Florida’s red-light camera enforcement system is facing new legal scrutiny after a Broward County judge dismissed a traffic citation and questioned the constitutionality of the state law behind it. The case challenges a key rule that presumes a vehicle’s registered owner is responsible when a violation is recorded by an automated camera.
This rule has long supported how cities issue citations across Florida. Although the decision applies only to a single case, it raises concerns for municipalities that rely on automated enforcement programs. Legal experts say the dispute could reach higher courts, where judges could determine whether the system can continue operating statewide.
Court finds red-light camera statute shifts burden of proof
The dispute stems from a red-light camera citation issued in Sunrise, Broward County, after automated cameras captured a vehicle entering an intersection against a red signal. In a 21-page order signed March 3, Broward County Judge Steven P. DeLuca dismissed the citation and found that Florida’s red-light camera statute unconstitutionally shifts the burden of proof from the state to the registered owner.
Under Florida Statute §316.0083, the owner is presumed responsible unless a statutory exemption is established, including by affidavit identifying another driver…