Fairfax County speed cameras operate at nine school zones and in at least one highway work zone, issuing mailed civil citations of $50 to $100 to drivers caught going 10 mph or more over the posted limit. The tickets carry no demerit points and cannot be used by your insurer to raise your rates, provided the citation came in the mail rather than from an officer who stopped you at the scene.
Where the Cameras Are
The Fairfax County Police Department launched its school-zone camera program at nine locations, one in each magisterial district:1Fairfax County. Speed Camera Pilot Program Launches in Select Locations
- Chesterbrook Elementary School — Kirby Road (Dranesville)
- Irving Middle School — Old Keene Mill Road (Braddock)
- Key Middle School — Franconia Road (Franconia)
- London Towne Elementary School — Stone Road (Sully)
- Sleepy Hollow Elementary School — Sleepy Hollow Road (Mason)
- South County Middle School — Silverbrook Road (Mt. Vernon)
- Terraset Elementary School — Soapstone Drive (Hunter Mill)
- West Springfield High School — Rolling Road (Springfield)
- Oakton High School — Blake Lane (Providence)
The county has also placed cameras in an active work zone along Fairfax County Parkway.2Fairfax County. Reduced Limit, Speed Cameras Coming to Work Zone Along Fairfax County Parkway More sites may be added over time, and the county keeps a current list on its speed camera page.3Fairfax County. Speed Camera Program
Virginia law allows these cameras in three settings: school crossing zones (where a portable, tilt-over, or blinking school-zone sign must be active in the photo), highway work zones (only when workers are on site), and high-risk intersection segments within 1,000 feet of a school where a traffic fatality has occurred at a marked crosswalk since January 1, 2014.4Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 46.2-882.1 – Use of Photo Speed Monitoring Devices in Highway Work Zones, School Crossing Zones, and High-Risk Intersection Segments; Civil Penalty Fairfax County’s current deployments fall into the first two categories.
When the Cameras Are Actually Running
School-zone cameras do not operate around the clock. Each one runs during narrow windows tied to that school’s arrival and dismissal times. Irving Middle School’s camera, for example, is active from 7:00 to 7:45 a.m. and 2:00 to 2:45 p.m.3Fairfax County. Speed Camera Program Other schools follow similar but not identical schedules. Drive through outside the posted window and no citation gets issued. If one of these zones is on your regular route, the exact hours for each location are published on the county’s speed camera page.
Work-zone cameras run on a different schedule: they are active only when construction workers are present, which can shift day to day.
What Triggers a Ticket and What It Costs
Cameras only fire when a vehicle is traveling at least 10 mph over the posted limit. Minor speedometer drift won’t set them off. The fine escalates with speed:3Fairfax County. Speed Camera Program
- 10 to 14 mph over: $50
- 15 to 19 mph over: $75
- 20 mph or more over: $100
The $100 ceiling is set by state law and applies to every automated citation, regardless of how fast you were going.4Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 46.2-882.1 – Use of Photo Speed Monitoring Devices in Highway Work Zones, School Crossing Zones, and High-Risk Intersection Segments; Civil Penalty
Points, Insurance, and the One Exception
A camera ticket that arrives in your mailbox is a civil penalty, not a moving violation. It does not add demerit points to your Virginia DMV record, and insurers cannot use it to raise your premium.4Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 46.2-882.1 – Use of Photo Speed Monitoring Devices in Highway Work Zones, School Crossing Zones, and High-Risk Intersection Segments; Civil Penalty
One carve-out: if an officer uses a camera device to clock you in real time and personally hands you a summons on the roadside, the resulting conviction is a traditional moving violation that can hit your record and your insurance. The no-points, no-insurance protection applies only to the standard mailed citation.
When the Notice Arrives
The citation is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. The agency has 30 days from the violation to send it; if that deadline is missed, the data must be purged within 60 days.4Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 46.2-882.1 – Use of Photo Speed Monitoring Devices in Highway Work Zones, School Crossing Zones, and High-Risk Intersection Segments; Civil Penalty You then have at least 30 days from the mailing date to inspect the evidence and respond.
The notice includes your Notice Number, license plate number, and a PIN that lets you log into the online portal to view the photos or video.5City of Fairfax, VA. Photo Enforcement It also contains instructions and a mailing address for filing an affidavit if someone else was driving.
Paying
You can pay online using the Notice Number and PIN, or mail a check or money order to the processing address printed on the citation. Pay before the deadline shown on the notice to avoid collection activity.
Contesting
To fight the ticket, follow the hearing-request instructions on the notice and return the designated section by mail before the response deadline. The hearing is held in Fairfax County General District Court, which will notify you of the date.6Fairfax County. Traffic Division At the hearing, the prosecution’s case rests on a sworn certificate from a current or retired law enforcement officer who reviewed the images, together with the photos or video. That certificate counts as initial proof of the violation, so you need a credible defense to overcome it.4Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 46.2-882.1 – Use of Photo Speed Monitoring Devices in Highway Work Zones, School Crossing Zones, and High-Risk Intersection Segments; Civil Penalty Losing at the hearing can mean court costs on top of the original fine.
When Someone Else Was Driving
Virginia presumes the registered owner was behind the wheel, but you can rebut that in one of two ways:4Virginia Code Commission. Code of Virginia 46.2-882.1 – Use of Photo Speed Monitoring Devices in Highway Work Zones, School Crossing Zones, and High-Risk Intersection Segments; Civil Penalty
- Mail a sworn affidavit to the clerk of the General District Court stating you were not driving and naming the person who was, with their address.
- Appear at the hearing and testify under oath to the same facts, again identifying the driver by name and address.
Either route requires you to name the actual driver. A simple denial won’t clear the ticket. If the car was stolen before the violation, a certified copy of a police report filed before the citation date will dispose of the ticket without naming anyone else.