Camera Tickets

Seattle uses cameras to enforce:

School Zone Speed: There is a 20 MPH speed limit near elementary and middle schools. Speed cameras are in use when the lights are flashing on either end of the school zone. Seattle Department of Transportation sets the schedule based on when students will be arriving and leaving school grounds.
Red Lights: The Seattle Police Department uses cameras to enforce stopping at red lights in order to prevent accidents.
High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV), bike, and bus lane infractions
Obstructing traffic aka “blocking the box”: Seattle Municipal Code prohibits obstructing traffic at any traffic-control sign, to promote safe and efficient traffic flow.

Camera tickets are filed with Seattle Municipal Court. Camera tickets are processed like parking tickets and will not appear on your state driving record; however, unpaid tickets may cause DOL to place a hold on your vehicle registration.

View Your Ticket

You can view pictures and video of the alleged camera violation at www.violationinfo.com using the citation number and PIN provided on the Notice of Infraction that was mailed to you.

Public computers are available at the Seattle Public Library and the Seattle Municipal Court lobby and the Records Unit, Room 335 (on the third floor).

Ticket Response Options

To learn more about how to resolve your ticket, visit: Ticket Response Options.

What if I have limited income and this is my first traffic camera ticket?

If this is your first traffic camera ticket, or if this traffic camera ticket took place within 21 days after your first traffic camera ticket, AND if you are currently receiving financial assistance from the state of Washington under RCW Title 74 or WIC program, you may be eligible for a 50 percent reduction in the ticket amount. To get the reduction, you also must be the registered owner of the cited vehicle and you must admit that you committed the infraction.

If your request is approved, the court will notify you of the new amount due and due date to pay or to make payment arrangements; you may not request a hearing. If your request is denied, the court will notify you of your hearing and payment options, with a new due date.

This reduction is not available for tickets that have already been paid or adjudicated, even if they would have been eligible for reduction if requested at that time. The court will not issue refunds or reopen closed cases.

To file your request in the internet portal (recommended), you must register, then use your Notice of Infraction number to look up your case #. (Unfortunately, you cannot file on the portal using the Notice number.)

To register, visit the court’s public portal; click the Register button, then the Register link beneath the Login button. Complete the registration process – Username, password, first name, last name, email.

To file a request through the portal, follow these steps:

Log in to the public portal.
Click the “Search for Records” button.
Choose “Citation Search”.
In the Citation Number field, enter the Notice # (located in the upper right of the Notice of Infraction).
Click the Search button.
The Case Number will be the leftmost column of the Search Results screen. Click on the Case Number link.
Click the Actions button at upper right.
In the dialog box that appears, click “Create Filing”.
Select “Guided Entry”.
Select “Submit Request for 1st Traffic Camera Reduction and follow the directions provided in the portal.

What If I Was Not Driving The Vehicle?

If you were not driving the vehicle when the alleged violation occurred, you can file a Declaration of Non-Responsibility online. This is a sworn statement under penalty of perjury that the vehicle was not in your care, custody, or control at the time of violation. (A declaration of non-responsibility only applies to traffic camera violations.)

You may also submit your declaration by mail, email, or fax. Download the declaration of non-responsibility and complete the form. Once completed, you can attach the document to an email and send it to SMC_DNR@seattle.gov, mail the form to the address located at the bottom of the form, or fax it to (206) 684-8726.

Companies/Organizations/Employers: You may not file a declaration of non-responsibility; a vehicle driven by an employee is considered to be in the "care, custody, and control" of the registered owner / employer. A registered owner employer or their employee may pay a traffic camera ticket or request a hearing.

You must return the declaration to the court by the due date shown on the front of the notice of infraction.

The court may cancel your ticket or may schedule a hearing in response to a declaration of non-responsibility, depending on the circumstances and the vehicle's or owner's history of camera violations.

For More Information

Seattle Police Department FAQ - School Zone Speed Cameras
Seattle Police Department FAQ - Red Light Cameras
Seattle Police Department FAQ - West Seattle Low Bridge