Cameras/Legality

The legality of photo/video enforcement of traffic laws varies from state to state and between the various jurisdictions inside a state depending on how the laws are written. Below is a list of the laws by state. DISCLAIMER: We are not attorneys and are not responsible for mistakes and/or outdated information. The most current information has been found on IIHS and GSHA.

Not all camera looking devices at intersections are speed or red light cameras. Review the article on cameras before adding them to the map.

State table

Legend

Not Legal Statewide	NOT LEGAL
Legal in Certain Jurisdictions	SEE NOTES BELOW
Legal Statewide	LEGAL STATEWIDE
No State Law	[field is left blank]

State	Red Light Cameras	Speed Cameras
Alabama	SEE NOTES BELOW
Alaska
Arizona	LEGAL STATEWIDE	LEGAL STATEWIDE
Arkansas	NOT LEGAL	SEE NOTES BELOW
California	LEGAL STATEWIDE
Colorado	SEE NOTES BELOW	SEE NOTES BELOW
Connecticut
Delaware	LEGAL STATEWIDE
District of Columbia	LEGAL STATEWIDE	LEGAL STATEWIDE
Florida	LEGAL STATEWIDE
Georgia	LEGAL STATEWIDE	SEE NOTES BELOW
Hawaii	NOT LEGAL	NOT LEGAL
Idaho
Illinois	SEE NOTES BELOW	SEE NOTES BELOW
Indiana	SEE NOTES BELOW
Iowa	SEE NOTES BELOW	SEE NOTES BELOW
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana	LEGAL STATEWIDE	LEGAL STATEWIDE
Maine	NOT LEGAL	NOT LEGAL
Maryland	SEE NOTES BELOW	SEE NOTES BELOW
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi	NOT LEGAL	NOT LEGAL
Missouri	SEE NOTES BELOW	SEE NOTES BELOW
Montana	SEE NOTES BELOW	NOT LEGAL
Nebraska	SEE NOTES BELOW	SEE NOTES BELOW
Nevada	SEE NOTES BELOW	SEE NOTES BELOW
New Hampshire	NOT LEGAL	NOT LEGAL
New Jersey	NOT LEGAL	NOT LEGAL
New Mexico	SEE NOTES BELOW	SEE NOTES BELOW
New York	SEE NOTES BELOW	SEE NOTES BELOW
North Carolina	SEE NOTES BELOW
North Dakota
Ohio	LEGAL STATEWIDE	LEGAL STATEWIDE
Oklahoma
Oregon	LEGAL STATEWIDE	SEE NOTES BELOW
Pennsylvania	SEE NOTES BELOW
Rhode Island	LEGAL STATEWIDE	SEE NOTES BELOW
South Carolina	NOT LEGAL	NOT LEGAL
South Dakota	NOT LEGAL	NOT LEGAL
Tennessee	SEE NOTES BELOW	SEE NOTES BELOW
Texas	LEGAL STATEWIDE	NOT LEGAL
Utah	SEE NOTES BELOW
Vermont
Virginia	SEE NOTES BELOW	NOT LEGAL
Washington	SEE NOTES BELOW	SEE NOTES BELOW
West Virginia	NOT LEGAL	NOT LEGAL
Wisconsin	NOT LEGAL	NOT LEGAL
Wyoming	NOT LEGAL	NOT LEGAL

Notes by state

Alabama

Red light cameras are limited to Montgomery. Speed cameras have no laws regulating them.

Arkansas

Photo radar only in school zones and railroad crossings with an officer present at the time of the infraction. There are no current programs.

Colorado

Speed cameras are restricted to construction zones, school zones, residential areas, and roads adjacent to municipal parks.

Georgia

Speed cameras may operate in school zones one hour before through one hour after school hours.

Illinois

• See the list of communities where red light cameras are legal here .
• Mobile speed cameras may be in use in construction zones statewide; these cameras should not be mapped.
• Municipalities with a population of 1,000,000 or more may use speed cameras in safety zones (one-eighth mile from school or park). The City of Chicago is currently the only Illinois community to qualify for speed camera placement.

Indiana

The only cameras allowed under state law are for toll booth areas only for purposes of non payment enforcement.

Iowa

There are no statewide laws for red light or speed cameras in Iowa. All existing cameras operate under programs directed by local ordinance.

Maryland

Speed cameras are authorized in school zones and work zones statewide (and in residential areas in Montgomery County ONLY), but each jurisdiction (county/city) must pass legislation to implement them. The Maryland State Highway Administration has detailed FAQs on Speed Cameras on its website.

Red Light cameras are authorized statewide, but require SHA approval before installation on state roads. The Maryland SHA has details about Red Light cameras on its website.

The Maryland page has details on local camera systems.

Missouri

Speed: No state law, but there may be programs operating under Missouri DOT policy.

Red light: No state law, but there may be programs operating under Missouri DOT policy on state maintained roadways. Local municipalities may be operating under their own policies.

Montana

All localities are prohibited from using red light cameras. However, rail crossings are excepted from this law.

Nebraska

There are no statewide laws regulating red light or speed cameras in Nebraska. However, there are NO cameras present in any municipality and all cameras added to the map should be removed.

Nevada

Nevada state law prohibits use of imaging equipment unless it is hand-held by an officer or installed in a vehicle or facility of a law enforcement agency. Traditional enforcement penalties: $1,000 maximum fine and 4 points. There are no current programs.

New Jersey

The New Jersey Red-Light-Running pilot program ended 12/16/14. Red light cameras are currently prohibited.

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

Red light (NY)

New York State allows red light cameras cameras only in cities with a population over one million or by local ordinance, both requiring a plan approved by the state. These plans designate a specific number of intersections and time period (about 5 years) where the cameras can be erected (these programs can be renewed). As as late 2020, red light cameras are permitted only in the following locations (Vehicle & Traffic Law Article 24):

• Cities with a population greater than one million (currently NYC only) are permitted to install and operate red light cameras at up to 150 intersections (Vehicle & Traffic Law § 1111-A(a)1.).
• Nassau County is permitted to install and operate red light cameras at up to 100 intersections (Vehicle & Traffic Law § 1111-B(a)1.).
• City of Yonkers is permitted to install and operate red light cameras at up to 25 intersections (Vehicle & Traffic Law § 1111-B*2(a)1.)
  • Current list of red light cameras listed on the City of Yonkers website
• Suffolk County is permitted to install and operate red light cameras at up to 100 intersections (Vehicle & Traffic Law § 1111-B*4(a)1.)
• City of New Rochelle is permitted to install and operate red light cameras at up to 12 intersections (Vehicle & Traffic Law § 1111-D(a)1.)
• City of Mount Vernon is permitted to install and operate red light cameras at up to 12 intersections (Vehicle & Traffic Law § 1111-D*2(a)1.)
  • Email from Mount Vernon DPW representative reports that all red light cameras in the city have been removed (August 2021).
• City of Albany is permitted to install and operate red light cameras at up to 20 intersections (Vehicle & Traffic Law § 1111-D*3(a)1.)
  • Current list of red light cameras listed on the City of Albany's website
• City of White Plains is permitted to install and operate red light cameras at up to 12 intersections (Vehicle & Traffic Law § 1111-E(a)1.)
  • Current list of red light cameras listed on the White Plains Public Safety website

Speed (NY)

Under New York State Law, speed cameras can only be installed in school zones and can only be installed under a plan approved by the state. As of August 2021, New York City is the only municipality that has an active speed camera enforcement program in the state. The City of Buffalo has approval for a program through 2025, however, the city ended the its pilot program in July 2021 after public pushback.

New York City

On August 1, 2013 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation that permits New York City to establish a five-year demonstration program to monitor school speed zones in New York City with speed cameras and to allow evidence captured on camera to be used to impose liability for speeding. This new law will enhance the safety of children, pedestrians and drivers in New York City school speed zones by encouraging drivers to drive with caution through these areas and supplement law enforcement efforts to catch violations and prevent accidents caused by speeding. (Governor's press release)

New York City was originally authorized to set up 20 cameras in school zones. (There was some discrepancy in media reports if this means they are limited to just 20 cameras or if they can put multiple cameras in each of 20 school zones.) These cameras can be moved from school zone to school zone as the city sees fit. The cameras can only operate during school hours and/or after-school activities. This is a 5 year pilot program - the law is set to expire on August 1, 2018 unless it is extended by the New York State Legislature.

On June 25, 2014 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation that permits up to 245 speed cameras, including vehicle mounted mobile speed cameras throughout New York City and Long Island. The bill would authorize up to 69 cameras in Suffolk County and 56 in Nassau County. New York City already has 20 of the devices and stands to get 120 more. (CBS NY)

2000 new speed cameras are being installed between May 2019 and May 2020 in NYC. This includes in all 750 school zones (CBS NY). Cameras can be placed within 1/4 radius of schools and are operational from 6am to 10pm on weekdays (NYC Vision Zero Website). As of 04/2021, delays due to COVID postponed some installations and the city plans to have a total of 2,200 cameras across the five borough by the end of FY2022. The program will need to be renewed in 2022.

Buffalo (Depreciated 2021)

*Update 08/2021* - By resolution of the city's Common Council, speed camera enforcement has ended as of July 2021 (Buffalo News) and cameras will be physically removed by September 2021. The information below will be kept in case the resolution is repealed in the future and the cameras reinstalled, as the pilot program is still allowed to exist by state law until that law's expiration in 2025.

The City of Buffalo may install speed cameras in up to 20 schools zones for a 5-year pilot program (Buffalo News). The program went live in January 2020 with 14 out of 20 planned cameras, with tickets to be issued starting February 6 2020 (NBC News). Cameras are live during school hours at set to trigger at 11mph over the 15mph school zone speed limit. As of March 1st, 2021, all 20 cameras are now online and giving citations following delays due to COVID (WKBW News).

A list of confirmed cameras is maintained in this Waze forum post. The city maintains a map of camera zone locations, but does not provide specific locations or enforcement direction of the cameras on the map.

North Carolina

Red Light Cameras are only legal in Raleigh, Fayetteville, Greenville and Wilimington at this time.

Ohio

Red light and speed cameras are legal statewide in Ohio, but an officer must be present at the time of violation.

Oregon

On July 20, 2015 HB 2621 was signed into law, allowing fixed speed cameras in “urban high crash corridors” within the city limits of Portland.

As of August 2, 2016 the first cameras are being activated and more are planned to be placed in the following months.

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is currently the only city with active red light cameras, however red light cameras are also legal in a few cites and suburban towns. Speed Cameras are permitted to be used in work "construction" zones. See the section on Speed and Red-Light Cameras on the Pennsylvania state page for more information.

Rhode Island

Speed cameras are only allowed in school zones [RIGL § 31-41.3-3(3)] and can only operate during school hours [RIGL § 31-41.3-4(4)]. For more information about mapping speed cameras in RI, see the Speed Camera section on the Rhode Island state page.

Tennessee

Each municipality may decide to use "unmanned traffic enforcement cameras", but they are all governed by state-wide laws contained in Tennessee Code Annotated Section 55, Chapter 8, Sub-Section 198 (TCA § 55-8-198).

• All cameras must be signed (TCA § 55-8-198(c)(2))
• No Cameras allowed on Interstates except for temporary work zones (TCA § 55-8-198(f))
• No cameras allowed near speed limit changes of 10 mph or greater (TCA § 55-8-198(l))

Texas

Although the state allows red light cameras, some communities are not using them. Some cities (Houston) have used them, but then decided to take them down.

Vermont

Speed and red light cameras are NOT legal in the State of Vermont.

Virginia

Each town, independent city, and county may elect to install a limited number of red-light cameras pursuant to state law, but not all jurisdictions have done so. (Va. Code § 15.2-968.1)

Washington

Both Red Light and Speed Cameras are legal across the entire state of Washington except in Whatcom County

Wisconsin

The state of Wisconsin prohibits the use of any Speed or Red Light cameras.