Philadelphia camera ticket, but you weren’t driving.
Philadelphia runs Pennsylvania’s largest camera program — red-light cameras citywide plus speed cameras on Roosevelt Boulevard and Broad Street. If you weren’t driving, you can dispute it without having to name who was.
Does the form work in Philadelphia?
Philadelphia’s program — the state’s oldest, running since 2005 — is administered with the Philadelphia Parking Authority, and the tickets are civil: no points, no insurance hit, nothing on your driving record. Pennsylvania is unusually owner-friendly: you can raise the defense that the person named was not operating the vehicle without being required to identify the actual driver. Dispute within 30 days of the notice.
Pennsylvania red-light camera tickets are civil penalties against the registered owner — no points, no insurance hit, not on your driving record. It is a statutory defense that the person named was not operating the vehicle, and notably Pennsylvania does NOT require the owner to disclose who actually was driving. Raise it within 30 days. PA speed cameras are limited to work zones and a Philadelphia corridor program.
Statute: 75 Pa.C.S. § 3116 / § 3117 · last verified June 2026. Confirm with your court before filing.
How to file in Philadelphia
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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 by disputing the violation in writing, within 30 days of the notice.
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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.
Philadelphia camera tickets: FAQ
If someone else was driving, can I get out of a Philadelphia camera ticket?
Yes. Pennsylvania lets the registered owner file a non-responsibility defense (75 Pa.C.S. § 3116 / § 3117) 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 Philadelphia?
If someone else was driving, file a non-responsibility defense (75 Pa.C.S. § 3116 / § 3117) — 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 non-responsibility defense in Pennsylvania?
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 by disputing the violation in writing, within 30 days of the notice.
Do camera tickets in Philadelphia put points on my license?
No. Automated red-light and speed camera citations in Pennsylvania 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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