Yes, Pennsylvania does have speed cameras. They operate in two separate programs: automated enforcement in active highway work zones statewide (including the Pennsylvania Turnpike) under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3369, and corridor enforcement in Philadelphia under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3370. Both programs issue civil penalties only, so a camera ticket does not put points on your license or create a criminal record.
Where the Cameras Are
Work zone cameras run on state highways managed by PennDOT and on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. They are only supposed to be active when workers are physically present in the zone. If the barrels and cones are up but no crew is on site, the cameras should be off.1Pennsylvania Work Zone Speed Safety Cameras. Regulations – Pennsylvania Work Zone Speed Safety Cameras
You get warning before you reach one. At least two signs appear ahead of the camera, one of which tells you whether the system is recording. A speed limit sign sits between them, and another notice marks the camera’s location at the work zone itself. PennDOT publishes every active location on its work zone camera website.1Pennsylvania Work Zone Speed Safety Cameras. Regulations – Pennsylvania Work Zone Speed Safety Cameras
Philadelphia’s program started on Roosevelt Boulevard, which was among the most dangerous roads in the country. After Act 38 of 2023, the city was authorized to expand to five additional state route corridors, and Broad Street was among the first added.2City of Philadelphia. City and PPA Announce Launch of Automated Speed Enforcement on Broad Street
Both programs use the same trigger: 11 miles per hour or more over the posted limit. Ten over will not set off an automated ticket, though an officer can still stop you for it.
What a Ticket Costs
Work zone fines are graduated to give first-time drivers a break:
- First violation: a warning letter, no fine
- Second violation: $75
- Third and each subsequent violation: $150
There is a 15-day grace period between the mailing date of a first violation and when a second one can be captured. If you get a warning letter today and pass through another camera zone tomorrow, that second pass does not count as a second offense.3Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. 2025 Work Zone Speed Safety Camera Program Annual Report
Philadelphia’s corridor cameras use the same 11-over trigger, but the fine scales with how far over the limit you were:
- 11 to 19 mph over: $100
- 20 to 29 mph over: $125
- 30 or more mph over: $150
Late penalties stack if you ignore a Philadelphia notice: $20 extra after 30 days, another $25 after 60 days, and another $30 after 90 days.
The notice goes to the registered owner of the vehicle, not necessarily the driver. On the work zone side, an unpaid fine can be referred to a collections agency after 90 days, which can affect your credit.4Pennsylvania Work Zone Speed Safety Cameras. FAQs – Pennsylvania Work Zone Speed Safety Cameras
What It Does to Your Record and Insurance
Camera tickets in Pennsylvania are civil penalties. No points are added to your license, and the violation does not appear on your driving record.4Pennsylvania Work Zone Speed Safety Cameras. FAQs – Pennsylvania Work Zone Speed Safety Cameras The same treatment applies to Philadelphia’s corridor cameras.
Because nothing lands on your driving record, your auto insurer will not see the ticket and cannot raise your rates over it. Functionally, it works more like a parking ticket. What can still hurt you is ignoring it: once a fine goes to collections, the credit consequences reach well beyond your car insurance.
How to Contest a Ticket
Only the registered owner can contest a work zone violation, and for leased vehicles the lessee counts as the owner. You can file by mail, online, or in person, and the instructions are printed on the notice.4Pennsylvania Work Zone Speed Safety Cameras. FAQs – Pennsylvania Work Zone Speed Safety Cameras
A common defense is that you were not the person driving. You are allowed to raise it, but you must file within the deadline on your notice and provide supporting evidence. The statute does not require you to name the actual driver. You only have to show it was not you.
Contests go to an informal hearing first. If the hearing officer finds you liable, you have 45 days from that determination to appeal to the Magisterial District Judge covering the location of the violation.4Pennsylvania Work Zone Speed Safety Cameras. FAQs – Pennsylvania Work Zone Speed Safety Cameras An informal loss is not the end of the process.
Speed Cameras Are Not the Same as Red Light Cameras
Pennsylvania also allows red light cameras, but only in Philadelphia, run by the Philadelphia Parking Authority under a separate chapter of the city’s traffic code.5The Philadelphia Code. Title 12 Traffic Code – Chapter 12-3000 Use of an Automated Red Light Enforcement System to Prevent Red Light Violations That program has run since 2005 and covers fixed intersections.6The Philadelphia Parking Authority. Red Light Cameras Red light cameras and speed cameras are both civil, and neither adds points, but the fine structures, agencies, and governing statutes are all different. If a camera ticket arrives in the mail, read the notice carefully to see which program issued it, because your deadlines and contest options depend on which one it is.