Choosing a Plea on a Red-Light Camera Traffic Citation
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Reviewed & verified by A. Jason Velez, Esq.*
Managing Attorney, 1LAW · Last reviewed June 6, 2025
Legal Inquiry
Consumer Legal Issue
By I got this traffic ticket from the camera at an intersection The light was still green when I was approaching the intersection, and by the time I made the turn the light turn orange. There is no no turn on red sign in that area halfway from me, making the turn. I got flashed by the camera, and by the time I made a complete turn, the light was red. At the moment. Right now, I am filling out this reduction request on mycitations.court.ca.gov. It is asking me if I want to plead guilty, or no contest. I don’t know which one to choose, or which ones the right one to choose cause. I know I didn’t do it, but I don’t know if I press no contest. They might not grant me request to reduce the ticket. I don’t know what to do, and I’m scared of picking the wrong one.
I just wanted to know which one was the right on the choose for me to continue on filling out this application for a reduction on my ticket. If I should, please guilty or no guilty/no contest.
Attorney Answer
For an infraction like this, no contest has the same effect as guilty on the ticket itself, but unlike a guilty plea it generally cannot be used against you as an admission in a separate civil lawsuit — so no contest is usually the safer of the two. Neither one, though, matches what you actually described wanting.
California permits a right turn on a steady red signal after stopping, unless a sign at that location prohibits it (Cal. Veh. Code § 21453(b)). What you describe — stopping, then turning right with no posted no-turn-on-red sign — is exactly the kind of factual dispute a hearing is meant to resolve, including the question of whether the required stop happened at the limit line.
On the plea itself: for an offense that is not a felony, a no contest plea has the same legal effect as a guilty plea in the traffic case — it produces a finding against you. The difference is that a no contest plea to a non-felony generally cannot be used against you as an admission in a civil suit growing out of the same incident (Cal. Penal Code § 1016(3)). A guilty plea carries no such protection. A red-light infraction is not a felony, so that protection applies here.
But notice what both options have in common. You wrote that you know you did not do it. Either plea accepts the violation for purposes of the citation. If your real goal is to contest whether the violation happened, a reduction request is the wrong form — you would want to contest the citation and ask for a hearing instead.
What you can do
1. Before submitting anything, decide which outcome you actually want: contest the violation, or accept it and ask for a lower fine. They are different paths. 2. If you want to contest it, look on the portal for the option to request a hearing or trial rather than the plea-plus-reduction path. 3. Gather anything supporting your account — dashcam footage, photos of the intersection and the absence of a no-turn-on-red sign, and the citation's own camera images, which typically show whether you stopped. 4. If you do choose to resolve it with a plea, no contest is generally the option that avoids creating an admission usable in a separate civil case. 5. Watch the response due date printed on the citation — missing it can add a civil assessment on top of the fine. If points or insurance consequences concern you, a short consult with a California traffic attorney before you submit is worth it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a guilty plea and a no contest plea on a California traffic ticket?
For an offense that is not a felony, both produce a finding against you in the traffic case itself. The difference is that a no contest plea generally may not be used against you as an admission in a civil suit arising out of the same incident, while a guilty plea can be.
Is it legal to turn right on red in California?
Generally yes, after stopping as required, unless a sign at that location prohibits the turn. The required stop is at the limit line or before the crosswalk, not partway into the intersection.
Can a driver contest a red-light camera ticket instead of requesting a reduced fine?
Yes. Contesting the citation and requesting a hearing is a separate path from paying or asking for a reduction, though the specific procedure and the evidence that helps can vary by court.
