No, St. Louis City red light cameras are not issuing tickets right now, as far as the latest reporting shows. The old camera program ended after the Missouri Supreme Court struck down the city’s ordinance in 2015, and a new ordinance passed in 2024 has not produced a working camera system yet. Here is how the rulings, shutdowns, and comeback attempts unfolded, and what a red light camera ticket means for a driver today.
Are Red Light Cameras Legal in Missouri?
Red light cameras are legal in Missouri only when a city’s ordinance follows the Missouri Supreme Court’s 2015 rulings. Missouri has no statewide ban on the cameras. The court struck down specific city ordinances, not the technology itself, so a city can use cameras if it rewrites its law to fit the rulings.
The main problem with the old ordinances was how they assigned blame. The ticket went to the registered owner of the car, and the owner was treated as the driver unless the owner proved otherwise. That made a camera ticket work like a very expensive parking ticket, because the prosecutor never had to show who was behind the wheel.
How Did the St. Louis Red Light Camera Fight Begin?
The St. Louis red light camera fight began in 2009, when 3 vehicle owners sued the city. The cameras had been installed in 2007, and each ticket carried a $100 fine. The owners said they were not driving when their tickets were issued.
In May 2011, St. Louis City Circuit Judge Mark Neill issued a preliminary ruling that the tickets were invalid without enabling statutes from the state legislature. He issued a final ruling in February 2012 that the ordinance violated procedural due process, because a person could lose money without a hearing or any other way to dispute the ticket. The city appealed, and the tickets kept coming in the meantime.
The Missouri Court of Appeals sided with the city in June 2013 and reversed Judge Neill’s ruling. Reports at the time said the city earned $5.4 million from the cameras in 2012, and that $1.7 million of it went to American Traffic Solutions, the company that ran the system.
What Did the Missouri Supreme Court Decide About St. Louis Red Light Cameras?
The Missouri Supreme Court decided on August 18, 2015, that the St. Louis red light camera ordinance was unconstitutional as written. The court ruled 6-1 that the ordinance wrongly placed the burden on the vehicle owner to prove someone else was driving, according to St. Louis Public Radio.
The ruling came after another round in the lower courts. In February 2014, St. Louis City Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer ordered the city to stop issuing tickets, and the city quit for a few days. Judge Ohmer then granted a stay while the city appealed, so tickets resumed on February 14, 2014, with the money held in escrow until the appeal ended.
Here is the timeline in one place.
| Date | What Happened |
|---|---|
| 2007 | St. Louis City installs its first red light cameras |
| May 2011 | Judge Neill issues a preliminary ruling that the tickets are invalid |
| February 2012 | Judge Neill rules the ordinance violates procedural due process |
| June 2013 | Missouri Court of Appeals reverses and upholds the city’s ordinance |
| February 2014 | Judge Ohmer orders tickets stopped, then stays the order; tickets resume with money held in escrow |
| August 18, 2015 | Missouri Supreme Court strikes down the ordinance as written |
| April 2024 | Board of Aldermen passes a bill to bring the cameras back |
Sources: St. Louis Public Radio, the City of St. Louis, and court rulings as reported by Andrea’s earlier posts on this blog.
Did St. Louis Refund Red Light Camera Ticket Fines?
St. Louis refunded about $5.6 million in red light camera fines after the 2015 ruling. The refunds went to drivers who paid a ticket during the escrow period that began in February 2014. The City of St. Louis and the Missouri news outlet KBIA reported the figure, though the sources give slightly different start dates for the period. Andrea’s refund post explains where drivers were sent to claim a check at the time.
Are St. Louis Red Light Cameras Coming Back?
St. Louis red light cameras are coming back on paper, but they were not running at the last report. The Board of Aldermen passed Board Bill 105 on April 15, 2024, and Mayor Tishaura Jones signed it later that month. St. Louis Public Radio reported that the new cameras will photograph the vehicle, the license plate, and the driver’s face.
The city then asked for vendor proposals in July 2024. By July 2025, First Alert 4 reported that no cameras had been installed and no vendor had been contracted, and the mayor’s office said the matter was under evaluation. In January 2026, St. Louis Magazine reported that the plan faced headwinds. A driver who wants to know whether tickets are being issued today should check with the city, because enforcement could start with little notice.
Andrea wrote about the comeback in her Hannibal post, where she noted that the new tickets in the city will be treated as moving violations, not parking-style tickets.
Why Does the Driver’s Photo Matter?
The driver’s photo matters because the court said a red light ticket needs proof of who was driving. Some red light cameras capture a photo of the driver’s face, in addition to the license plate. If the camera does not get a clear photo of your face, you have a better shot at fighting the ticket.
Under the new St. Louis system, STLPR reported that a vehicle owner can ask the city to remove a ticket if someone else was driving. If you claim someone else was driving, the court may require you to name that person and give an address, so the court can pursue the actual driver.
What Happens If You Do Not Pay a Red Light Camera Ticket?
If you do not pay a red light camera ticket, the possible consequences depend on the city and the type of ticket. In the old St. Louis program, unpaid fines were sent to a collection law firm. The city had the power to issue a warrant, but Andrea’s 2014 post noted the city was not doing so while the Supreme Court case was pending.
That history does not tell you how a new program will treat late payments. Ignoring any ticket that actually reaches you is a risk, and an unpaid ticket can lead to an arrest and a license suspension in Missouri. A ticket that has a court date printed on it must be handled by that date.
Is It Worth Fighting a Red Light Camera Ticket?
Fighting a red light camera ticket is worth considering when points and insurance costs are at stake. The old St. Louis ticket was a non-moving violation with no points, so many drivers paid the $100 fine instead of spending more on an attorney. That math changes when a ticket is a moving violation.
A Hannibal red light camera ticket, for example, was a 2-point moving violation if the driver pleaded guilty, according to Andrea’s service page. Missouri suspends a license for 8 points in 18 months if it is your first suspension, so a single camera ticket can push a driver closer to that line. The same goes for the insurance company, which may increase your rate after a moving violation.
Andrea has gotten many of these tickets amended to a non-moving, no-point violation for clients, which is a possible result she cannot promise in any one case. Hannibal stopped issuing new camera tickets in May 2025, and tickets issued before May 20, 2025 are still valid and can be handled through the red light camera tickets service.
How Many Points Does a Red Light Ticket Add?
A red light ticket adds points only when the ticket is a moving violation. Under the old St. Louis ordinance, the ticket was not a moving violation, so it added no points to the driving record. Andrea’s 2025 post reports that the new St. Louis tickets will be treated as moving violations, and a Hannibal camera ticket was a 2-point violation.
Other traffic tickets, such as speeding and no proof of insurance, carry their own point values.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does St. Louis Use Red Light Cameras?
St. Louis does not use red light cameras at the last report. The city shut down its old cameras after the August 2015 Missouri Supreme Court ruling, and the cameras approved in April 2024 had not been installed as of the latest news coverage Andrea could verify.
Can You Get a Ticket From a Red Light Camera in Missouri?
You can get a ticket from a red light camera in Missouri only from a city that has a valid ordinance and working cameras. The ticket is mailed to the registered owner. Missouri cities that still issue tickets must follow the Supreme Court’s 2015 requirement about proving who was driving.
Do You Have to Pay a Red Light Camera Ticket If You Were Not Driving?
You may not have to pay a red light camera ticket if you were not driving, but you may have to tell the court who was. The 2015 ruling said an owner cannot be presumed to be the driver. A driver in this position can use the free consultation to have Andrea review the ticket.
Do Red Light Camera Tickets Add Points in Missouri?
Red light camera tickets add points in Missouri when the ticket is a moving violation. The old St. Louis ticket added none. A Hannibal ticket was a 2-point moving violation, and the new St. Louis tickets are expected to be moving violations.
Can a Red Light Camera Ticket Be Reduced?
A red light camera ticket can possibly be reduced to a non-moving, no-point violation by an attorney. Andrea has done this for clients with Hannibal tickets. The result depends on the ticket and the court, so she reviews each one before quoting a price.
What Should You Do If You Miss the Court Date on a Camera Ticket?
If you miss the court date on a camera ticket, contact the court right away, because a missed court date can lead to a warrant. Andrea can explain the next steps on a call.
The Bottom Line
St. Louis City red light cameras were struck down in 2015, approved again in 2024, and had not started issuing tickets at the latest report. Andrea handles every call and every case personally. She offers a free consultation with a flat fee price quote up front. To talk about a ticket, contact The Rogers Law Firm.
The pricing page explains how her flat fee quotes work.
