• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

I got a speeding ticket (camera) in Arizona

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

AZ_to_NJ

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? NJ

First off, I am from Arizona but now I live in New Jersey. I registered my vehicle in NJ and removed my AZ plates and got a NJ license as well (I gave the NJ DMV my old AZ license in the process).

I was visiting my parents in Tucson, AZ a few months ago. I was driving my dad's car and I got flashed by a camera. I was going 56 in a 45 mph. The ticket came to my parents address a couple weeks later. The ticket is addressed to me and contains my old AZ license info on it, which is technically no longer valid (at least I think so?)

I am now licensed in NJ. Do I have to pay this ticket? What is the worst thing that would happen? I am visiting my parents again next week. If I happen to get pulled over, would I be in trouble? Any advice would be awesome, thanks!
 


Isis1

Senior Member
Hmmm. Let's work our way up to the worst, shall we?

You stick the ticket in the trash. Your parents get late fine reminder at their home. Hand it to you with a raised eyebrow. You throw that letter away. Your parent's get another reminder in THEIR mailbox stating a collection fee has taken over the large new fine. Your dad gives you a long lecture about finances and responsibilities with a beer in his hand without offering you one. And because you figure it's still not a big deal, you don't read the fine print about putting your license on hold, your license being suspended, your tax refund being garnished. Stupid little stuff. Still ignore....

Then one day, you're out partying with your friends pick up this real hot guy/chick who totally digs you. You want to impress so you speed along the highway while this hot person is smiling at you.

Then you see flashing lights behind you. Cop pulls you over, asks to see your driver's license. Cop goes back to his ride. Comes back, asks you to step out the vehicle. Your date is starting to get weirded out. Cop tells you, your license is suspended so he's towing your car. Date figures, "oh hell, no". Calls a cab, and leaves. You get towing fees, more fines, and you can't afford to pay. So now, you've got no car, no license and your hot date never returns your calls. So you call daddy and mommy to bail you out. And daddy says, "Remember what I said about finances and responsibility?" then he hangs up on you.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
AZ has specific requirement to consider these tickets as being properly served. Those requirements have not been met.
 

AZ_to_NJ

Junior Member
I got a NJ license when I moved here and had to surrender my AZ license. Is my AZ license still valid in AZ? If I get pulled over in AZ next week and I show the cop a valid NJ license, will this ticket still come up when he looks me up in his car?
 

Who's Liable?

Senior Member
Hmmm. Let's work our way up to the worst, shall we?

You stick the ticket in the trash. Your parents get late fine reminder at their home. Hand it to you with a raised eyebrow. You throw that letter away. Your parent's get another reminder in THEIR mailbox stating a collection fee has taken over the large new fine. Your dad gives you a long lecture about finances and responsibilities with a beer in his hand without offering you one. And because you figure it's still not a big deal, you don't read the fine print about putting your license on hold, your license being suspended, your tax refund being garnished. Stupid little stuff. Still ignore....

Then one day, you're out partying with your friends pick up this real hot guy/chick who totally digs you. You want to impress so you speed along the highway while this hot person is smiling at you.

Then you see flashing lights behind you. Cop pulls you over, asks to see your driver's license. Cop goes back to his ride. Comes back, asks you to step out the vehicle. Your date is starting to get weirded out. Cop tells you, your license is suspended so he's towing your car. Date figures, "oh hell, no". Calls a cab, and leaves. You get towing fees, more fines, and you can't afford to pay. So now, you've got no car, no license and your hot date never returns your calls. So you call daddy and mommy to bail you out. And daddy says, "Remember what I said about finances and responsibility?" then he hangs up on you.
What REALLY happens is much simpler.

However there is some confusion that the OP was driving their parents car which is presumably insured and registered under their parents name, etc. How OPs information got on the ticket is a mystery. Additionally OP never stated if this was a photo radar ticket or a red light camera ticket.

but anyhow...

State send notice to parent that the photo does not match the driver and they must identify the driver OR a demand to pay notice for said ticket.

OP ignores ticket and tosses it.

120 days later, the ticket is dismissed because it has NOT BEEN PROPERLY SERVED per AZ state law which deems mail delivery as NOT being properly served.

Has worked exactly like that for thousands of people with NO suspensions or arrests made...
 

AZ_to_NJ

Junior Member
What REALLY happens is much simpler.

However there is some confusion that the OP was driving their parents car which is presumably insured and registered under their parents name, etc. How OPs information got on the ticket is a mystery. Additionally OP never stated if this was a photo radar ticket or a red light camera ticket.

but anyhow...

State send notice to parent that the photo does not match the driver and they must identify the driver OR a demand to pay notice for said ticket.

OP ignores ticket and tosses it.

120 days later, the ticket is dismissed because it has NOT BEEN PROPERLY SERVED per AZ state law which deems mail delivery as NOT being properly served.

Has worked exactly like that for thousands of people with NO suspensions or arrests made...

It was a speeding ticket, which I assume is the same as photo radar. Agreed, how my information got on the ticket is very mysterious. Not only that but it is very difficult to make out that it's actually me driving my dad's vehicle. Maybe they have a new system that looks at license pictures of immediate relatives?

Fast forwarding, lets say I visit AZ next week, do not get pulled over as I drive one of my parents cars and make it safely back to NJ after my trip to AZ. The 120 day mark should be in about a month (July 15 ish). If they serve me, they would try to do serve me at my parents address (where the car is registered and where my old AZ license is addressed). If and when my parents answer the door, they can only shrug their shoulders when they ask for me. So at that point, does the ticket just sort of go away?

By the way, thanks for the help so far, I really appreciate it.
 

Who's Liable?

Senior Member
It was a speeding ticket, which I assume is the same as photo radar. Agreed, how my information got on the ticket is very mysterious. Not only that but it is very difficult to make out that it's actually me driving my dad's vehicle. Maybe they have a new system that looks at license pictures of immediate relatives?
Not that I know of. There is something more here. Where you at any time a registered owner of the vehicle? They match the photo of the driver to the photo they have on file of the registered owner of said vehicle.

Fast forwarding, lets say I visit AZ next week, do not get pulled over as I drive one of my parents cars and make it safely back to NJ after my trip to AZ. The 120 day mark should be in about a month (July 15 ish). If they serve me, they would try to do serve me at my parents address (where the car is registered and where my old AZ license is addressed). If and when my parents answer the door, they can only shrug their shoulders when they ask for me. So at that point, does the ticket just sort of go away?

By the way, thanks for the help so far, I really appreciate it.
Need more information on your timeline. Did they send another notice to pay? Generally they send the first notice which basically state you were speeding, and have three options: Pay, traffic school, or finger the person who was driving, and it must be done within 30 days. The second notice states you missed the 30 days and now your license may be suspended, etc.. This is followed by a process server, which only tacks on $25-$30 onto the initial speeding fee. Which city did you get the ticket in, Scottsdale, Tempe?

The process server will go to your LAST KNOWN address on file and attempt to serve you. They can leave the summons with ANY legal aged adult, however they must be positive that the person who is being served actually resides at said address.
 
How can they know it was you and your old info from the photo the camera took of you driving your parents car that is registered to them? Do they have photo ID programs? hmmmm
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
How can they know it was you and your old info from the photo the camera took of you driving your parents car that is registered to them? Do they have photo ID programs? hmmmm
They got the right guy, so it's a moot question. We're past that now...try to keep up.
 

randomguy

Member
Simple put ignore the ticket. Arizona law requires you to be served with a ticket in person. Unless they going to go to NJ, find you and serve you there is nothing they can do about it. Yes AZ is strange when it comes to camera tickets.
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top