Key facts
- The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) activated its first roughly 20 automated speed cameras on October 26, 2026, and plans to have 125 running across all 15 City Council districts by the end of the year.
- Vehicles traveling 11 mph or more over the posted limit are photographed by their rear license plate; the cameras do not photograph drivers' faces.
- Each camera location starts with a 60-day warning period during which only warning notices are mailed; fines at the first locations begin no earlier than late December 2026.
- Fines come in four tiers: $50 for 11–15 mph over, $100 for 16–25 mph over, $200 for 26 mph or more over, and $500 for 100 mph or faster.
- These are civil penalties with no points on the driver's license, and notices are mailed to the vehicle's registered owner.
On October 26, 2026, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) launched its automated speed camera pilot program. About 20 cameras are now running, and any vehicle traveling at least 11 mph over the speed limit is recorded. Each location begins with a 60-day warning period before tickets are issued.
Los Angeles speed cameras: about 20 now, 125 by year-end
According to LADOT and the City of Los Angeles, the program was created under California's speed camera pilot law and runs for five years. The city plans to install 125 cameras across its 15 City Council districts, all active by the end of 2026.
The first locations include La Brea Avenue at 1st Street and Fairfax Avenue at Clinton Street. Cameras are placed near schools and on streets with a history of serious crashes. They capture only the rear license plate, not the driver's face. LADOT says speeding was directly involved in about one in five fatal crashes in the city in 2024.
60-day warning period: first fines no earlier than late December 2026
Each location starts with a 60-day warning period in which speeding vehicles receive warning notices with no fine. FOX 11 Los Angeles reported that fines at the first locations will begin no earlier than late December 2026.
Fines come in four tiers: $50 for 11 to 15 mph over the limit, $100 for 16 to 25 mph over, $200 for 26 mph or more over, and $500 for speeds of 100 mph or higher. These are civil penalties and do not add points to a driver's license.
Notices go to the registered owner: check your DMV mailing address
Because the cameras photograph license plates, warnings and tickets are mailed using vehicle registration records. Owners who moved without updating their registration address, or who often lend their car to family or friends, may receive a notice even if someone else was driving.
Shenqi Cai, senior attorney at Lingtu Law, recommends that vehicle owners log in to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) now and confirm that the mailing address on their registration is correct. Owners who regularly lend their car should remind drivers to stay within the speed limit. Anyone who receives a warning or ticket should keep the notice and photos, check the time and location, and follow the instructions on the notice.
Cai noted that although camera tickets are civil fines with no license points, speeding can still be used by the other driver or an insurance company to argue that a driver was at fault if a crash happens later. California follows pure comparative negligence: a driver who is partly at fault can still recover damages, but the award is reduced by that driver's share of fault.
For families who drive regularly in Los Angeles, staying within the speed limit is the simplest way to avoid both warnings and fines.