How many days will it take to receive the notification after running a red light?
3 Answers
No, after running a red light, the illegal photo notification SMS is usually received within 3 to 7 days, and at 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. But the notification does not equate to a violation; it only serves 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 traffic 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 verified by the relevant staff of the traffic police department. Once the violation is confirmed, the system automatically retrieves the vehicle owner's phone number based on the license plate information and sends the violation details via SMS. Only then will the owner receive the corresponding violation notification. After receiving the violation SMS, the vehicle owner must go to the traffic police department where the violation occurred to handle the matter within one month before the annual vehicle inspection. Generally, if a vehicle owner suspects they have committed 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. Methods for Traffic Violation Queries: Traffic violation queries refer to checking motor vehicle violations of traffic management through online platforms or query terminals. Methods for car violation queries include car violation website queries, phone queries, SMS queries, mobile app queries, and offline terminal queries. Website Query: You can search for "vehicle violation query" and input your vehicle information to check. Phone Query: To query violations, you can call local 114 (area code + 114) or 12580 for confirmation. Violations can only be handled at the traffic police department where the violation occurred or where the vehicle's license plate was issued. For on-the-spot violations, such as those directly caught by a traffic officer, they must be handled at the location of the violation. SMS Query: Open the SMS interface on your phone; enter "WZ" followed by your license plate number and color; input 1062650001 as the recipient and click send. Mobile App Query: Open the "Traffic Management 12123" app, select "Violation Query," and find any unprocessed violations to clear them. Offline Terminal Query: Visit the local traffic management hall and use the self-service query machine to input your license plate number and check recent violation records.
I was worried for several days after running that red light, and sure enough, on the fifth day I received the fine notice. It was captured by an electronic camera, and the system processes things pretty quickly—usually license plates in city centers can be identified within a day or two, but mailing the notice takes additional time. On average, it takes about a week from being caught to receiving the notice, faster in big cities (maybe three to four days) and slower in smaller areas (possibly up to two weeks). I’d also recommend checking your mailbox carefully to avoid missing it, and staying focused while driving to avoid distractions. If you don’t receive anything after two weeks, don’t ignore it—there might be a mail delay, so check the traffic police website for records later. Safety comes first, and obeying red light rules helps avoid trouble and accidents.
From my understanding of the traffic system, the processing chain after running a red light is quite efficient: the camera captures the violation instantly, the backend automatically recognizes the license plate number, and the entry is completed within a day or two. Then, a notification email or letter is sent, which might take a few extra days. Overall, it commonly takes 5 to 10 days to receive the ticket, with big cities possibly shortening this to 3 days due to newer technology, while suburban areas might be a bit slower. A reminder: handle the ticket early once received, don’t delay. Always pay attention to traffic signal changes when driving, and make it a habit to check for traffic violations via mobile apps to avoid missing any unnoticed violations.
