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Seattle camera ticket, but you weren’t driving

Seattle Municipal Court runs the Automated Traffic Safety Camera program — red-light and school-zone speed cameras across the city. If someone else genuinely had your car, you file the same Declaration of Non-Responsibility, and you don’t have to name them.

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Does the form work in Seattle?

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. 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.”RCW 46.63.075 · Washington

Statute: RCW 46.63.075. Active camera programs include Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane. Last verified June 2026. Confirm with your court before filing.

How to file in Seattle

Three steps. Then one thing you should not do.

1

Make sure it’s true

Someone other than you genuinely had the car. The form is sworn.

2

File before the deadline

Submit online, by email, or by mail, by the response due date printed on your Notice of Infraction.

3

Let the court decide

They cancel it or set a hearing. Civil either way — no points.

✋ Don’t pay first. Paying the fine usually cancels your right to declare.
File the declaration →
Opens the official Washington page · read the statute (Seattle Municipal Court — camera tickets)

Seattle camera tickets: FAQ

If someone else was driving, can I get out of a Seattle 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 Seattle?

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 Seattle 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.

One rule: it has to be true.

This is a statement under penalty of perjury. If someone else really was driving, use it without hesitation. If you were the one driving, filing anyway is a crime far more serious than the ticket — just pay it or request a hearing.

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