Illinois red light camera ticket on Georgia license (rental car, rental) - Atlanta - (GA) - City-Data Forum

ATLTJL · 10-19-2011, 01:02 PM

If you get one of those silly red light camera tickets on a rental car in Chicago and you have a Georgia license, does anybody know if you have to pay it?

I know there is no reciprocation between Georgia and Illinois, so I know a bench warrant can not be issued. But could it cause any problems in a few years when it's time to renew the Georgia license?

You don't want to pay the $100 on principle alone because the red light cameras in Illinois are a total scam. But you also don't want to cause a major headache down the road over a crappy hundred bucks.

Has this happened to anyone else?

lorilove · 10-19-2011, 01:12 PM

Let me beat atlantagreg30127 to this one:

Quote:

Sorry - you're asking for legal advice, and no one here can (or should) dispense it on an online forum. You need to look through your local directory for an attorney that specializes in traffic issues (there are tons of them listed.

ATLTJL · 10-19-2011, 01:14 PM

Are you seriously suggesting contacting an attorney over a $100 ticket?

Let me do a quick cost/revenue calculation on that one.....

LOL.

Okay, fine, we'll deal in semantics. Let me just ask if this has happened to anybody else, what you did, and what ended up happening.

I won't take it as legal advice, just a story.

mich2fla · 10-19-2011, 01:56 PM

They will track you down...it happened to my dad when he was in Chicago on business in a rental. He did see the lights go off on him.

A couple of months later, they did track my dad down by mail to his house in Michigan. He paid the fine and lived happily after.

BeyondInfinity · 10-19-2011, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

If you get one of those silly red light camera tickets on a rental car in Chicago and you have a Georgia license, does anybody know if you have to pay it?

I know there is no reciprocation between Georgia and Illinois, so I know a bench warrant can not be issued. But could it cause any problems in a few years when it's time to renew the Georgia license?

You don't want to pay the $100 on principle alone because the red light cameras in Illinois are a total scam. But you also don't want to cause a major headache down the road over a crappy hundred bucks.

Has this happened to anyone else?

Simply send a letter, a copy of your your current insurance card and/or registration (with your GA tag number included) and say that you dispute the claim.

Momdog · 10-19-2011, 02:31 PM

Or just rip up the ticket like my sister did. She got a red light ticket when living in IL, with her IL plates, then moved to GA, where the ticket was mailed to her, over a year later. She received a second notice, ripped that one up; hasn't heard from them since. Or do what our grandpa said once over a ticket..."just wipe your butt with it". LOL

PKCorey · 10-19-2011, 02:33 PM

If its a rental car, they will pay it and charge you for it.

Red Light tickets are not attached to a license but the registered owner of the car. You won't be able to register the car etc etc.

cityrover · 10-19-2011, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

If you get one of those silly red light camera tickets on a rental car in Chicago and you have a Georgia license, does anybody know if you have to pay it?

I know there is no reciprocation between Georgia and Illinois, so I know a bench warrant can not be issued. But could it cause any problems in a few years when it's time to renew the Georgia license?

You don't want to pay the $100 on principle alone because the red light cameras in Illinois are a total scam. But you also don't want to cause a major headache down the road over a crappy hundred bucks.

Has this happened to anyone else?

Well what will happen is eventually they rack up penalties on the ticket and if you dont pay it, they will suspend your registration. But since IL cannot suspend GA registration..

Now if it wasnt a camera auto ticket but a cop who used your drivers license, all they can do is issue an IL warrant and next time you get run in IL it will show. And then you will be arrested if you are in that state or another one where they have a compact with.

flyonpa · 10-19-2011, 07:12 PM

The rental car company will pay it, then change your credit card for the amount of the ticket, the late fee since they didn't pay it within X day. And the rental car will also charge you $50-100 admin fee for paying it.

ATLTJL · 10-19-2011, 08:19 PM

The rental car company already charged $30 for supplying my information to the traffic enforcement people, so they are out of it. At least, that's what they said, maybe they would have to pay it, I don't know.

It was a camera that issued the ticket, I was never pulled over. I was shocked to receive it in the mail, because I never ran a red light. These tickets are issued to people who do not come to complete stops at red lights before making a right turn, which I didn't do because the lane looked like one of those "keep moving" lanes we have here where all you are supposed to do is yield to oncoming traffic, of which there was none.

My concern was it would remain dormant and then when I have to renew my GA license it will show up. Or if I ever rent from Hertz again it will show up. Some way to screw me over in the future.

That's why I'm thinking the best thing to do is not take a stand on principle and just eat the $100 and forget about it instead of worrying in the future.

And coming to places like this and telling people that if you plan trade shows or conventions, avoid the Chicago area. They pray on out of towners who don't know the complete stop on red even when you are in what appears to be a keep moving lane rule. This was in Rosemont, where all the convention facilities are.