How Long Does It Take to Check a Red Light Violation?
2 Answers
After running a red light, the illegal photo notification SMS is usually received within 3 to 7 days, and the latest within about 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. However, the notification does not equate to a violation; it serves only as a capture alert. The final determination of whether it is a violation still takes 3-7 days. If it is indeed a violation, you will receive another SMS notification. For violations captured by surveillance cameras, vehicle owners generally do not receive the violation SMS immediately; there is a delay, and the duration may 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 forwarded to the relevant traffic police staff for verification. Once confirmed as a violation, the system automatically queries the corresponding vehicle owner's phone number based on the license plate information and then sends the violation details via SMS to the owner. After receiving the violation SMS, the vehicle owner must go to the local traffic police department or handle it online within one month before the annual vehicle inspection. Generally, if a vehicle owner suspects a violation, they can use 15 days as a benchmark. If no violation SMS is received after 15 days, it is likely that no violation was recorded. Traffic Violation Query Methods: Traffic violation queries refer to checking motor vehicle violations of traffic management through online or terminal methods. Vehicle violation queries can be conducted via vehicle violation websites, phone calls, SMS, mobile apps, or offline terminals. Website Query: You can search for "vehicle violation query" and enter vehicle information to check. Phone Query: To query violations, you can call the local 114 (area code + 114) or 12580 for confirmation. Violations can only be processed at the location of the violation or the vehicle's license plate issuance location. For on-the-spot violations, such as those directly caught by traffic police, they must be processed at the violation location. SMS Query: Open the SMS interface on your phone; enter "WZ [license plate number] [license plate color]" in the message content; enter "1062650001" as the recipient and click send. Mobile App Query: Open the Traffic Management 12123 app, select the violation query, and find unresolved violations to clear them. Offline Terminal Query: You can visit the local traffic management hall and use the self-service query machine to enter the license plate number and check recent violation records.
I've been driving for several years and often discuss this with friends. Generally, if you run a red light and get caught by the camera, the record can appear in the system as quickly as 3 days. Once, I accidentally ran a red light and found the record on the mobile app the next day. However, if it happens on weekends or holidays, it might take 5-7 days due to manual data review. There are significant differences between cities. Big cities like Beijing and Shanghai might process faster, while smaller towns could take over a week. I recommend using the Traffic Management 12123 app to check—just enter your license plate number, much more convenient than queuing up in person. Also, don't keep checking obsessively; it usually appears within 2 weeks at most. Always pay attention to traffic lights when driving—don't risk it just to save a little time. A ticket is a minor issue; safety is what truly matters.
