When Will You Receive the SMS After Running a Red Light?
3 Answers
After running a red light, the SMS notification for the violation is usually received within 3 to 7 days, and at the latest within about 13 days. However, some cities have now introduced "instant electronic police capture alerts," where you can receive an SMS notification within 5-10 minutes of being captured. However, this notification does not equate to a violation; it serves only 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 violations captured by surveillance cameras, vehicle owners generally do not receive the violation SMS immediately; there is a delay, and the duration of this delay 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 handed over to the relevant traffic police personnel for verification. Once the violation is confirmed, the system automatically retrieves the vehicle owner's phone number based on the license plate information and then sends the violation details via SMS to the owner, who will then receive the corresponding violation SMS. After receiving the violation SMS, the vehicle owner must settle the violation 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 beyond 15 days, it is likely that no violation has been recorded. Methods for Traffic Violation Queries: Traffic violation queries refer to checking motor vehicle violations of traffic management regulations through online platforms or query terminals. Methods for vehicle violation queries include website queries, phone queries, SMS queries, mobile app queries, and offline terminal queries. Website Query: You can search for "vehicle violation query" and enter your 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 where the violation occurred or where the vehicle's license plate was issued. For on-the-spot violations, such as those directly caught by traffic police, they must be processed at the violation location. SMS Query: Open your phone's SMS interface; enter "WZ" followed by your license plate number and color in the message body; enter "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: You can visit the local traffic management hall and use the self-service query machine to enter your license plate number and check recent violation records.
As a veteran driver with twenty years of experience, I accidentally ran a red light when I was younger, and I remember receiving a text notification in about three days. Now, with system upgrades, processing is faster, generally taking 1-7 working days, depending on the efficiency of the local traffic bureau. In big cities like Shanghai or Guangzhou, it might be slower during peak hours because the data captured by cameras needs to be uploaded for backend review. If the photos are unclear or raise questions, the processing time may be longer. Bad weather or system maintenance can also cause delays. Before receiving the text, it's best not to speculate—downloading the Traffic Management 12123 app for real-time updates is more reliable. Driving safely is the top priority; don’t let fines affect your mood, but developing compliant habits is far more important than waiting for notifications.
As a car enthusiast, I've studied the workflow of traffic monitoring systems. After running a red light, the camera captures the image instantly, then the data is transmitted to the data center, and the violation is only confirmed after manual or AI review. SMS notifications are usually sent within a few days, but the actual time is affected by various factors: network delays, backend processing speed, or regional differences. For example, high-speed camera points may notify the next day, while urban roads during peak hours may take up to a week. I recommend using the traffic management mobile app for monitoring instead of just waiting for SMS, to avoid missing the payment deadline. Safe driving is the most important; technology is good, but obeying the law ensures peace of mind. Learn from every violation and be more careful next time.
