If you have a Suffolk County red light camera ticket, you owe $50, and you need to either pay it or request a hearing by the response date printed on your Notice of Liability. Suffolk County’s red light camera program ended on December 1, 2024, and no new violations have been issued since, but citations captured before that date are still being processed and enforced by the Suffolk County Traffic and Parking Violations Agency (SCTPVA). Missing the deadline adds a $25 late fee. The citation carries no license points and cannot be used by insurers to raise your rates.
What the Ticket Costs
The fine is $50. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 1111-b caps the penalty at that amount and does not let local governments charge more.1New York State Senate. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law 1111-B – Owner Liability for Failure of Operator to Comply With Traffic-Control Indications If you miss the response deadline on your notice, a $25 late fee is added, bringing the total to $75.
Older guides sometimes list the total as $80. That reflected a $30 administrative fee the county used to tack on, which a court struck down in 2020 as exceeding the state cap. The county code was updated to exempt red light camera violations from administrative, default, judgment, and late-payment fees that apply to other ticket types, with the single exception of the $25 late fee above.2Suffolk County, NY. Suffolk County Code – Article XI Traffic and Parking Violations Agency Fees
A red light camera citation is a civil penalty, not a moving violation. It is not a conviction, it is not added to your driving record, and insurance companies cannot use it to raise your premiums.1New York State Senate. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law 1111-B – Owner Liability for Failure of Operator to Comply With Traffic-Control Indications The ticket is issued to the vehicle’s registered owner, not the driver, which is one reason it stays off your license.
How to Pay
Your Notice of Liability has a citation number and a PIN on it. You need both to access your case. If you can’t find the notice, call SCTPVA at (631) 853-3800 to retrieve the information.
- Online at cite-web.com. Enter your citation number and PIN, review the recorded evidence, and pay by credit or debit card.
- By phone at 1-866-637-0008.
- By mail. Send a check or money order with the completed response stub to SCTPVA, PO Box 9000, Smithtown, NY 11787. Your payment must be postmarked before the due date to avoid the late fee.
The mailing address is Smithtown, not Hauppauge, despite what some older guides say.
How to Contest the Citation
If you think the ticket was issued in error, mark the hearing option on your response stub and mail it to SCTPVA before your deadline. The agency will send a separate notice with your hearing date and time.
Before the hearing, request copies of the photographs, video footage, and camera calibration records. You can also view the recorded evidence for your citation on the cite-web.com portal, which is a sensible first step before deciding whether to contest.
Grounds people commonly raise include:
- The photos or video do not clearly show your license plate, or do not establish that a violation occurred.
- You entered the intersection while the light was still yellow.
- You proceeded through the light to avoid a collision or to yield to an emergency vehicle.
- The camera or sensors were not functioning properly at the time.
If You Were Not the Driver
Because the ticket goes to the registered owner, you can receive a notice for a violation someone else committed in your car. State law presumes the vehicle was being operated with your consent, so the burden is on you to show otherwise at a hearing.1New York State Senate. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law 1111-B – Owner Liability for Failure of Operator to Comply With Traffic-Control Indications
If the vehicle was stolen, a police report supports that defense. If you leased or rented the vehicle, the lessor can avoid liability by submitting the lease or rental agreement identifying the lessee within 37 days of receiving the notice.1New York State Senate. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law 1111-B – Owner Liability for Failure of Operator to Comply With Traffic-Control Indications Ignoring the notice is not a workaround. You need to pay, contest it, or properly transfer liability.
What Happens If You Ignore It
The $25 late fee is added once your response deadline passes, raising your total to $75. The county code exempts red light camera violations from the larger default and judgment fees that apply to other tickets, so the balance will not balloon the way an unpaid parking ticket can.2Suffolk County, NY. Suffolk County Code – Article XI Traffic and Parking Violations Agency Fees
That does not mean the ticket goes away. Under New York law, agencies that run red light camera programs can report unpaid violations and pursue collection. The camera ticket by itself will not put points on your license or suspend your registration the way an unpaid moving violation can, but an unresolved balance can be sent to collections. With the program closed and only the pre-expiration backlog left to work through, the county has every reason to pursue what is still owed.