LA Speed Cameras Are Live: Warnings First, $500 Fines Next

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Los Angeles activated the first wave of its automated speed enforcement cameras on Monday, October 26, 2026, starting a 60-day warning period before fines begin, transportation officials reported.

Click here to view the Los Angeles Department of Transportation Speed Safety System page: https://ladot.lacity.gov/speed-safety-system

The program is run by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, known as LADOT. It was approved by the Los Angeles City Council on March 24, 2026, and is authorized under California Assembly Bill 645 as a five-year pilot program.

No police traffic stop is involved in the enforcement. The cameras record the rear license plate of a vehicle traveling 11 mph or more above the posted speed limit, and notices are mailed to the registered vehicle owner.

First Wave, Day One Locations, and Warning Period

According to reporting on the launch, about 20 camera locations went live in the first wave on October 26, 2026. Day one locations reported in coverage include La Brea Avenue and 1st Street, Fairfax Avenue and Clinton Street, Melrose Avenue and Hayworth Avenue, and La Cienega Boulevard and Pico Boulevard.

Additional corridors reported in coverage include sections of Sunset Boulevard, Olympic Boulevard, Venice Boulevard and Highland Avenue. LADOT publishes its location list by council district on its Speed Safety System page.

Each camera location begins with its own 60-day warning period from its activation date. During that period, a driver traveling 11 mph or more over the limit receives a warning notice by mail, with no fine attached.

For the first sites, that puts the start of financial penalties in late December 2026, once the 60 days have run.

Fine Schedule, Civil Citations, and Program Funding

After the warning period, fines are set by how far over the posted limit a driver was traveling, with a range of $50 to $500. Reporting on the launch lists a $50 fine for 11 to 15 mph over the limit, with higher fines for higher speeds.

The citations are civil violations, not criminal tickets. According to LADOT and program reporting, they do not add points to a driver's license and do not affect personal auto insurance rates.

By state law, revenue from the fine system must be reinvested in local safe street infrastructure projects intended to protect pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

Rollout Schedule, Site Selection, and What Drivers Should Do

The full network is planned at 125 cameras by the end of 2026, across all 15 council districts. Each district receives about eight camera locations, with additional units assigned to areas with high crash rates.

According to LADOT, sites were selected using crash history, speeding data and proximity to schools, senior centers and high-injury corridors. Areas with documented street racing were also targeted.

Transportation officials have pointed to speed as a factor in roughly one in five fatal crashes in Los Angeles in 2024. Program reporting also notes early data from San Francisco showing up to a 72 percent reduction in severe speeding along monitored corridors.

Drivers can check the LADOT Speed Safety System page for the location list in their area and should watch for newly posted speed enforcement signs near active camera locations. Staying within 10 mph of the posted limit avoids a warning or a later citation.

Sources

Los Angeles Department of Transportation, Speed Safety System program page: https://ladot.lacity.gov/speed-safety-system

FOX 11 Los Angeles, Los Angeles speed cameras go live Oct. 26: Locations and fines: https://foxla.com/news/los-angeles-speed-cameras-locations-fines

MyNewsLA, LA Activates Speed Cameras Citywide, October 26, 2026: https://mynewsla.com/traffic/2026/10/26/la-begins-activating-speed-cameras-with-fines-to-follow/