Los Angeles Speed Cameras Set to Switch On Monday, Oct. 26, With 60 Days of Warnings First

Los Angeles is set to turn on the first of its automated speed cameras Monday, Oct. 26. About 20 units go live on day one, with all 125 planned for activation by the end of 2026.

L.A. Department of Transportation General Manager Laura Rubio-Cornejo announced the date at a Thursday news conference in Hollywood, where crews were installing cameras just outside Kingsley Elementary School.

The program was originally slated for late September. City officials said the extra time was needed for installation adjustments.

How the system works

The cameras photograph the rear license plate of any vehicle traveling at least 11 mph over the posted limit. No police stop is involved.

The Speed Safety Systems Program runs under California Assembly Bill 645, which authorized a five-year pilot for select cities. The L.A. City Council approved it unanimously on March 24, 2026.

Each of the 15 council districts gets roughly eight camera sites, with extra units assigned to areas with high crash rates. The city says it picked locations using crash history, speeding data and proximity to schools, senior centers and high-injury corridors. Areas with documented street racing are also targeted.

The city also says it took input from equity, civil liberties and community groups when choosing sites.

Where the first cameras go

Confirmed day-one intersections:

• La Brea Avenue and 1st Street
• Fairfax Avenue and Clinton Street
• Melrose Avenue and Hayworth Avenue
• La Cienega Boulevard and Pico Boulevard

Cameras are also planned along stretches of Sunset Boulevard, Olympic Boulevard, Venice Boulevard and Highland Avenue.

A map and full list are on LAspeedsafety.org.

What it costs drivers

Every camera starts with a 60-day warning period, counted from that camera's own activation date. During that window, speeders get a $0 written warning in the mail.

For the first 20 cameras, that puts the start of actual fines in late December. Cameras switched on later will have later start dates.

After the grace period, the program's fine schedule runs like this:

• 11 to 15 mph over: $50
• 16 to 25 mph over: $100
• 26 mph or more over: $200
• 100 mph or more: $500

There is one wrinkle in the lowest tier. Under the LADOT explanation, a driver's first violation at 11 to 15 mph over still draws only a warning after the grace period ends. Repeat violations get the $50 citation.

These are civil violations, not criminal ones. They add no points to a driver's record and do not affect personal auto insurance rates.

State law requires that all fine revenue be reinvested in local safe-street projects for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

The city's case

Excessive speed contributed to roughly 20 percent of Los Angeles' fatal vehicle collisions in 2024, according to figures cited with the launch.

"Speed safety systems have proven to be among the most effective tools we have to reduce dangerous speeding, prevent crashes and save lives," Rubio-Cornejo said in a statement.

Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez, who represents the Hollywood area, said at the news conference: "Too often, in City Hall, we don't act with the sense of urgency that this deserves." He added that when looking at serious injuries and fatal crashes, "the number one factor that leads to this is the speed of the vehicle."

Damian Kevitt, speaking at the same event, pointed to San Francisco's experience: "78% drop in speeding when they implemented these, 42% drop in fatalities the first year." Those are his figures, and they come from another city's program, not Los Angeles'.

Long Beach has already activated cameras at 18 locations. It is also starting with warnings for drivers at least 11 mph over the limit.

What is still open

LADOT has confirmed the first 20 sites and the main enforcement corridors. It has not published a calendar for the remaining 105 installations.

That affects drivers, because each camera's 60-day clock starts on its own date. Where and when the fines begin will vary camera by camera through early 2027.

The city plans to submit a safety and economic evaluation to the state legislature when the five-year pilot ends. That report is what will show whether the cameras cut crashes and what they cost to run, and whether the pilot continues.

For now, the next hard date is Monday, Oct. 26. Fines on the first cameras are due to start in late December.