San Francisco Speed Cameras: Locations, Rules and Fines

This page covers where San Francisco’s speed cameras can be, the rules each camera must follow and the fines. To contest a San Francisco notice, start with the San Francisco speed camera page, which has the program at a glance, the deadlines and the review request.

Have a San Francisco notice to contest? Contest a San Francisco Speed Camera Ticket →

San Francisco’s AB 645 program is run by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). SFMTA says all its cameras were issuing warnings by June 6, 2025, and citations began on August 5, 2025, at 33 locations (SFMTA Speed Safety Cameras page, checked October 7, 2026). SFMTA’s May 1, 2026 one-year update reported a 79% drop in vehicles going 10 mph or more over the limit at camera locations.

News reports have cited much larger ticket totals for 2025, but those figures count all traffic tickets citywide, not only speed camera citations, and we did not find them in SFMTA’s own reports.

What the widely shared San Francisco ticket numbers actually count. San Francisco Speed Cameras: What the Ticket Numbers Show →

Where the Cameras Are

SFMTA publishes the 33 camera locations on its Speed Safety Cameras page. Under AB 645, cameras may be placed only in school zones, on streets that meet safety-corridor standards, and on streets with repeated speed contests or sideshows (Vehicle Code 22425(b)). They may not be used on state routes, including freeways (Vehicle Code 22425(e)).

The law also sets rules for each camera:

• Signs reading “Photo Enforced,” with the posted speed limit, must stand no more than 500 feet before the camera (Vehicle Code 22425(d)(1)).
• The city must list the streets with cameras and the hours of enforcement on its website (Vehicle Code 22425(d)(2)).
• Each camera must be inspected at least every 60 days and calibrated at least once a year by an independent calibration laboratory (Vehicle Code 22425(d)(3)).
• In a school zone that has a higher speed limit when children are not present, a camera can enforce the lower school-zone limit only around the start of school, lunch and the end of school, and flashing beacons must show when it applies (Vehicle Code 22425(c)).

Warnings Come First

AB 645 requires warning notices instead of fines for the first 60 days of enforcement, and again for 60 days on any street where cameras are added. A vehicle’s first violation in the city for going 11 to 15 mph over is also a warning notice (Vehicle Code 22425(f)(2)). San Francisco’s warning period ended when citations began on August 5, 2025.

What the Notice Must Show

The notice of violation is mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner within 15 calendar days of the violation (Vehicle Code 22426(e)). It must show the speed law, your recorded speed and the posted limit, the date, approximate time and location, the camera’s most recent calibration, the fine, and how to pay or contest. Payment is due no later than 30 calendar days from the mailing date unless you contest.

The photo shows only the license plate and the rear of the vehicle, not the rear window (Vehicle Code 22425(j)). The registered owner, or the driver the owner identifies, can review and get a copy of the photo evidence (Vehicle Code 22425(m)).

Fines

• 11–15 mph over: $50 (a vehicle’s first one in the city is a warning)
• 16–25 mph over: $100
• 26+ mph over: $200
• 100 mph or more: $500

SFMTA reduces fines by 50% for qualifying low-income drivers and to 20% of the amount for people receiving qualifying public benefits. There are no DMV points and no license suspension (Vehicle Code 22426(a)).

How the low-income reductions, payment plans and community service option work. Speed Camera Fine Reductions for Low-Income Drivers →

If the Car Was Rented, Leased or Stolen

The notice comes with an affidavit of nonliability (Vehicle Code 22426(e)(6)). If the vehicle was rented or leased from a rental company or a personal vehicle sharing program, return the affidavit within 30 calendar days of the mailing date with a copy of the agreement that names the renter, and the notice is sent to the renter instead. If the vehicle was stolen, return it within the same 30 days with a copy of the police report, and the registered owner is not held responsible.

How to Contest

1. Request a free initial review from SFMTA within 30 calendar days of the notice’s mailing date, by phone, in writing, electronically or in person. SFMTA cancels the notice if it finds the violation did not occur or that extenuating circumstances make cancelling it appropriate in the interest of justice, and it mails the result within 60 days (Vehicle Code 22427).
2. If the review is denied, request an administrative hearing within 21 calendar days of the date the result was mailed. You pay the fine first unless you show you cannot afford to. You choose a hearing by written declaration, by video conference or in person, before an independent examiner, and the hearing is held within 90 days. If the notice is dismissed after the hearing, a fine you paid is refunded within 30 days (Vehicle Code 22427).
3. If the examiner rules against you, you can appeal to the superior court within 30 days after the decision is delivered or mailed. A filing fee applies, and it is refunded with any fine paid if the court rules for you (Vehicle Code 22428).

Red Light Cameras Are a Different Ticket

San Francisco also has red light cameras. SFMTA runs them with the San Francisco Police Department, the Superior Court and the City Attorney, and citation questions and payments go to the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. They are court citations under Vehicle Code 21455.5, not AB 645 notices: the court’s rules apply, and a conviction adds a DMV point.

Not sure which kind of notice you have? Camera Ticket or Court Ticket? How to Tell →

Check the Notice Before You Pay

A $50 notice is easy to pay without reading it. Before you pay, check whether it should have been a warning (a first 11 to 15 mph violation, or a camera in its first 60 days on that street), whether the photo clearly shows your plate, whether the speed, limit, date and location are right, and whether the car was rented or stolen at the time. TicketClear cannot predict the result of any review.

How TicketClear Helps

TicketClear prepares your San Francisco AB 645 initial review request for $49.99, with step-by-step instructions for sending it to SFMTA yourself. You review it, sign it and send it. TicketClear is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.

See the San Francisco speed camera program at a glance. San Francisco Speed Cameras →