Violations and Penalties

What is process for the violation enforcement?

1. The photo enforcement system captures the violation.


2. The contracted company reviews and validates the violation and sends it to the police department.


3. A sworn law enforcement officer reviews the evidence captured and either accepts the violation for civil penalty or dismisses the violation due to circumstances either acquired by the monitoring system or observed in the video evidence.


4. If the officer accepts the violation, he or she will then obtain the vehicle owner’s information for the violation notice.


5. The contracted company will then mail the violation notice to the owner along with instructions for viewing the violation and methods for payment.

What is the process for viewing the violation?

1. The registered owner of the vehicle is provided with three still photographs of the vehicle on the violation notice.


2. The video and photograph evidence can be reviewed on the internet by logging onto the system using the violation and vehicle license plate numbers. The website location is listed on the violation notice. www.photonotice.com


3. The vehicle owner and/or violator can request to meet with a PHOTOSafe program officer to review the evidence and discuss the red light running violation.


4. The violator can request a court date for the evidence to be heard in the Chesapeake Courts System.

Below are examples of photos taken by the system

Before Violation

Close up of License Plate

During Violation

Chesapeake Police Department PHOTOSafe Program Diagram

The diagram above is a representation of the PHOTOSafe camera systems used in the City of Chesapeake. This picture illustrates a single intersection approach with three vehicles in violation of the traffic signal. Each system contains multiple cameras that can capture multiple lane violations occurring at the same time. Drivers are reminded that our systems do capture right turn on red violations.

What is the Penalty?

The penalty for a photo enforced red light running violation is a $50.00 penalty and no court costs are associated with the penalty. The violation is a civil matter. There are no driver license points assessed and there are no insurance implications. By law, the Department of Motor Vehicles and insurance companies are cannot be notified of the offense. This violation does not affect drivers that are on probation with the court or with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The operator of the vehicle is liable for the monetary penalty imposed from information obtained from the red light camera system. The video and photographed evidence of the red light violation will be available for review and inspection by the registered owner or driver of the vehicle. There is a legal presumption that the registered owner, lessee, or renter of the vehicle was the person who committed the violation. This presumption can be challenged by affidavit or testimony under oath in open court that the owner, lessee, or renter was not the driver at the time of the violation.