A Pasco County red light camera ticket carries a $158 fine, and you have 60 days from the date on the Notice of Violation to pay it, request a hearing, or submit a sworn affidavit. Handle it inside that window and no points land on your license and your insurance company never hears about it. Miss the window and the notice escalates into a Uniform Traffic Citation with court costs added on top.
Where the Cameras Are in Pasco County
Only two cities in Pasco County run red light cameras: New Port Richey and Port Richey. New Port Richey operates five cameras across the city.1City of New Port Richey. Red-Light Camera Violations Port Richey operates cameras at certain intersections.2Pasco County Clerk and Comptroller. Red Light Camera Violation Information Unincorporated Pasco County does not use automated red light enforcement.3Pasco County. Traffic Operations If your notice came from somewhere else in the county, double-check the issuing agency on the envelope — the citation has to come from one of those two cities to be a camera ticket.
Your Three Options Within 60 Days
After a camera captures a potential violation, the city has 30 days to mail a Notice of Violation by first-class mail to the registered owner. The notice includes images of your license plate, the date, time, and location, and an ID number that lets you watch the video online.4Florida Senate. Florida Code 316 – Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Program, Administration, Report From the date on that notice, you have 60 days to do one of three things.
- Pay the $158. This closes the matter. No points, no insurance report, nothing on your driving record.
- Request a hearing. You contest the violation before a hearing officer, and no payment is required before the hearing takes place.5Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 316.0083 – Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Program, Administration, Report
- Submit a sworn affidavit. Use this if someone else was driving, the vehicle was stolen, or a statutory exemption applies.
Pick one before day 60. The notice itself looks routine, but the clock is real.
Will It Add Points or Raise My Insurance?
No. Florida law prohibits points from being assessed for red light violations enforced by camera, and it separately bars insurers from using these violations to set rates.6Florida Senate. Florida Code 322 – Authority of Department to Suspend or Revoke License The $158 Notice of Violation is a civil penalty. It isn’t reported to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and it doesn’t show up on any record your insurer pulls. That protection holds even if the citation later escalates to a Uniform Traffic Citation, as long as it was issued through the camera program rather than by a patrol officer.
Contesting the Ticket
Red light camera violations are civil infractions, so a hearing goes before an administrative hearing officer rather than a criminal court judge. Before you walk in, watch the video using the ID number on your notice. The footage sometimes helps you more than it helps the city.
The defenses that actually win are the ones written into the statute. You cannot be cited for a right turn on red made “in a careful and prudent manner” at an intersection where right turns are allowed, and you cannot be cited if you crossed the stop line but came to a complete stop before completing the turn.4Florida Senate. Florida Code 316 – Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Program, Administration, Report You are also not liable if the vehicle entered the intersection to yield to an emergency vehicle, as part of a funeral procession, or at the direction of a law enforcement officer.5Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 316.0083 – Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Program, Administration, Report Right-turn cases are a common source of contested tickets.
Know the downside before you request a hearing. If the hearing officer upholds the violation, you owe the $158 plus administrative costs that can reach $250. If you schedule a hearing and then cancel, you’ll owe the $158 plus a smaller administrative fee. An appeal to circuit court is possible but requires a separate filing fee.
Affidavit If Someone Else Was Driving
The notice goes to the registered owner, not the actual driver, so the affidavit route matters when the car wasn’t yours to drive. The sworn statement must identify the driver by name, address, date of birth, and driver’s license number if you know it. If the vehicle was stolen, include the police report.5Online Sunshine. Florida Statutes 316.0083 – Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Program, Administration, Report The affidavit has to be signed before a notary, and filing a false one is a separate offense under Florida law.
What Happens If You Ignore the Notice
Let the 60 days run out and the violation automatically escalates to a Uniform Traffic Citation. The UTC arrives by certified mail and adds court costs and fees on top of the original $158, pushing the total into roughly the $260 to $300 range.4Florida Senate. Florida Code 316 – Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Program, Administration, Report At that point the citation is handled through the Pasco County Clerk of the Circuit Court.
You still have 30 days after the UTC to submit an affidavit asserting a statutory exemption, but the window is tighter and the bill is bigger. Leave a UTC unresolved and the clerk can flag your registration, and continued nonpayment can lead to a license suspension. The one piece of good news that carries through: even at the UTC stage, the camera violation still doesn’t add points to your license or feed into your insurance rate.6Florida Senate. Florida Code 322 – Authority of Department to Suspend or Revoke License The damage is to your wallet and, eventually, to your ability to renew your tag.