A family member was driving your car.
Camera tickets go to the car’s registered owner, not to whoever was driving. If a family member was behind the wheel, you may be able to move the ticket off your name, but how you do it depends on where you live.
Are you liable?
To start with, yes. Camera laws assume the registered owner is responsible, which is why the notice came to you. In most camera states you can overcome that assumption with a sworn statement that someone else had the car. The rules are the same whether the driver was a stranger, a friend, or your spouse. Family doesn’t create an exception either way.
Do you have to name them?
This is the real question, and states split. In Washington, Oregon, and Pennsylvania, you can swear you weren’t driving without saying who was. In most other camera states, including California, Illinois, Florida, Virginia, and Maryland, you have to name the driver, and the ticket is usually reissued to them. In Colorado, Louisiana, and Rhode Island, a statement exists, but the owner can still be held liable. New York has no general “someone else was driving” defense.
If your state requires a name, the person you name usually takes on the ticket, including any points if your state adds them. Talk to them before you file. See your state’s guide for the exact form.
The honesty part
These forms are sworn. File only if you know it wasn’t you, and in states that require a name, name only the person who was actually driving. Guessing between two people in the household is a false statement. In most states a false affidavit is a crime, far worse than the fine. In Florida, for example, it’s a misdemeanor.
Not sure who had the car? Look at the photos first. Many programs let you view the images online. If your teen was driving, ask the court whether drivers under 18 are handled differently.
FAQ
My spouse was driving. Can I just sign that I wasn’t?
In Washington, Oregon, and Pennsylvania, a truthful sworn statement that you weren’t driving is generally enough. In most other states, the form also asks who was driving, so you’d have to name your spouse. See your state’s guide.
Will naming my kid put points on their license?
Most camera tickets are civil and carry no points, but not all. California red-light camera tickets, for example, can add a point to the driver’s record. Check your state’s guide before you file.
What if I can’t tell which of us was driving?
Then you can’t swear it wasn’t you. Check the camera images first. If you still can’t tell, don’t file a non-responsibility declaration. Contest the ticket on other grounds, or pay it.
Every non-responsibility form is sworn under penalty of perjury. If someone else genuinely had the car, use the remedy. If it was you, pay it or ask for a hearing — a false oath is never worth it.
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General information, not legal advice. Rules vary by state — check your state’s guide and your court. Last reviewed October 2026.