Federal Way camera ticket, but you weren’t driving.
Federal Way has run cameras since 2008 — six red-light cameras plus eight school-zone units. Its own FAQ answers the exact question this site exists for: no, you don’t have to name the driver.
At a glance — details and the official link below. Last verified June 2026.
Does the form work in Federal Way?
Federal Way Municipal Court handles the tickets, and the city’s photo-enforcement FAQ is unusually direct: “The law does not require you to name the other driver.” You file the Statement of Non-Responsibility that comes with your Notice of Infraction; naming the driver is optional, and only matters if you’d rather skip a hearing (the actual driver can also voluntarily accept responsibility). Fines run $145 for red-light and $223–290 in school zones.
Washington is one of the most owner-friendly states: you are not required by law to name the actual driver. A sworn statement that you weren’t the one driving is enough to rebut the presumption — it lives in RCW 46.63.075(2), and the 2024 overhaul of the camera law (ESHB 2384) left it untouched; only rental-car businesses ever have to identify a driver. That 2024 law also let far more cities hang cameras (school walk zones, parks, hospitals) while capping most fines at $145 with a mandatory 50% low-income reduction. Camera infractions are civil — no points, not reported to insurers.
“The presumption may be overcome only if the registered owner states, under oath, that the vehicle was, at the time of the infraction, stolen or in the care, custody, or control of some person other than the registered owner.”
How to file in Federal Way
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i
Make sure it’s true.Someone other than you, or a co-owner, genuinely had the car. The form is sworn, so this part isn’t flexible.
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ii
File before the deadline.Submit online, by email, or by mail, by the response due date printed on your Notice of Infraction.
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Let the court decide.They cancel the ticket or set a hearing. Either way it stays civil: no points, no hit to your record.
The court reviews your declaration — usually within a couple of weeks. You’ll get a decision by mail or email: the ticket is canceled, or a hearing is set. Don’t pay the fine while you wait — paying can withdraw the declaration. Heard nothing by the follow-up date? Call the court and confirm they received it.
Federal Way camera tickets: FAQ
If someone else was driving, can I get out of a Federal Way camera ticket?
Yes. Washington lets the registered owner file a Declaration of Non-Responsibility (RCW 46.63.075) stating you weren’t the driver. A valid one can cancel the ticket. It must be true — it’s sworn under penalty of perjury.
How do I fight a traffic camera ticket in Federal Way?
If someone else was driving, file a Declaration of Non-Responsibility (RCW 46.63.075) — follow the steps above. If it was you, request a hearing to contest the citation itself. Either way these are civil tickets, so no license points.
What is the Declaration of Non-Responsibility in Washington?
It’s a sworn statement to the court that the vehicle was in someone else’s control at the time of the camera infraction. File it online, by email, or by mail, by the response due date printed on your Notice of Infraction.
Do camera tickets in Federal Way put points on my license?
No. Automated red-light and speed camera citations in Washington are civil — they don’t add points to your driving record. Don’t pay the fine before filing, though — paying usually withdraws your right to declare.
This is a statement under penalty of perjury. If it was genuinely someone else, use the remedy without hesitation. If it was you, just pay it or ask for a hearing — a false oath is never worth it.
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