Speed cameras are only legal in Florida inside school zones. No Florida statute authorizes automated speed enforcement on highways, city streets, or county roads, so a camera on a regular road will not generate a speeding ticket. The school zone program was created in 2023, and red light cameras continue to operate at intersections under a separate state law. Those are the only two automated camera citations a Florida driver can receive.
Speed Cameras on Regular Roads Are Not Authorized
Florida has no law permitting standalone speed cameras outside school zones. Other states have adopted automated speed enforcement on highways and surface streets; Florida’s legislature has declined to do so. A camera mounted on a pole along a normal road is almost certainly a traffic-monitoring device used for congestion data or signal timing. It does not issue tickets. If you were driving above the limit on a Florida road and saw a flash, that flash did not come from a speed enforcement system authorized by state law.
How School Zone Speed Cameras Work
Governor DeSantis signed HB 657 into law in 2023, creating Florida’s school zone speed camera program. Counties and municipalities can authorize automated speed detection systems in school zones to enforce the posted limit during school hours. The program is codified primarily in Florida Statutes Section 316.1896, which allows traffic infraction enforcement officers to issue citations based on camera evidence.1Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 316.1896
These cameras do not trigger for a driver slightly over the limit. A citation can only be issued when a vehicle exceeds the school zone speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour. In a zone posted at 15 mph, that means the vehicle has to be clocked above 25 mph before the system records a violation.1Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 316.1896
The civil penalty is $100.2Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 316.1896 It is assessed against the registered owner of the vehicle as a civil penalty, not as a moving violation against the driver.
Signage and the 30-Day Warning Period
Any county or municipality using school zone speed cameras must post signs notifying drivers that photographic or video enforcement is in use. The signage has to indicate the time period during which the detection system enforces the limit and must meet placement specifications set by the Florida Department of Transportation.3Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 316.0776
When a local government launches a program for the first time, it must run a public awareness campaign at least 30 days before enforcement begins. During that 30-day window only warnings may be issued, and no fines can be collected.3Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 316.0776 If you received a ticket in the opening month of a new local program, that grace period is worth raising.
Red Light Cameras Are a Separate Program
Red light cameras are legal in Florida under different authority. They operate statewide under the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Program, codified in Florida Statutes Section 316.0083, and many Florida cities use them at intersections.4Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 316.0083 They detect whether a vehicle entered an intersection after the signal turned red. They do not measure speed.
If a review of the footage confirms a violation, the registered owner receives a Notice of Violation by first-class mail within 30 days. The civil penalty is $158, and you have 60 days from receipt to respond.4Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 316.0083 You can pay the penalty, request a hearing before a local hearing officer, or file a sworn affidavit identifying the person who was driving if it wasn’t you. The affidavit must include that person’s name, address, and date of birth.
Ignoring the notice is the costly mistake. If you don’t respond within 60 days, the municipality escalates the Notice of Violation to a Uniform Traffic Citation, which carries a higher fine and is harder to contest.
Points, Driving Record, and Insurance
Automated camera violations in Florida — both red light and school zone — are civil penalties assessed against the registered owner of the vehicle, not moving violations against the driver. A red light violation written by a police officer at the scene carries 4 points on your license.5Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Points and Point Suspensions A camera-issued violation under Section 316.0083 does not, because the liability runs to the owner as a civil matter.
Because no points attach, these violations generally do not appear on your driving record the way a traditional ticket would, and most insurers set rates on point-bearing moving violations, so a paid camera penalty is unlikely to raise your premium. That calculus changes if the notice escalates to a Uniform Traffic Citation. Responding within the 60-day window is what keeps a camera penalty from becoming a traffic citation on your record.