Speed Cameras To Spread Across CA As Pilot Program Catches 400K Violations In 6 Months

It's several months into California's pilot speed camera program, and hundreds of thousands of lead-footed drivers have already been busted, even though a fraction of the cameras are in place and only in San Francisco.

However, that will soon change as six more cities up and down the state are slated to install dozens of new cameras in the coming months. There will soon be dozens of speed cameras installed throughout Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Long Beach, and Glendale, and Malibu.

Those cameras may be just the beginning.

In 2023, the California state legislature passed AB 645, a bill to install speed cameras in six cities. Last year, Malibu was added to the list thanks to SB 1297, and it has started installing cameras along the Pacific Coast Highway, the site of several fatal car accidents.

Last week, the California State Senate passed a bill expanding the use of speed cameras to include "speed safety systems" around state highway construction or maintenance project zones.

For now, however, San Franciscio is the only city to have cameras up. They have been running for the past six months. The numbers, so far, have been striking. Almost as soon as the city's 33 cameras were up, they began catching more than 1,000 violations per day and speeding fell substantially over time.

Per the California law, cameras can only be installed in state-defined safety corridors, school zones, and areas with a history of street racing or sideshows. They must also be placed evenly throughout different socioeconomic neighborhoods.

Cameras will clock speeds. If cars are going faster than the posted speed limit, drivers will receive a warning notice within 60 days of the camera’s installation. After 60 days, drivers will receive fines based on how far over the speed limit they were going:

• 11-15 mph over: Written warning for the first time, $50 for repeat offenders
• 16-25 mph over: $100 fine
• 26 to 99 mph over: $200 fine
• 100 mph over: $500 fine

Fines will be used to pay for the cost of installing cameras and various traffic safety upgrades. Low-income households will have the option to pay over time, sliding scale options, or potentially performing community service in lieu of fines.

The law authorizes only the use of photos to read license plates, and no facial recognition software, and footage will be shared only with the California Department of Transportation. Footage will be retained for 5 days if no violation is issued, and 60 days if a violation is issued.

The law is intended to serve as a pilot program through 2032 to measure the impacts and best practices before more speed cameras are installed throughout the state.

The cameras have proven effective elsewhere, according to some studied. Traffic crashes dropped by 30% thanks to a similar program in New York City. A study of cameras placed in Montgomery County, Maryland found that the likelihood of drivers exceeding the speed limit by over 10 mph dropped 59%, while crashes resulting in fatal or serious injuries dropped 19 percent.

Here’s what we know about the status of each of the six cities’ pilot programs.

San Francisco

San Francisco currently has 33 cameras installed throughout the city, which began issuing citations on Aug. 5. The city issued more than 400,000 warning notices from March to August, according to SFTMA spokesperson Michael Roccaforte. The city plans to release data on citations at some point in early 2026, Roccaforte said.

Early data from March to August is encouraging, however. According to a city news release, average daily speeding events dropped 30% between week one and week seven of camera activation. Speeding in high-volume corridors saw a decrease between 40-63 percent. Additionally, 70 percent of vehicles issued a warning did not receive a second warning.

In addition to cameras, the city is installing additional visual cues like pavement markings, larger speed limit signs, and highly visible warnings at camera sites.

See here for more information about San Francisco’s Speed Safety Cameras program.

Los Angeles

California’s largest city, world-famous for its challenging and often dangerous traffic, is quite a ways behind San Francisco. According to the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Los Angeles completed its Development of Impact Report and Use Policy in early 2025.

According to an LADOT report submitted to the Los Angeles City Council, the city hired a consultant in August to help determine locations, and deliver an "engagement plan" with stakeholder groups around October and November. The report estimates that cameras will be up and running by the end of 2026.

Up to 125 locations for the cameras have not yet been determined.

“The City will weigh a variety of factors including community input and historic collision data when determining where to place these systems,” LADOT said. It also said that large “Photo Enforced” signs will be placed clearly on the roadway in advance of each location.

San Jose

San Jose has identified 28 proposed locations for speed cameras, which can be viewed on the city’s Speed Safety Cameras Pilot Program website.

However, under AB 645, the city is all allowed to install up to 33. The city said it expects the program to begin in 2025, though it did not specify when.

San Jose was going to use an $8.5 million federal grant from the Biden administration, but the Trump administration updated the terms and conditions of that grant, city spokesperson Colin Heyne told Patch. The city attorney is going back and forth with the federal government to negotiate.

“We won't have a firm start date to announce until that's all been figured out ... We have taken all the preliminary steps, such as adopting an impact report and use policy, as well as launching a public information campaign that has so far hosted eight town hall meetings,” Heyne said. “Our strong desire is to install and start all 33 camera systems at the same time. We will push out more public information once we have funding and a contract awarded.”

The program is estimated to cost between $15.4 million to $17.9 million total, the city said on its website.

Oakland

Oakland has also identified 18 proposed sites throughout the city.

Cameras are expected to be added at some point in the fall or winter of 2025. These sites account for 60% of severe and fatal collisions in the city.

Two Oaklanders are killed or seriously injured by traffic violence each week, according to the city.

Patch reached out to the city for further information on the timeline of implementation.

Long Beach

Long Beach has identified up to 18 spots that will be released publicly at a Mobility, Ports, and Infrastructure Committee meeting at some point in October, according to city spokesperson Jocelin Padilla-Razo.

The locations will be finalized once the city council adopts a report, at which point the city council will share the locations with the public. The timeline for implementation remains unclear, and the city has not provided any estimates. Long Beach is the only city out of the seven that does not have a website dedicated to its speed camera pilot program.

Glendale

Glendale has published a map of 16 potential sites throughout the city that it hopes to narrow down to nine. It is in the process of collecting community input to narrow the sites down to nine.

However, according to a city website, implementation of the cameras was supposed to take place throughout mid to late 2025, after which point a 30-day public information program will begin. The cameras are expected to be fully operational by later this year.

Patch reached out to the city to confirm that the posted schedule is on track.

Malibu

The Pacific Coast Highway has been the site of several high-profile deadly crashes, and the city declared a Local Emergency in November 2023 following the deaths of four Pepperdine students. In September 2024, Gov. Newsom signed SB 1297, which authorized speed cameras along PCH.

While Malibu does not directly control PCH, the city is working with Caltrans, the LA County Sheriff’s Department, and other agencies to install cameras, in addition to other safety measures.

Speed cameras will be installed at Decker Canyon, between Guernsey Avenue and Morning View Drive, Latigo Canyon Road, between Carbon Beach Terrace and Carbon Canyon Road, and Tuna Canyon Road.

In an August meeting, Malibu officials said they’re aiming for the cameras to be installed by the end of 2025, according to a report from LAist.

Patch reached out to the city for further information.

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