Finepost · Fines · Codes · TS10
TS10 : failing to comply with traffic light signals
Checked 17 July 2026 · How we check our figures
What it means
TS10 is the red light code, and its edge is the stop line: the offence is failing to comply with the signal, which the camera measures at the line, not at the middle of the junction. Creeping over on red to let an ambulance pass, or being caught astride the line as the light changes, is where the arguments live, and they are argued in a courtroom, not on the form. The points are a flat 3, which keeps the entry quiet on its own and loud in company with others.
Points and how long it stays
3 points.
On the licence for 4 years from the date of the offence.
The TS codes carry the flattest arithmetic of the table, 3 points each on the 4-year offence clock, no ranges. What varies is the instrument: traffic lights (TS10), double white lines (TS20), the stop sign (TS30), a constable's or warden's direction (TS40, s. 35 RTA 1988), the general sign catch-all (TS50 and TS70) and the school crossing patrol (TS60, s. 28 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984); the sign offences themselves run under s. 36 RTA 1988. Only the traffic light code is routinely enforced by camera, the rest need an officer on the spot, which is why TS10 dominates the family in volume. A sign supports a conviction only where it is lawfully prescribed and placed, and that is argued in a courtroom, not on the form. Flat 3s stack quietly: four of them inside 3 years reach the totting line, the mechanics in the totting up guide at /fines/guides/totting-up.
The usual route
The camera case runs as a conditional offer at 3 points; the letter mechanics sit in the conditional offer guide.
If it goes to court
In court the fine is income-banded at the lower bands; mechanics in the fine bands guide.
Read next
Guide: Single justice procedure →
Calculator: the code decoder, every code on the official list →
Authority
gov.uk, Penalty points (endorsements), checked 2026-07-17