
What You Need to Look Up Your Notice
To pull up your case on the vendor portal, you need the notice number printed on the mailed document. This alphanumeric string is the primary identifier the system uses to find your record. You will also need the vehicle’s license plate number. Some portals ask for the registration zip code or the registered owner’s last name as an additional check.
If the notice never arrived or you lost it, your options narrow. Florida law requires the notice to be sent by first-class mail to the registered owner’s address within 30 days of the violation. If your address changed and the notice went to an old one, you may not learn about the ticket until it has escalated. The fastest way to track down a missing notice is to contact the issuing municipality’s police department or code enforcement office directly with your plate number and the approximate date.
Reviewing the Photo and Video Evidence
Once your case loads on the portal, you can view the evidence the camera system captured. Florida law requires the notice to direct you to the photographic or electronic images, or streaming video, that form the basis of the violation. This evidence creates what the statute calls a “rebuttable presumption” against the vehicle’s owner, meaning it is treated as proof unless you successfully challenge it.
The evidence typically includes still images showing your vehicle’s position relative to the stop line and the color of the traffic signal when the sensor was triggered. Most systems also provide a short video of the approach and movement through the intersection, with data overlays for date, time, and location. The license plate image is included so you can confirm the camera captured the right vehicle. Look closely before deciding how to respond, because this is exactly what a hearing officer would see.
Your Three Options Within 60 Days
From the date printed on the notice, you have 60 days to choose one of three paths. Miss that window and the matter escalates to a formal traffic citation with steeper consequences.
- Pay the $158 penalty. This resolves the matter. The notice of violation is a civil infraction, not a criminal charge. Paying it does not add points to your driver’s license and does not appear on your driving record in a way that affects insurance rates.
- Request a hearing before a local hearing officer appointed by the municipality. If the officer upholds the violation, you pay the original $158 plus potential county or municipal costs up to $250.
- Submit a sworn affidavit if you were not driving or another statutory exemption applies.
The $158 penalty is set by Florida Statute 316.0083 and applies uniformly across all municipalities in the county.
Paying Online
Payment goes through the same vendor portal where you viewed the evidence. Most systems accept Visa, Mastercard, and Discover credit and debit cards, along with electronic checks. A small convenience fee may apply on top of the statutory penalty. Save the confirmation number the system generates, because that is your only proof that the matter is closed.
Requesting a Hearing
Follow the hearing request instructions on the notice or on the portal, and submit the request within the 60-day window. The hearing is an administrative proceeding before a local hearing officer, not a courtroom trial before a county judge. The municipality presents the camera evidence, and you present your defense. If the officer sides with you, the violation is dismissed. If the officer upholds it, you owe the $158 plus any hearing-related costs assessed, up to $250.
Filing an Affidavit of Non-Responsibility
The registered owner is presumed responsible, but Florida law recognizes several situations where that presumption does not hold. A notarized affidavit submitted to the issuing municipality can establish that:
- Someone else was driving. The affidavit must include the other driver’s name, address, date of birth, and driver’s license number if you know it.
- The vehicle was stolen. Attach a copy of the police report.
- You yielded to an emergency vehicle or were part of a funeral procession.
- A law enforcement officer directed you through the intersection.
- An officer already issued a traffic citation to the driver at the scene for the same violation.
When responding to the initial notice of violation, you have the full 60-day window. If the matter has already escalated to a Uniform Traffic Citation, the deadline tightens to 30 days from the date of that citation. A vague or incomplete affidavit can be rejected. Naming another driver without their identifying information is the most common reason a filing fails.
What Happens If You Missed the 60-Day Deadline
Ignoring the notice is the most expensive mistake available. If 60 days pass without payment, a hearing request, or an affidavit, the municipality issues a Uniform Traffic Citation by certified mail. That citation is no longer an administrative matter. It moves into the Miami-Dade County court system.
Escalation changes the situation in several ways. The fine increases beyond $158 with court costs and surcharges added. Unlike the notice of violation, a UTC can result in points on your Florida driver’s license, which can affect insurance premiums. And failure to respond in county court can lead to further penalties, including potential license suspension.
If you find an old notice you missed, contact the issuing municipality right away. Once a UTC has been filed, your options are more limited and more expensive, but responding late is still better than not responding. The Miami-Dade Clerk’s traffic search at miamidadeclerk.gov can tell you whether a formal citation has been filed against you.
Common Mistakes That Cost People Money
The most frequent error is assuming the notice is a scam or that red light camera tickets are unenforceable. Florida’s Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Program is established by statute, and these violations carry real financial consequences. The next most common mistake is paying immediately without reviewing the evidence. If the photos clearly show the wrong plate or a vehicle that is not yours, you have a straightforward defense that costs nothing to raise.
Another trap: the notice goes to the registered owner, not the driver. If you lent your car to someone who ran a red light, you are on the hook unless you file the affidavit identifying them. Many people feel uncomfortable naming another driver, but the alternative is paying the fine yourself, and delay only narrows your options.
One boundary worth noting. Do not confuse the red light camera notice with Miami-Dade County’s separate school zone speed camera program, which was authorized under different legislation in 2023. Those are speed-related violations with their own fine structure and search process. If you are unsure which type of notice you received, check the header of the document. A red light camera violation will reference Florida Statute 316.0083 and the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Program.