Suffolk County Red Light Camera Settlement, Check If You Qualify McGrath v. Suffolk County

If you got a red light camera ticket in Suffolk County between 2013 and 2023, you’re likely covered by a proposed $57.5 million settlement in McGrath v. Suffolk County. Courts ruled the county’s $30 add-on fee was illegal. Eligible drivers could get up to $36 per ticket back — but the deal still needs final court approval, and there’s no claim form to fill out yet.

⚠️ This settlement is proposed but not yet open for claims. There’s no claim form, no deadline, and no live settlement website as of this writing. This article explains what’s confirmed so far and what to watch for — it is not a set of filing instructions, because none exist yet.

Suffolk County Red Light Camera Settlement — Key Facts

Settlement Amount	$57.5 million total reported (up to $45 million for driver refunds; $12.5 million to plaintiffs’ attorneys), per court filings as reported in regional news coverage
Claim Deadline	UNVERIFIED — no claim process exists yet; the settlement has not received final court approval
Who Qualifies	Anyone who paid the $30 administrative fee on a Suffolk County red light camera ticket issued between 2013 and 2023, regardless of where you live now
Estimated Payout	Up to $36 per ticket ($30 fee + $6 interest), capped at 5 tickets ($180) per person — the actual per-ticket amount could be lower if most eligible drivers file, since the fund is shared
Proof Required (Yes/No)	UNVERIFIED — claims process not yet established
Settlement Status	Proposed; awaiting court approval. NOT yet open for claims
Court & Case Number	Supreme Court, Suffolk County — index number UNVERIFIED. Affirmed on appeal as McGrath v. Suffolk County, 232 A.D.3d 879 (2d Dep’t 2024)
Law Alleged	Violation of New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1111-b, which caps red light camera penalties at $50 (or $75 with a late fee)
Administrator	Kroll Settlement Administration (expected, once the settlement is approved)
Official Claim Site	UNVERIFIED — not yet launched
Last Updated	September 10, 2026

Who Is Suffolk County and Why Are They Being Sued Over This Fee?

Suffolk County ran a red light camera program at 216 intersections across western Suffolk from 2010 through December 2024. Starting in 2013, the county added a $30 “administrative fee” on top of the standard $50 fine for every red light camera ticket. New York’s Vehicle and Traffic Law caps those penalties at $50, or $75 with a late fee — meaning the county’s own add-on charge exceeded what state law allowed for roughly a decade.

What Did Suffolk County Do, and What Happened in Court?

Robert McGrath, a PSEG lineman, sued Suffolk County in 2016, arguing the $30 fee was never legally authorized. A trial court agreed in 2020, and New York’s Appellate Division, Second Department affirmed that ruling in November 2024, holding that the fee was “ultra vires, unconstitutional, preempted, void, or otherwise illegal.” Suffolk shut the entire camera program down on December 1, 2024, shortly after losing the appeal.

Facing roughly a decade of fees collected under a rule the courts had voided — an amount local reporting has put at around $91 million — the county negotiated a class-wide settlement rather than litigate refund amounts driver by driver. Suffolk admits no wrongdoing under the proposed deal.

Did you get a red light camera ticket anywhere in Suffolk County between 2013 and 2023? If the answer is yes, you very likely overpaid — and this settlement exists specifically to get some of that back.

Who Qualifies for the Suffolk County Red Light Camera Settlement?

Here’s what’s known so far about who the class covers.

• Anyone who paid a Suffolk County red light camera ticket, including the $30 administrative fee, issued between 2013 and 2023
• Drivers who no longer live in Suffolk County still qualify if they were ticketed while driving through — the cameras covered intersections across western Suffolk, including parts of Brookhaven, Islip, Babylon, and Huntington
• People with more than one qualifying ticket can claim for each, up to five tickets ($180 total)
• A full list of exclusions hasn’t been published yet; that typically appears once the court grants preliminary approval and a formal notice goes out

Even if you only remember getting one ticket, it’s worth watching for the claim window once it opens. There’s no cost to file, and the fund exists specifically to pay this money back.

Suffolk Drivers Who No Longer Live in the County — Are You Still Covered?

Yes. Eligibility is based on where and when you were ticketed, not where you live now. If you drove through one of Suffolk County’s camera-equipped intersections between 2013 and 2023 and paid the fee — even as a visitor, commuter, or former resident — you’re part of the class as it’s currently described.

Not sure if you qualify for the Suffolk County red light camera settlement? A free consultation with a consumer rights attorney can help you sort out your ticket history so you’re ready once the claims process opens.

How Much Can Suffolk County Red Light Camera Settlement Class Members Get? Up to $180 Per Person

Each qualifying ticket is reportedly worth up to $36 — the $30 fee plus $6 in interest — capped at five tickets per person, for a maximum of $180.

Why Your Actual Check Could Be Smaller

The reported $45 million driver pool would be shared pro rata among everyone who files. If most of the roughly 300,000 tickets at issue end up represented by a claim, the payout per ticket could land closer to $18–20 instead of the full $36, based on figures that accompanied the settlement filing. More filers means smaller individual checks — which is normal for a pooled fund, not a sign anything’s wrong.

Where the Rest of the Money Goes

The attorneys who brought the case are set to receive $12.5 million for a decade of litigation that started with one driver’s 2016 lawsuit and ended in a published appellate ruling. That’s a substantial fee — and also what it took to fight a county government to a final decision over ten years.

What Should Suffolk County Drivers Do Right Now?

There’s no claim form yet, and the settlement hasn’t received final court approval. Here’s what actually helps in the meantime:

1. Don’t pay anyone who contacts you promising to “process” your refund for a fee — no legitimate claims process exists yet, and settlements like this one tend to attract scammers
2. Dig up old red light camera ticket records or payment confirmations now, while you have time, in case documentation is ever requested
3. Watch your mail — Kroll Settlement Administration is expected to mail notices to most of the eligible class once the settlement is approved, and a settlement website is expected to launch at that point
4. Keep your current mailing address up to date if you’ve moved since you were ticketed
5. If you want legal guidance on your ticket history in the meantime, a free consultation with a consumer rights attorney costs nothing and doesn’t commit you to anything

Suffolk County Red Light Camera Settlement — Key Dates

Milestone	Date
Red Light Safety Program Began	2010
$30 Administrative Fee Applied	Beginning in 2013
Original Lawsuit Filed (McGrath)	2016
Trial Court Rules Fee Illegal	April 27, 2020
Appellate Division Affirms (232 A.D.3d 879)	November 27, 2024
Red Light Camera Program Ended	December 1, 2024
Proposed Settlement Reported / Filed	Late July 2026
Preliminary Court Approval	UNVERIFIED — not yet granted as of this writing
Claim Filing Window Opens	UNVERIFIED — expected after preliminary approval
Final Approval Hearing	UNVERIFIED — no date set as of this writing

Suffolk County Red Light Camera Settlement — Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a lawyer to claim a Suffolk County red light camera refund? 

No — and right now there’s nothing to file. Once the claims process opens, you’ll be able to file directly with the settlement administrator, Kroll Settlement Administration.

Is the Suffolk County red light camera settlement legitimate? 

Yes. It follows a real appellate ruling in McGrath v. Suffolk County and a negotiated settlement described in court filings, though a judge still has to grant final approval before any money moves.

When will Suffolk County settlement payments be sent? 

Not yet known. No final approval hearing date has been publicly set as of this writing.

What if I no longer have my old ticket records?

 Once the claims process opens, it’s worth asking the settlement administrator directly — many settlements like this one can help verify eligibility using the county’s own citation records rather than requiring you to produce your own paperwork.

Will my Suffolk County settlement payment be taxable? 

A refund of a fee you already paid generally isn’t treated as income, but the interest portion may be. Talk to a tax professional once payments are actually issued.

Why is the settlement $57.5 million if only $45 million goes to drivers?

 The remaining $12.5 million is earmarked for the plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees after a decade of litigation. Administrative costs of running the claims process also come out of the settlement.

What if I’ve since moved out of Suffolk County or out of New York? 

It doesn’t matter. Eligibility depends on where and when you were ticketed, not where you live today.

How do I make sure I don’t miss the notice when it’s mailed?

 Keep your mailing address current, and check back here — we’ll update this article with claim instructions and a link to the official settlement website as soon as either exists.

Sources Used in This Suffolk County Red Light Camera Settlement Article

• McGrath v. Suffolk County, 232 A.D.3d 879 (2d Dep’t 2024), decided November 27, 2024: nycourts.gov official reporter
• Settlement terms ($57.5 million total, $45 million driver pool, $36-per-ticket figure, Kroll Settlement Administration) as reported in regional news coverage of the underlying court filing, which is not yet independently confirmed against a publicly accessible settlement website or administrator page — see production note below

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. Legal history verified against the official appellate decision. Settlement terms reflect regional news reporting on a court filing that was not independently accessible at the time of writing — see production note. Last Updated: September 10, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.