Speed cameras are legal in Florida only inside school zones. No Florida statute authorizes automated speed enforcement on highways, city streets, or county roads, so a camera mounted along a regular road is not writing you a speeding ticket. The one exception came in 2023, when the legislature authorized counties and municipalities to run automated speed detection systems in school zones during school hours. Red light cameras are a separate program with its own rules.
School Zone Speed Cameras
Governor DeSantis signed HB 657 into law in 2023, creating Florida’s school zone speed camera program. The rules live in Florida Statutes Section 316.1896, which lets traffic infraction enforcement officers issue citations based on camera evidence for speeding in a school zone.1Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 316.1896
The system does not trigger for every driver a few miles above the limit. A citation can only be issued when a vehicle exceeds the posted school zone speed by more than 10 mph. In a 15 mph zone, that means clocking above 25 mph before the camera generates a violation.1Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 316.1896
The civil penalty is $100. That money is split between the county or municipality, the local school district, the state General Revenue Fund, and other designated programs.2Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 316.1896
Signs and the 30-Day Warning Period
A county or city using school zone speed cameras must post signs telling drivers that photographic or video enforcement is in use. The signage has to state the hours the cameras are active and meet placement rules set by the Florida Department of Transportation.3Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 316.0776
When a jurisdiction first launches its program, it must run a public awareness campaign for at least 30 days before enforcement begins. During that window, only warnings can be issued and no fines can be collected.3Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 316.0776 If you got a ticket in the first weeks of a new program, that grace period is worth checking.
Cameras on Regular Roads
Florida has no law that allows standalone speed cameras outside school zones. Other states have adopted automated speed enforcement on highways and city streets; Florida’s legislature has not. A camera you spot on a pole along an ordinary road is almost certainly a traffic-monitoring device used for congestion data or signal timing, not a device that generates speeding citations. You will not receive a speeding ticket in the mail from a camera on a normal Florida road.
Red Light Cameras Are a Separate Program
Red light cameras are legal statewide under the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Program, codified in Section 316.0083. These cameras detect whether a vehicle entered an intersection after the light turned red. They do not measure speed and are not part of the school zone camera program.4Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 316.0083
If a review confirms a red light violation, the registered owner gets a Notice of Violation by first-class mail within 30 days. The civil penalty is $158, and you have 60 days to pay it, request a hearing, or file an affidavit naming the person who was driving.4Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 316.0083 Ignoring the notice is the worst option. After 60 days it escalates to a Uniform Traffic Citation, which carries a higher fine and is harder to fight.
Points, Driving Record, and Insurance
Camera violations in Florida, both school zone speed and red light, are civil penalties assessed against the vehicle’s registered owner rather than moving violations against the driver. A red light ticket written by a police officer at the scene puts 4 points on your license.5Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Points and Point Suspensions A camera-issued citation under Section 316.0083 does not, because it imposes civil liability on the owner instead.
Because no points attach, camera violations generally do not show up on your driving record the way a traditional ticket would, and most insurers won’t raise your rates over one, since rate changes usually key off point-bearing moving violations. That protection disappears if you ignore the notice and it converts into a Uniform Traffic Citation. Responding within the 60-day window is what keeps a camera ticket in the civil lane.