Georgia Camera Ticket Laws: School Zone Speed Cameras (HB 651)

Georgia's school-zone speed camera program is governed by a 2026 law, HB 651, not by an earlier bill that would have eliminated it. That earlier bill, HB 225, passed the Georgia House in 2025 but died when the session ended without Senate action, so it never became law. What is actually in force is a civil penalty system for school-zone speeding, plus a red light camera program that runs separately under local option.

HB 225 Died. HB 651 Is the Law.

A lot of Georgia camera-ticket content online is built around HB 225, a bill sponsored by Rep. Josh Bonner that would have eliminated school-zone speed cameras statewide. HB 225 passed the Georgia House 129-37 in 2025, and some trackers describe it as taking effect on a specific date. It did not, but the reason is more specific than simple Senate inaction: the Senate did act, passing its own amended committee substitute 46-9 on April 4, 2025, the same day the General Assembly adjourned sine die. That substitute materially rewrote the bill, replacing the House's immediate-repeal approach with a phase-out of cameras by July 1, 2028 and a July 1, 2027 cutoff on new contracts. The House never took up and agreed to the Senate's rewritten version before the session ended that night, so the two chambers never reconciled their different bills, and under Georgia's legislative process a bill that does not clear both chambers in the same form and get signed simply dies. HB 225, in either version, never became law and was never in effect.

What Georgia actually enacted in 2026 is HB 651, a reform bill rather than a ban. It tightens oversight, standardizes notice requirements, eliminates late fees, and adds a new voter-referendum requirement for future camera contracts. Section 14 of the signed act splits its effective dates: the operational overhaul took effect July 1, 2026, and the flashing-warning-sign requirement plus the new referendum rule take effect July 1, 2027.

How the School-Zone Speed Camera Penalty Works

Georgia's school-zone speed camera law, OCGA 40-14-18, applies only to vehicles traveling more than 10 mph over the posted school-zone limit, only during school-day instructional hours plus one hour on either side, and only where the Department of Public Safety has issued a permit for the location. As amended by HB 651, the civil monetary penalty is $75 for a first violation and $125 for a second or later violation, plus an electronic-processing fee capped at $10 (HB 651 cut this cap from $25).

The statute is explicit that this is not a criminal matter: «A violation for which a civil warning or a civil monetary penalty is imposed pursuant to this Code section shall not be considered a moving traffic violation for the purpose of points assessment... Such violation shall be deemed noncriminal, and imposition of a civil warning or civil monetary penalty... shall not be deemed a conviction and shall not be made a part of the operating record of the person upon whom such liability is imposed, nor shall it be used for any insurance purposes.»

Red Light Cameras in Georgia

Separately from the school-zone speed program, Georgia allows local governments to operate red light cameras under a permit from the Georgia Department of Transportation, pursuant to OCGA 40-6-20(f) and 40-14-20 through 40-14-26. The commonly cited $70 penalty figure is confirmed directly on the City of Smyrna Police Department's own automated-enforcement FAQ page, a live Georgia municipal government source: «The fine amount for a red-light safety camera is $70.» Georgia's official codified statutes remain behind a Lexis-gated portal that does not serve automated requests, so the exact GDOT permitting mechanics beyond that fine figure are not independently confirmed here; check a given city's own ordinance or program page for the specifics of its permit.

What Happens If You Don't Pay

HB 651 made two changes to Georgia's nonpayment process that cut in opposite directions. On one hand, it bans late fees outright: «No late fee shall be imposed for any unpaid civil monetary penalty imposed under this Code section.» On the other hand, it keeps a real escalation path. After the initial notice, an unpaid penalty triggers a second notice with a new 30-day return date; missing that deadline forfeits your right to contest. A final notice follows, and no sooner than 30 days after that, the matter can be referred to the Georgia Department of Revenue. DOR is then authorized to refuse to renew your vehicle's registration until the penalty is paid. This is a registration hold, not a license suspension or a criminal matter. HB 651 also newly empowers district attorneys and solicitors-general to enforce these civil penalties.

The 2027 Referendum Requirement

The most significant long-term change in HB 651 is a new voter-approval requirement, codified at OCGA 40-14-19, that takes effect July 1, 2027. After that date, no city or county may enter into or renew a school-zone camera enforcement contract without first putting the question to voters: «Shall (name of county or municipality) be authorized to use automated cameras to enforce speeding in school zones for the next six years?» Existing contracts are not automatically canceled, but as they come up for renewal after mid-2027, jurisdictions that skip a referendum will lose their authority to keep running cameras. This means the number of active school-zone camera programs in Georgia could shrink over the next several years, even though the underlying law is not a ban.

Owner Liability and Defenses

Georgia's school-zone camera law holds the vehicle owner responsible for the penalty, with statutory defenses that include a certified police report or notarized statement showing the vehicle was stolen before the violation occurred.

Out of Scope: School Bus Stop-Arm Cameras

Georgia's school-zone speed program is a different legal track from cameras mounted on school buses that cite drivers for illegally passing a stopped bus. If your ticket came from a bus-mounted camera rather than a fixed school-zone speed camera, different rules and a different statute apply.

Information last verified on 2026-08-12. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Related Resources

• Traffic Camera Ticket Laws by State
• Do You Have to Pay a Camera Ticket?
• How to Fight a Camera Ticket
• Georgia School-Zone Speed Cameras: What HB 651 Changed
• Automated License Plate Reader Laws

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Last updated: 2026-08-12.