Recently, the Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern Division ruled against Ellisville’s Red Light Camera program. As a result of the ruling, many Missouri cities have temporarily suspended their red light camera ticket programs.
Author’s Note: Since this article was posted there have been court cases and legislation that have changed red light camera programs across the state of Missouri. Please check with your local jurisdiction to see the status of red light camera laws in your area.
The Court found Ellisville’s red light camera program in violation of Missouri law since the tickets were sent to the registered owner of the vehicle, not necessarily the driver at the time, and points were not assessed on the violators license, as required by state law.
As a result of the ruling several Missouri cities including Creve Coure have stopped issuing tickets from red light cameras. Kansas City has done the same, and is considering legislation to amend their red light camera laws to comply with state law.
St. Ann and Hazelwood have continued to capture photos of red light runners and may issue citations at a later date once legal issues regarding their camera programs are figured out. St. Louis, Arnold, Bridgeton and Richmond Heights have continued issuing red light camera tickets. Arnold is currently waiting on a decision in a separate legal matter regarding their red light camera program.
St. Peters has already amended their law so now points are assessed on a driver’s license for red light camera violations, so the city is able to continue using their red light cameras.
Did you get a red light camera ticket and not sure what to do? Call Traffic Law Stop at (314) 644-7102 to speak to our traffic attorneys about your ticket.
