Red Light Camera — Miami-Dade
The same video.
A different stage.
A different
decision.
Maybe you remember the light. Maybe you don't. Maybe the first thing you knew about any of this was when something showed up in the mail. What matters now is the document you have in your hand and what stage the matter has reached.
Send Me Your Ticket →Which Document Do You Have?
- Notice of Violation — $158
- Uniform Traffic Citation — $277
- Something else entirely
The document name and amount tell you which stage you are in — and what that means.
01 — Where You Are Changes Everything
The notice and
the ticket are
not the same
situation.
If you are looking at a $158 Notice of Violation, you are still at the first stage. If you are holding a Uniform Traffic Citation, that first stage has already passed. The first thing to figure out is which one you have.
If You Have the $158 Notice
Notice of Violation
This is the first stage. The notice is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle and gives you a 60-day response window. There are no points at this stage.
You can review the camera images or video before deciding how to respond. If the notice is not addressed, the matter can move to a Uniform Traffic Citation with a higher amount and a different process.
If You Have the Traffic Ticket
Uniform Traffic Citation
The $158 notice stage has already passed. You are now dealing with a Uniform Traffic Citation. It has its own deadline and its own process.
That does not automatically mean your license is suspended. But if the citation also goes unresolved, a separate license problem can follow.
02 — How the Notice Stage Gets Missed
The notice
arrives. It does
not always
register.
Maybe you still have the original $158 notice. Maybe you never saw it at all. Or maybe the first time you realized there was a problem was much later — when a ticket showed up, your license was affected, or someone else told you there was something on your record.
That is what makes these cases confusing. You were never stopped, and nobody handed you anything at the time.
Maybe the notice looked like junk mail. Maybe it went to an old address. Maybe someone else in the house opened it. Maybe you saw it, meant to deal with it later, and forgot. Or maybe you never saw it at all.
Whatever happened, missing the first notice does not stop the process. The important thing now is figuring out what stage the matter has reached.
03 — What the Escalation Means
When it becomes
a ticket, the
situation changes.
The $158 civil notice and the traffic citation that follows are not the same thing. Understanding what changed matters before deciding what to do next.
The Amount Is Higher
In Miami-Dade, the Uniform Traffic Citation is currently $277 — higher than the original $158 Notice of Violation. The amount printed on your document is the amount to rely on.
It Is Now a Traffic Citation
The matter is no longer an administrative civil notice. It follows the procedures of a formal traffic citation — with its own deadline and its own process.
The License May Be Affected
If the citation has also gone unresolved, the license may already be affected. That is a separate issue that also needs attention.
The Record Is Now Involved
Paying the citation means admitting the traffic infraction, and the disposition may appear on the driving record. There are no points, and the violation may not be used to set motor-vehicle insurance rates.
04 — Before You Do Anything
Start with the
document and
the deadline.
The right next step depends entirely on what you are holding and how much time remains.
What Is the Document Called?
Notice of Violation or Uniform Traffic Citation — the name tells you which stage you are in and which set of options applies.
What Is the Deadline?
For the original notice, the response window is 60 days from notification. For the citation, a different deadline applies. Use the deadline and dates printed on the document, not your memory of when it arrived.
Is the License Affected?
If the matter has been pending for some time, the license may already be suspended. That needs to be confirmed before anything else is addressed.
What Does the Video Show?
The camera images or video can help show what actually happened. A camera image does not automatically answer every question about the alleged violation, so the video is worth reviewing before deciding how to respond.
05 — Start Here
Tell me which
document you
have and where
it stands now.
Send me a photo of every page of the notice or citation. I'll tell you which stage the matter is in, what the current consequences are, and what options may still be available.
Send Me Your Ticket →Text · WhatsApp · (305) 269-1900