Red Light Cameras
Red Light Cameras
Operating at several intersections in Kingston, red light cameras enhance public safety at intersections for all road users by improving driver behaviour and reducing red light running.
Paying or contesting a ticket
The fine for running a red light is currently $325, and the ticket is issued to the registered owner of the vehicle regardless of who is driving the vehicle.
Details on how to pay fines online, by mail, or by phone, or to contest one are available at the link below.
Red light camera locations
Red light cameras are located following intersections:
- County Road 2 and Princess Mary/Craftsman
- Division and Concession
- John Counter and Sir John A MacDonald
- Johnson and Barrie
- Perth and Unity
- Princess and Bayridge
- Princess and Centennial
View the full Red light cameras map application.
Locations were determined through review of collision data from all of the City’s signalized intersections, potential safety benefits and the suitability of the sites.
How red light cameras work
Red light cameras are a form of traffic enforcement that involves photographing a vehicle when it enters an intersection while the traffic signal is red. The system works by capturing two pictures, one as the vehicle approaches the stop bar, and another after the vehicle enters the intersection. Both photos are taken while the light is red, and the cameras photograph the rear of the vehicle to ensure the licence plate is visible in the pictures.
These images are then reviewed by Provincial Offences Officers to confirm the charge. If a violation is confirmed, a ticket is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle, including the photos, information about the offence and how to pay or contest the charge.
A driver that enters the intersection when the traffic signal is green or amber will not receive a ticket. A driver that stops on or just slightly past the stop bar will also not receive a ticket. Only drivers who cross the stop bar and proceed through the intersection while the traffic signal is red will receive a ticket.
Red light cameras are an automated enforcement tool focused on improving driver behaviour to reduce red light running and increase safety.
FAQ's
How are violations processed? Are the photographs carefully reviewed before motorists are ticketed?
Violations are processed through a centralized processing center operated by the City of Toronto. Provincial Offences Officers carefully review every photograph to verify information and to confirm the red light violation. Tickets are then mailed to registered vehicle owners only if the photographs clearly show that the vehicle ran the red light. The local court system is responsible for any violation appeals.
If a motorist stops slightly beyond the stop bar on a red light but doesn’t proceed through the intersection will they receive a ticket?
No, only vehicles that fully cross the stop bar and enter the intersection while the traffic signal is red will receive a ticket.
What if a vehicle is making a left turn and the signal turns red when the vehicle is still in the intersection?
As long as the vehicle enters the intersection while the traffic signal is green or amber, the left-turning motorist will not be ticketed for completing the turn when the traffic signal is red.
What if a vehicle is making a permitted right turn on red? Will the motorist receive a ticket?
As long as the vehicle comes to complete a stop before the stop bar prior to making a right turn in accordance with the Highway Traffic Act of Ontario, the motorist will not be ticketed for making a permitted right turn on red.
Will motorists in a funeral procession be ticketed for driving through a red light?
In accordance with the Highway Traffic Act of Ontario, motorists are not permitted to proceed through a red light unless they are being directed by a police officer who is directly controlling the signalized intersection. If motorists in a funeral procession are being directed through a signalized intersection by a police officer who is directly controlling the intersection in accordance with the Highway Traffic Act of Ontario, the motorists will not be ticketed for driving through the red light.
Do the red light cameras still work when it is snowing? If the roads are icy will a motorist still receive a ticket for running a red light?
It is important that motorists adjust their driving to the condition of the road. Red light cameras will continue to function in bad weather including snow, ice, fog and rain. However, for a ticket to be issued the stop bar must appear clearly in the image. If snow or ice obscures the stop bar, the Provincial Offences Officer reviewing the photos will not issue a ticket.
Do the cameras photograph every vehicle passing through the intersection?
No. The cameras only photograph vehicles that enter an intersection after the traffic signal has turned red. Vehicles that enter the intersection while the traffic signal is green or amber will not be photographed.
What is the penalty for running a red light if caught by a red light camera system?
The set fine for running a red light is currently $325, which is issued to the registered owner of the vehicle. This charge includes $260 that would be forwarded to the City of Kingston, a $60 victim surcharge for Province of Ontario and a $5 court cost for the local provincial court. Since the registered owner of the vehicle may not actually be the driver that ran the red light, demerit points are NOT issued with red light camera tickets.
Who receives the ticket for running a red light detected by a camera system?
The registered license plate holder receives the ticket, regardless of who was driving the vehicle.
How long does it take to receive the ticket in the mail?
Tickets must be mailed out within 23 days of the offence occurring. Typically, once the ticket is in the mail it will be delivered within a week. This means that you would most likely receive your ticket within 30 days of the offence occurring.