How Long After Running a Red Light Will You Receive Notification?

[TaliaRose]

After running a red light, the illegal photo notification SMS is usually received within 3 to 7 days, with the latest being around 13 days. However, some cities now offer "instant electronic police capture alerts," where you can receive an SMS notification within 5-10 minutes of being captured. But this notification does not equate to a traffic violation; it merely serves as a capture alert. The final determination of whether it constitutes a violation takes 3-7 days. If it is indeed a violation, you will receive another SMS notification. For traffic violations captured by surveillance cameras, vehicle owners generally do not receive the violation SMS immediately. There is a delay, and the duration can vary. This is because after the electronic camera captures the violation, the relevant violation information needs to be transmitted through a dedicated channel to the traffic police management center, where it is compiled and then verified by relevant staff. Once confirmed as a violation, the system automatically retrieves the vehicle owner's phone number based on the license plate information and sends the violation details via SMS. After receiving the violation SMS, the vehicle owner must go to the traffic police department where the violation occurred within one month before the annual vehicle inspection to address the issue. Generally, if a vehicle owner suspects a violation, they can use 15 days as a benchmark. If no violation SMS is received beyond 15 days, it is likely that no violation was recorded. Traffic Violation Query Methods: Traffic violation queries refer to checking motor vehicle traffic management violations via the internet or query terminals. Methods include website queries, phone queries, SMS queries, and mobile app queries. Website Query: Search for "vehicle violation query" and input your vehicle information to check. Phone Query: Dial local 114 (area code + 114) or 12580 to confirm traffic violations. Violations can only be processed at the location where they occurred or where the vehicle is registered. For on-the-spot violations, such as those caught directly by a traffic officer, they must be handled at the violation site. SMS Query: Open your phone's SMS interface, enter "WZ [license plate number] [license plate color]," send to 1062650001, and click send. Mobile App Query: Open the "Traffic Management 12123" app, select "Violation Query," and clear any unresolved violations.

[VanReed]

The time it takes to receive a notification after running a red light isn't very fixed. I was chatting with a friend about this recently. He said you usually get a text message within 3 to 7 days, but it also depends on how busy the local traffic police department is. In big cities, it might be faster because the violations caught by traffic cameras are automatically uploaded to the system. The last time I accidentally ran a red light, I got the notification text on the fifth day, complete with a photo of the violation. If you don't hear anything after ten days or half a month, you're probably in the clear. But it's best to proactively check the Traffic Management 12123 app, as sometimes the system can be delayed. Remember to handle the violation within 15 days, or you'll have to pay a late fee.

[MakaylaRose]

It depends on the progress of the violation processing. Typically, after being captured by electronic police, the data goes through screening and entry, and is only uploaded to the system after confirmation, which takes about 1 to 3 working days. For my violation in the neighboring city, I found the record on the 12123 app on the third day and received the mailed notice on the fifth day. In fact, efficiency varies greatly from region to region—some places can display it on the app the same day. If there's a system upgrade or during holidays, waiting up to two weeks is possible. If there's no news after two weeks, chances are you weren't caught. But don't take chances—safe driving is the most important.

[Hayden]

From personal experience, you usually receive a notification within 3 days to a week. Last time I accidentally ran a red light at the Development Zone intersection, my phone popped up with a traffic violation alert on the fourth day, even showing the exact time and location precisely. Nowadays, all notifications are synchronized and pushed online, which is much faster than postal mail. But there are two things to note: out-of-town violations take longer to process; some older equipment might miss capturing the offense. My colleague once received the notice two weeks later, but that was a special case. If there's still no news after a month at the latest, you can basically consider yourself in the clear.