Speed Cameras Are Coming to Los Angeles: What Drivers Need to Know

By the end of summer 2026, there will be 125 speed cameras operating on streets across Los Angeles. The City Council approved the installations, and cameras are being deployed between April and July across all 15 council districts. If you drive in LA, this is going to affect you.

The Basics

The speed camera program is part of a statewide pilot authorized by Assembly Bill 645, signed into law in 2023. The pilot allows six California cities to install automated speed enforcement cameras for a five-year period concluding by January 1, 2032. Los Angeles is the largest city in the program and is deploying the most cameras.

Cameras are placed in school zones, known street racing corridors, and roads with high rates of speed-related accidents. Each of the city's 15 council districts will have at least eight or nine cameras. According to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, speed is a factor in nearly one third of all traffic deaths in the city.

How the Cameras Work

The cameras capture the rear license plate of any vehicle traveling 11 mph or more over the posted speed limit. Only the rear plate is photographed — no facial images, no driver identification. The plate is matched against DMV records and a notice of violation is mailed to the registered owner within 15 days.

The Fine Schedule

• 11–15 mph over: $50 (after initial warning)
• 16–25 mph over: $100
• 26+ mph over: $200
• 100 mph or more: $500

These fines are lower than typical California traffic ticket totals because speed camera citations are civil violations — similar to parking tickets. They do not include the massive stack of penalty assessments that normally inflate a traffic fine. Critically, they carry no points on your driving record.

What This Means for You

If you receive a speed camera citation in Los Angeles, you have options. These violations are contestable through Trial by Written Declaration, just like any other traffic infraction.

Legitimate defense grounds include: the registered owner was not the driver (cameras only capture the rear plate, not the driver), signage non-compliance (AB 645 requires "Photo Enforced" notices within 500 feet), camera calibration questions, grace period violations, and image quality issues.

Additionally, if you qualify as low income, AB 645 mandates reduced fines: an 80 percent reduction for public assistance recipients (Medi-Cal, SNAP), and a 50 percent reduction for individuals at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty line. Community service options are also available.

The Bigger Picture

Los Angeles joins San Francisco, Oakland, Long Beach, San Jose, and Glendale in the statewide pilot. San Francisco issued more than 122,000 speed camera tickets in 2025 alone. Whether you agree with the program or not, a lot of people are going to receive these citations — and contesting is just as easy as paying.

Got a Los Angeles speed camera ticket? Learn how to contest it →