How to Fight a Speed Camera Ticket in Colorado (2026)

Under C.R.S. § 42-4-110.5(2)(a)(II)(A), the jurisdiction must issue and send a Notice of Violation to the registered owner no later than 30 days after the alleged violation if the vehicle is registered in Colorado (60 days if out-of-state registered). If the NOV was issued or postmarked more than 30 days after the violation date for an in-state vehicle, the notice is untimely and enforcement is barred.

C.R.S. § 42-4-110.5(2)(a)(II)(A)-(B) — 'within thirty days after the alleged violation occurred if the motor vehicle involved in the alleged violation is registered in the state; or within sixty days after the alleged violation occurred if the motor vehicle involved in the alleged violation is registered outside of the state.' Source: content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2023a_200_signed.pdf (SB 23-200, signed June 5, 2023)

Under C.R.S. § 42-4-110.5(2)(a)(IX), the jurisdiction 'shall not initiate or pursue a collection action against a registered owner of a motor vehicle for a debt resulting from an unpaid penalty assessed pursuant to this section unless the registered owner is personally served the notice of violation or the final order of liability.' A mailed-only NOV does not satisfy personal service. This defense blocks collection enforcement — it does not dismiss the underlying ticket.

C.R.S. § 42-4-110.5(2)(a)(IX) — 'The state, a county, a city and county, or a municipality shall not initiate or pursue a collection action against a registered owner of a motor vehicle for a debt resulting from an unpaid penalty assessed pursuant to this section unless the registered owner is personally served the notice of violation or the final order of liability.' Source: content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2023a_200_signed.pdf (SB 23-200, p. 6)

Under C.R.S. § 42-4-110.5(2)(h), the state, county, or municipality may NOT require the registered owner to disclose the identity of the driver detected through the automated system. The owner may be required to submit evidence that the owner was not the driver, but cannot be compelled to name the actual driver. This is confirmed by the Denver DPD FAQ: 'You are not required to nominate (or identify) the driver in order to have your Not Pictured Affidavit reviewed by the Denver Police Department.'

C.R.S. § 42-4-110.5(2)(h) — 'The state, a county, a city and county, or a municipality shall not require a registered owner of a vehicle to disclose the identity of a driver of the vehicle who is detected through the use of an automated vehicle identification system. However, the registered owner may be required to submit evidence that the owner was not the driver at the time of the alleged violation.' Source: content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2023a_200_signed.pdf (SB 23-200, p. 9)

Under C.R.S. § 42-4-110.5(4)(a), if the jurisdiction detects a speeding violation of less than ten miles per hour over the limit through an automated system, and the violation is the first such detection by that jurisdiction for the registered owner, the jurisdiction shall mail the registered owner a warning and shall NOT impose any penalty or surcharge for that first violation. If a fine was assessed on a qualifying first offense, the fine is unlawfully imposed.

C.R.S. § 42-4-110.5(4)(a) — 'If the state, a county, a city and county, or a municipality detects a speeding violation of less than ten miles per hour over the reasonable and prudent speed...and the violation is the first violation by the registered owner that the state, county, city and county, or municipality has detected using an automated vehicle identification system, then the state, county, city and county, or municipality shall...not impose any penalty or surcharge for such first violation.' Source: content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2023a_200_signed.pdf (SB 23-200, p. 10)

Under C.R.S. § 42-4-110.5(2)(d), the jurisdiction must post a sign notifying the public that an automated vehicle identification system is in use. For speed cameras, the sign must be in a conspicuous location not fewer than 300 feet before the area of system use. For red-light cameras, the sign must be placed not fewer than 200 feet nor more than 500 feet before the camera system, with specified minimum lettering sizes. A border or jurisdictional sign alone does not satisfy this requirement.

C.R.S. § 42-4-110.5(2)(d)(I) — speed cameras: sign 'in a conspicuous place not fewer than three hundred feet before the area in which the automated vehicle identification system is to be used.' C.R.S. § 42-4-110.5(2)(d)(II) — red-light cameras: sign 'placed in a conspicuous location not fewer than two hundred feet nor more than five hundred feet before the automated vehicle identification system' with minimum lettering sizes. Source: content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2023a_200_signed.pdf (SB 23-200, pp. 6-7)

Under C.R.S. § 42-4-110.5(6)(a)(I), the automated system simultaneously records a photograph of the vehicle, the operator, and the license plate at the time of the alleged violation. A Notice of Violation is issued to the registered owner of the vehicle identified in that photograph. If the plate number shown is not the owner's plate, or the vehicle in the photograph is a different make, model, or color from the owner's vehicle, the notice was erroneously issued. Denver DPD FAQ explicitly lists 'plate misread' as a basis for cancellation.

C.R.S. § 42-4-110.5(6)(a)(I) — system 'simultaneously record[s] a photograph of the vehicle, the operator of the vehicle, and the license plate of the vehicle'; notice is issued to 'the registered owner of the motor vehicle involved in the alleged violation' (§ 42-4-110.5(2)(a)(II)). Source: content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2023a_200_signed.pdf; denvergov.org photo radar page