Disobey Red Light (HTA s. 144(18))
A red light offence may affect your driving record and demerit points when it is issued by an officer.
Before you pay or respond, it is important to understand the details of the charge and what evidence may be involved. Our Red Light Ticket Defence in Ontario service helps you make an informed decision about your next step.
What is the charge?
Entering an intersection after the light has turned red. It also covers improper right turns on red — failing to come to a complete stop before turning, or turning where it is prohibited.
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3 demerit points
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Approximately $325
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On your record for 3 years
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A three-point conviction on a clean record is rarely dramatic on its own; layered onto an existing conviction it starts to compound, both toward the demerit warning thresholds and in how insurers price the record. Red light convictions are also weighted more heavily by some insurers than the point count alone suggests, because they read as intersection-collision risk.
The distinction that changes your response
An officer-issued ticket is not the same as a red light camera ticket.
Red Light Ticket Penalty | Officer-issued | Camera-issued |
|---|---|---|
Demerit Points | 3 | 0 |
Goes on your driving record | Yes | No |
The Driver | The driver | The registered plate holder |
Fighting it
These charges come down to precise, testable details: exactly where your vehicle was when the light changed, the signal's timing and amber duration, sightlines, and the officer's vantage point relative to the intersection. Where a right-turn-on-red is alleged, "did not come to a complete stop" is an observational judgment, not a measurement.
Vertex Legal Solutions is licensed by the Law Society of Ontario. General information, not legal advice.
