Bernalillo County to send unpaid speed camera fines to collections
Unpaid camera tickets in Bernalillo County can soon be sent to collections, a move aimed at drivers who ignore mailed notices from the county’s 10-camera enforcement network.
Bernalillo County will begin sending unpaid speed camera citations to a collections agency, escalating enforcement against drivers who ignore tickets from the county’s automated traffic program. The move affects citations issued through the county’s 10 active cameras, which are concentrated in unincorporated areas such as the South Valley and the Coors corridor.
The county’s speed enforcement program started after commissioners approved the enabling ordinance in February 2023, and county officials announced the rollout on Aug. 23, 2024. The program began with the installation of nearly a dozen cameras, including six installed in August 2024, and the effort is intended to improve safety rather than generate money.
Residents who receive a citation still have options before a bill reaches collections. The county provides a hearing process and a way to appeal or transfer liability to the actual driver, and it also offers community service as an alternative for people who cannot pay. Citation notices are sent only by mail, not by text message or phone call, after scam messages began circulating that falsely claimed drivers owed unpaid traffic fines.
Defaulted camera fines can be sent to debt collections and do not create a criminal bench warrant or add points to a driver’s license. At the state Capitol, a 2025 proposal sought to bar cities from using third parties to collect unpaid automated-camera traffic fines.
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