SB411 - Opelika Red Light Safety Act Summary

• Authorizes the City of Opelika to use automated photographic traffic signal enforcement systems to detect and prosecute red light violations as civil violations rather than criminal misdemeanors.

• Establishes civil fines not exceeding $100 plus a $10 administrative fee per violation, with an additional $10 fee for the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center; municipal court costs only assessed in contested cases.

• Requires the city to mail violation notices within 30 days of the recorded violation and post warning signs at five minimum entry points and at each enforcement location.

• Allows vehicle owners to contest violations through administrative hearings in Opelika Municipal Court with burden of proof on the city by preponderance of evidence; permits appeals to Lee County Circuit Court for trial de novo.

• Creates a civil cause of action for vehicle owners held liable to recover fines from the actual operator who was driving, and prohibits civil violations from appearing on criminal or driving records or affecting insurance rates.