Does a speed camera ticket affect insurance?

You’re driving home from work, maybe going a bit over the speed limit, but nothing wild. A few days later, a letter arrives. It's from your city's municipal government. You open it to find a speeding ticket, courtesy of a photo radar camera you didn’t even see. The first question that pops into your head is probably, "Is this going to hike up my insurance?"

If you're one of the thousands who received a speed camera ticket last year, you're not alone. In fact, in 2024, in the city of Ottawa alone, Ottawa's photo radar program issued a record-breaking 383,830 speeding tickets, up from 220,789 the year before, according to CTV News.

The good news is that not all tickets are treated equally by insurance companies. This article will walk you through what photo radar tickets mean for your driving record, how they differ from tickets issued by a police officer, and, most importantly, whether or not they’ll affect your car insurance premiums.

What is a speed camera ticket?

Speed camera tickets, also known as photo radar tickets, come from automated cameras set up across neighbourhoods to catch drivers going over the speed limit. According to ASE Ontario, these cameras are typically found in identified areas, such as community safety zones and school zones.

Unlike a ticket handed to you by a police officer, there’s no roadside stop involved. Instead, if you're speeding, a camera snaps a photo of your vehicle as evidence. The image is then reviewed by a municipal or provincial authority, and if it checks out, a ticket is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.

When a photo is taken, it records important details, such as:

• The date, time, and location

• The car's licence plate number

• The vehicle’s speed

• The make and model of the vehicle

Speed camera tickets are treated as owner liability offences. This means that the ticket is issued to the owner of the vehicle, who may or may not have been the person driving the vehicle at the time the photo was taken.

Do speed camera tickets affect car insurance premiums in Canada?

No. While regular speeding tickets can absolutely affect your car insurance, speed camera tickets are treated differently.

Across most provinces in Canada, tickets from speed cameras (also called photo radar) do not impact your car insurance rates. Remember, these tickets are issued to the vehicle owner and not the driver. Since there’s no way to prove who was behind the wheel when the camera took the photo, the ticket does not come with demerit points or go on anyone’s driving record.

Unlike a speeding ticket issued by a police officer, which includes driver identification and can result in a formal conviction, a photo radar ticket is classified as an owner liability offence. Since no one can prove who was driving at the time, it doesn’t go on any individual’s driving record, and therefore, doesn’t get reported to your auto insurance company.

Does this rule vary by province or territory?

No. Photo radar is tied to the vehicle, no matter what province or territory you're in. Since they can't guarantee who was behind the wheel at the time the photo was taken, they can only issue the ticket to the vehicle owner, which means it cannot show up on someone's driving record.

So, regardless of where you live, be it Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec, or elsewhere, if you get a speed camera ticket, you’ll be responsible for paying it as the registered vehicle owner. But, according to the Globe and Mail, you won’t need to worry about it raising your car insurance premiums.

Other types of automated traffic tickets

Speed cameras aren’t the only automated traffic enforcement tools in Canada. Others include:

• Red light cameras

• School bus stop-arm cameras

Like speed camera tickets, these are typically treated as owner liability offences; they’re issued to the registered vehicle owner and don’t go on your driving record.

Other types of automatic traffic enforcement that haven't made it to Canada (yet) include blocking the box, driving in dedicated bus lanes, and obstructing bike lanes, which the city of Toronto agreed to pilot all three in a recently approved congestion management plan, according to the CBC.

What options do you have when you get a speed camera ticket?

The process is similar to when you get a regular speeding ticket. You can either pay the fine or dispute the ticket in court.

Paying for the speed camera ticket

If you've received a speed camera ticket, you have the option to pay the full fine amount, usually within 30 to 60 days, though this can vary between municipalities.

You can usually pay online, by mail, or in person at City Hall or a provincial service centre. For example, in Toronto, the city’s website lets you pay online. In Edmonton, you can also pay the fine online at eService Alberta or in person at any Registry Officer or Provincial Court.

Once the payment is processed, the matter is officially closed. There's no court date, no demerit points, and no impact on your insurance. It’s simply a financial penalty tied to the vehicle, not the driver.

Disputing the speed camera ticket

If you decide you want to dispute the ticket, it's important to act promptly. For example, in Toronto, you have 30 days from the deemed service date to dispute it. If you miss the payment deadline listed on the ticket and haven’t initiated a dispute, you’ll be required to pay the fine, and late or additional administrative fees may apply.

While you can choose to dispute the ticket if you believe it was issued unfairly, many drivers opt to pay it and move on, especially since speed camera tickets don’t affect your driving record or insurance.

How much does a speed camera ticket cost?

The cost of a speed camera ticket varies depending on both the jurisdiction and the severity of the infraction. There are also multiple fees to account for when considering the overall cost of a speed camera ticket, because while there is the actual ticket fine, there are a couple of other expenses to be aware of, too. Thus, the cost of a speed camera ticket can be broken down into three parts:

The actual ticket fine

The fine incurred depends on the number of kilometres over the posted speed limit you were driving. Remember, Ontario's automated speed enforcement cameras are placed in community safety zones and school zones. According to the City of Toronto, drivers in Ontario pay the following:

Check the regional speeding penalties in your area to find out exactly how much you will pay according to how fast and where you were driving.

The victim surcharge fee/victim fine surcharge

This amount will also vary and is based on the amount of your actual ticket fine. The victim surcharge fee is regulated by the provincial government and is tacked on to all provincial offences, with the exception of parking tickets. The money raised is then directed to the victims' justice fund account, which is used to provide services to victims of crime.

In Ontario, a victim fine surcharges are assigned based on your speed ticket fine:

The court fee

A standard court fee applies to all speed camera tickets issued. The amount for this is determined provincially. In Ontario, court costs amount to $5.00 per traffic ticket, according to the Ontario Court of Justice.

What happens if you don't pay a speed camera ticket?

Not paying a speed camera ticket might not affect your insurance, but it can certainly cause other problems. For example, not paying your ticket in Ontario may lead to:

• Late fees or additional administrative fees

• Not being able to automatically renew your licence plate

• Lower credit score (if it gets sent to collections)

• Legal action to recover unpaid fines

What to do if you get a speed camera ticket

A 2024 CAA poll revealed that only 35% of Canadians believe they will get caught speeding, despite almost 70% admitting to speeding in residential areas and 40% admitting to running red lights. If you receive a ticket in the mail, here's what to do:

1. Double-check the details to ensure the plate number, date, and location are correct

2. Decide whether you want to dispute the ticket or just pay the fine

3. Keep a digital or printed copy of your proof of payment or dispute confirmation

Also, while a speed camera ticket won’t affect your insurance, it’s a good reminder to stay mindful of your driving habits. If you’re looking to improve your driving record or to lower your car insurance premium, you might consider a usage-based insurance program. These track real-world driving data like speed and braking, and can reward safer drivers with discounts.

Learn more with BrokerLink

If you still have questions about speed camera tickets, contact BrokerLink today. Our licensed insurance advisors can explain how speeding tickets work in Ontario and beyond. They can also inform you of what types of tickets will impact your car insurance, as well as provide advice on how to keep those rates low.

You can reach us by phone, email, or in person at any one of our locations throughout Canada. No matter how you choose to get in touch, a BrokerLink insurance advisor will be happy to assist you. We also encourage you to take advantage of our free online quote tool that can provide you with a competitive quote in minutes.

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FAQs on speed camera tickets and car insurance

Do you get demerit points from speed camera tickets?

No. Speed camera tickets do not result in demerit points. They also do not go on your driving record, which is why your insurance rates will not be impacted by a speed camera ticket. That said, regular speeding tickets will result in demerit points and, therefore, can result in a higher auto insurance premium.

Do speed camera tickets go on your driving record?

No. Speed camera tickets do not go on your driving record. This is due to the fact that the photos captured do not identify the driver, and so it wouldn’t be fair to have the ticket go on your driving record in case someone else was driving your vehicle at the time of the infraction. In contrast, getting pulled over by a law enforcement officer in person for speeding will go on your driving record since they will be able to identify you.

What happens if I get a speed camera ticket while driving a rental car?

If you get a speed camera ticket while driving a rental car, the ticket will be mailed to the rental car company since the vehicle is registered in their name. However, that doesn't mean that you won’t be on the hook for the ticket. Rather, the rental car company will then send you the speed camera ticket and you will be required to pay for any fees or fines.

How long do speeding tickets stay on your driving record?

In Ontario, speeding tickets remain on a driver’s record for a period of three years. However, keep in mind that this only applies to regular speeding tickets issued in person. Speed camera tickets do not go on your record.

Is there a maximum number of speed camera tickets a driver can get?

No. There is no maximum number of speed camera tickets a driver can get. If you receive a photo radar ticket in the mail, make sure to pay it as quickly as possible. If you fail to pay your ticket, you may have trouble renewing your licence plate sticker, which will prevent you from driving.

If you have any questions, contact one of our local branches.