Automated enforcement refers to the use of cameras to enforce traffic safety laws. Although many states have laws explicitly authorizing automated enforcement, not all states where cameras are in use have such laws, nor are they always necessary.
A common type of automated enforcement program is for red light violations. The use of cameras to enforce speed limits is less common, but increasing. The technology is also used to catch drivers who fail to pay a toll, drive past a stopped school bus, or disobey a railroad crossing signal. In states that have automated enforcement laws, some authorize enforcement statewide, while others permit use only in specified communities.
A few jurisdictions treat automated enforcement citations just like parking tickets in that the registered owner is liable. Similarly, just as parking tickets do not result in points or are not recorded on a driver's record, many jurisdictions do not assess points or make a record of automated enforcement citations.
The following table summarizes automated enforcement laws in each state and the District of Columbia.
| State |
|
Statewide or
only specified
locations? |
Violations |
Citation
issued
to whom? |
Who is
liable? |
What image
is taken? |
Traditional
enforcement
penalties |
Auto
enforcement
penalties
record |
| Alabama |
|
|
| Montgomery
|
red light |
owner
|
owner
|
2 images; tag included
|
$100 fine/3 points
|
$110; no points
|
|
| Alaska |
|
no state law
|
| Arizona |
|
|
| statewide
|
red light |
not addressed
|
not addressed
|
not addressed
|
$250 fine/2 points
|
$165 fine/2 points
|
|
| statewide
|
speed |
not addressed
|
not addressed
|
not addressed
|
$250 fine/3 points
|
$165 fine/3 points
|
|
| Arkansas |
|
use of photo radar by county or state government prohibited except at school zones and railroad crossings; officer must be present and citation must be issued at time of offense
|
| California |
|
|
| statewide
|
red light |
registered owner
|
driver
|
tag and driver
|
$100 fine/1 point
|
same as for traditional citation
|
|
| statewide
|
rail crossing |
registered owner
|
driver
|
tag and driver
|
$100 fine/1 point
|
same as for traditional citation
|
|
| Colorado |
|
Colorado law grants the authority to use automated enforcement to capture any traffic violation
|
| statewide
|
red light |
registered owner
|
driver
|
tag and driver
|
$110 fine (including surcharge)/4 points
|
$75; no points or record
|
|
| restricted to construction and school zones, residential areas, or adjacent to a municipal park
|
speed |
registered owner
|
driver
|
tag and driver
|
$151 (including surcharge)/4 points
|
$40 maximum fine ($80 in school zones); no points or record; warning only for first photo radar offense if speed within 10 mph of limit
|
|
| Connecticut |
|
no state law
|
| Delaware |
|
|
| statewide
|
red light |
registered owner
|
owner
|
2 or more images of the vehicle
|
$75-$230 fine
|
$110 maximum fine; not a record or conviction offense; not to be used by insurers
|
|
| District of Columbia |
|
DC grants jurisdiction-wide authority to use automated enforcement to capture all moving infractions
|
| District of Columbia
|
red light |
registered owner
|
owner
|
not addressed
|
$75 fine/2 points
|
$75 fine; no points
|
|
| District of Columbia
|
speed |
registered owner
|
owner
|
not addressed
|
$75 fine/2 points
|
$75 fine; no points
|
|
| Florida |
|
|
| statewide
|
red light |
registered owner
|
owner
|
tag and traffic control device
|
$125 fine/3 points
|
$158; no points
|
|
| Georgia |
|
|
| statewide
|
red light |
registered owner
|
owner
|
license tag, intersection, and light
|
$1,000 maximum fine/3 points
|
$70 maximum fine; not a conviction or record offense; no points; not a moving violation; not to be used by insurers
|
|
| Hawaii |
|
no state law
|
| Idaho |
|
no state law
|
| Illinois |
|
Illinois has several different automated enforcement laws
|
| Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, Madison, McHenry, St. Clair, and Will counties; requires local ordinance
|
red light |
registered owner
|
owner
|
2 or more images of vehicle and tag
|
$500 maximum fine/20 points
|
$100 or the completion of a traffic education program, or both; not a moving violation or record offense
|
|
| statewide only in construction zones or Illinois Toll Authority roads
|
speed |
registered owner
|
driver
|
tag and driver
|
mandatory $250 fine/20 points
|
$250 fine or 25 hours community service
|
|
| any county or municipality may use automated enforcement in cooperation with the Illinois DOT and ICC; ordinance required
|
rail crossing |
registered owner
|
driver (owner if driver not identified by owner)
|
vehicle, driver, and tag
|
$250 maximum fine/20 points
|
$250 fine or 25 hours community service
|
|
| municipalities with a population of 1,000,000 or more may use speed cameras in safety zones (one-eighth mile from school or park); local authorities are prohibited from using speed cameras; state may use speed cameras, but only when a law enforcement officer is present and witnesses the event
(effective 07/01/12) |
speed |
registered owner
(effective 07/01/12) |
owner
(effective 07/01/12) |
two or more images of the vehicle and license plate
(effective 07/01/12) |
$1,000 maximum fine/20 points
|
$50 if 6-10 miles over the limit; $100 if more than 10 over the limit
(effective 07/01/12) |
|
| Indiana |
|
no state law
|
| Iowa |
|
no state law
|
| Kansas |
|
no state law
|
| Kentucky |
|
no state law
|
| Louisiana |
|
state law provides that convictions resulting from camera enforcement shall not be reported for inclusion in driver record; law is silent on other issues
|
| Maine |
|
all photo enforcement prohibited
|
| Maryland |
|
|
| statewide
|
red light |
registered owner
|
owner
|
2 or more images of rear of vehicle and tag in any medium
|
$500 maximum fine/2 points
|
$100 maximum civil penalty; no points or record; not a moving violation; may not be used by insurers
|
|
| Montgomery County school zones and residential districts, Prince George's County school zones, statewide in school zones by local ordinance and work zones
|
speed |
registered owner
|
owner
|
2 or more images of rear of vehicle and tag in any medium
|
maximum fine $500 in residential district, $1,000 in school zone; points depend on speed
|
$40 maximum fine; no points
|
|
| Montgomery and Prince George's County
|
rail crossing |
registered owner
|
owner
|
vehicle, driver and tag
|
$500 maximum fine/1 point
|
$100 maximum fine; no points
|
|
| Massachusetts |
|
no state law
|
| Michigan |
|
no state law
|
| Minnesota |
|
no state law
|
| Mississippi |
|
all localities prohibited from using automated enforcement; all current programs prohibited effective 3/20/09
|
| Missouri |
|
no state law
|
| Montana |
|
all localities prohibited from using red light cameras; rail crossings excepted
|
| Nebraska |
|
no state law
|
| Nevada |
|
prohibits use of imaging equipment unless it is hand held by an officer, installed in a vehicle or facility of a law enforcement agency; traditional enforcement penalties: $1,000 maximum fine and 4 points
|
| New Hampshire |
|
prohibited unless there is specific statutory authorization
|
| New Jersey |
|
speed cameras are prohibited
|
| local jurisdictions must pass an ordinance and apply to Transportation Commissioner to participate in a pilot program
|
red light |
registered owner
|
registered owner and driver are jointly liable
|
two or more images of vehicle and tag
|
$85
|
penalty same as for traditional citation; no points
|
|
| New Mexico |
|
no state law specifically authorizing automated enforcement; NMDOT has banned red light cameras and mobile enforcement vans on state and federal roadways; state law requires counties and municipalities using camera enforcement to post a warning sign and a warning beacon
|
| New York |
|
|
| cities of at least 1 million people, up to 150 intersections in each city; Effective 5/28/09: counties of Nassau and Suffolk, the cities of Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, by local ordinance, up to 50 intersections; Yonkers, by local ordinance, up to 25 intersections
|
red light |
owner
|
owner
|
2 or more images of rear of vehicle and tag in any medium
|
$100 maximum fine/3 points
|
$50 fine; not a record or conviction offense; may not be used by insurers
|
|
| North Carolina |
|
|
| where specified by statute (Albemarle, Charlotte, Chapel Hill, Cornelius, Durham, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Greenville, High Point, Huntersville, Lumberton, Matthews, Nags Head, Newton, Pineville, Rocky Mount, Spring Lake, and Wilmington)
|
red light |
owner
|
owner
|
photo, video, electronic image
|
$100 maximum fine/3 points
|
$75 civil penalty; no points
|
|
| North Dakota |
|
no state law
|
| Ohio |
|
no state law
|
| Oklahoma |
|
no state law
|
| Oregon |
|
|
| cities statewide
|
red light |
registered owner or driver, if identifiable
|
registered owner
|
photographs; digital images
|
$300 maximum fine
|
penalty same as for traditional citation
|
|
| Albany, Beaverton, Bend, Eugene, Gladstone, Medford, Milwaukie, Oregon City, Portland, and Tigard (may not be used for more than four hours per day in any one location)
|
speed |
registered owner or driver, if identifiable
|
registered owner
|
photographs; digital images
|
$300 maximum fine
|
penalty same as for traditional citation
|
|
| Pennsylvania |
|
|
| Philadelphia
|
red light |
registered owner
|
owner
|
photographs
|
$25 fine/3 points
|
$100 maximum; not on operating record
|
|
| Rhode Island |
|
|
| statewide
|
red light |
registered owner
|
driver
|
2 or more images of vehicle and tag in any medium
|
$75 fine
|
$75 fine; not a criminal or record offense; not a moving violation; not to be used by insurers until there is a final adjudication of the violation
|
|
| South Carolina |
|
photo enforcement prohibited with narrow exception; citations for violating traffic laws relating to speed or disregarding traffic control devices may only be used when the State declares an emergency and citations must be served in person within one hour of the violation
|
| South Dakota |
|
no state law
|
| Tennessee |
|
|
| statewide except for interstate highways that are not work zones
|
traffic violation; right turn on red violations limited to signed intersections |
registered owner
|
registered owner
|
red light violations, front tires before the stop line and rear tires past stop line both while signal is red
|
$50 fine/points
|
$50; no points
|
|
| Texas |
|
a Texas municipality may not use an automated traffic control system to enforce speed
|
| statewide; requires local ordinance
|
red light |
registered owner
|
owner
|
2 or more photographic or digital images of tag
|
$200 maximum fine
|
$75; not a criminal or record offense
|
|
| Utah |
|
|
| statewide only school zones or where limit is 30 mph or less; officer must be present; requires local ordinance
|
speed |
not addressed
|
not addressed
|
photograph
|
$1,000 maximum fine/50 points
|
not reportable; no points may be assessed
|
|
| Vermont |
|
no state law
|
| Virginia |
|
|
| counties, cities, and towns may operate cameras at no more than 1 intersection for every 10,000 residents; requires local ordinance; the exception is the Washington, DC metropolitan area, it permits up to 10 camera sites or 1 site per 10,000 residents, whichever is greater
|
red light |
registered owner
|
driver
|
2 photographs or other recorded images
|
$200 maximum fine/4 points
|
$50 maximum fine; no court costs; not a criminal offense; no points; may not be used by insurers
|
|
| Washington |
|
|
| cities and counties statewide at arterial road intersections with stoplights meeting MUTCD standards for yellow change intervals; local ordinance required
(effective 08/02/12) |
red light |
registered owner
|
registered owner
|
vehicle, license tag
|
$250 maximum fine
|
fine up to the maximum for traffic control device violations in the jurisdiction; no record; no points
|
|
| school zones; local ordinance required
|
speed |
registered owner
|
registered owner
|
vehicle, license tag
|
$250 maximum fine
|
fine up to the maximum for parking violations in the jurisdiction; no record; no points
|
|
| cities and counties statewide; local ordinance required
|
rail crossing |
registered owner
|
registered owner
|
vehicle, license tag
|
$250 maximum fine
|
fine up to the maximum for parking violations in the jurisdiction; no record; no points
|
|
| West Virginia |
|
all photo enforcement prohibited
|
| Wisconsin |
|
speed cameras are prohibited
|
| Wyoming |
|
no state law
|
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