New Orleans Red Light Cameras: Payment, Disputes, and Locations

New Orleans red light cameras issue civil tickets, not criminal citations, so a violation won’t put points on your license or raise your insurance. A standard red-light camera ticket costs $135 total — a $105 civil penalty plus a $30 administrative fee — and the notice goes to the registered owner of the vehicle, not necessarily whoever was driving.¹ Ignoring the notice is where the real cost shows up: late fees, booting, towing, and collections can more than double what you originally owed.

What the Cameras Catch

Red-light cameras in New Orleans use sensors paired with the camera to detect vehicles crossing the stop line after the signal has already turned red. The system captures high-resolution images of the rear license plate along with video of the event. Failing to come to a complete stop before turning right on red also triggers a violation.

The city also operates speed cameras, which are a separate program authorized under Louisiana law and run mostly in school zones. Speed camera fines are tiered by how far over the limit you were clocked and range from $75 to $235.¹ Both use the same payment and hearing process described below.

How to Review and Pay a Red-Light Ticket

The notice that arrives in the mail includes a Notice Number, your license plate, and a PIN. You need all three to pull up your record at ViolationInfo.com, the official portal, where you can watch the video and look at the still images before deciding what to do.² Review the evidence first. If the images clearly show your vehicle running the light, paying is usually the fastest path.

You have three ways to pay:

Online through ViolationInfo.com using the Notice Number, plate, and PIN from your notice.
By mail, with a check or money order and the payment coupon from your notice, sent to: City of New Orleans, Photo Safety Program, P.O. Box 742503, Cincinnati, OH 45274-2503.
By phone at (504) 658-8082, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.²

How to Contest the Ticket

If you think the ticket was issued in error, request an administrative hearing by following the instructions printed on the notice. Hearings are handled by the city’s parking adjudication bureau at the Administrative Hearing Center in City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street, Room 1W09.¹ You’ll get the hearing date by mail, and your payment deadline is frozen until the hearing officer rules.

At the hearing, the city must prove the violation by a preponderance of the evidence — more likely than not. The officer reviews the camera images and the affidavits certifying that the system was working properly.³ If the officer finds no liability, the penalty is dropped.

Defenses You Can Raise

The ordinance lists specific affirmative defenses available to the vehicle’s registered owner. You have to prove the defense by a preponderance of the evidence:

Someone else was driving the vehicle without your permission.
You were not the registered owner at the time of the violation (bring a notarized bill of sale if you had sold the vehicle).
The license plate in the image had been stolen and attached to a different vehicle. You’ll need a police report.
The driver was following lawful directions from a law enforcement or public safety officer.
The driver ran the light to yield to an approaching emergency vehicle.
The vehicle itself was an authorized emergency vehicle operating under Louisiana law.³

If the vehicle was sold or stolen before the violation, download the Affirmation of Non-Liability form from ViolationInfo.com and bring the bill of sale or police report to your hearing.

What Happens If You Ignore the Ticket

Miss the initial payment deadline and a $75 late payment penalty is added to the fine. Ignore the delinquent notice for 30 more days and a second $75 penalty is tacked on, and the account is handed to a collection agency.¹ A $135 red-light ticket can reach $285 before any collection costs are added on top.

At that point the Department of Public Works can boot or tow the vehicle, the debt can be reported to credit agencies, and the city can file suit to recover what it’s owed.⁴ Letting the deadline pass also waives your right to the administrative hearing, so you lose the chance to challenge the ticket at the same time you lose the money.

Where the Cameras Are

New Orleans runs cameras at dozens of intersections and corridors across the city, with concentrations along Carrollton Avenue, Canal Street, Poydras Street, and Read Boulevard. The city publishes a full, updated list of every active camera on its website, which is the only reliable way to know what’s currently in service.⁵ Check the official list against your regular routes.

1
ViolationInfo. Frequently Asked Questions – Automated Red Light and Speed Camera Enforcement Program
2
City of New Orleans. Pay Camera Ticket
3
New Orleans, LA Code of Ordinances. New Orleans Code of Ordinances – Sec. 154-1702 – Administrative Adjudication Procedure
4
New Orleans, LA Code of Ordinances. New Orleans Code of Ordinances – Sec. 154-1704 – Effect of Liability, Exclusion of Civil Remedy
5
City of New Orleans. Find Safety Camera Locations