Suffolk drivers to start getting money back from red light camera tickets

If you got a red light camera ticket in Suffolk County, it may be time to check your mailbox.

According to Newsday, Suffolk County has begun notifying drivers who paid fines between 2013 and 2023 that they may be eligible for a refund. The county charged an administrative fee that was later ruled illegal.

The mailers include an identification number that eligible drivers will need to use when filing a claim.

The settlement could return up to $36 for each eligible ticket — $30 for the original administrative fee plus $6 in interest. The $50 fine from the ticket itself is not being refunded.

The final amount back in your pocket, however, could depend on how many drivers come forward to claim their money.

Suffolk collected about $91 million in the fees over the years. But the settlement sets aside only about $45 million to repay drivers. If more drivers file claims than expected, each person could receive less than the maximum $36.

Once a driver receives an identification number in the mail, they can file a claim at www.SuffolkRedLightSettlement.com.

The deadline to file a claim is Dec. 8.

Suffolk’s red light camera program ended in December 2024.

And while Suffolk drivers are now getting their money back, Nassau County is still fighting a similar ticket case in court.

Nassau has argued that it should not have to repay drivers for the $100 in additional fees it charged per ticket, even if those fees were illegal.

If you think you are eligible for a refund in Suffolk, but did not receive an ID number in the mail, there’s a form you can fill on line that can be found here.

Top: Red light camera, now offline, stationed at the corner of Route 83 and Horseblock Road in Farmingville. (GLI Photo/Nick Esposito, file)