Orlando School-Zone Speed Cameras Begin Warning Drivers Aug. 11

Orlando’s automated school-zone speed cameras will begin a warning period on Aug. 11, giving drivers time to adjust before civil enforcement starts Sept. 25.

The program covers 21 designated school-zone locations. Through Sept. 24, registered vehicle owners will receive warnings rather than civil penalties. Beginning Sept. 25, a qualifying event may result in a $100 civil Notice of Violation mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner.

When enforcement begins

Aug. 11 is not the start of fines. It is the beginning of the city’s public-awareness and warning period, which runs through Sept. 24.

Beginning Sept. 25, a violation generally requires a vehicle to travel more than 10 mph over the applicable school-zone speed limit during a legally defined enforcement period. Those periods include windows around the start of a regularly scheduled breakfast program or school session, as well as the school session itself and a window around dismissal. The cameras are not described as enforcing speeding continuously throughout the day.

Images captured by the system must be reviewed by an authorized City of Orlando employee or agent before a notice is issued. The city says a certified Orlando Police Department traffic infraction enforcement officer will review the images and determine whether a notice should be sent.

Where the cameras will operate

Ordinance 2024-25 designates these 21 school zones as heightened-safety-risk locations:

• Audubon Park School
• Blankner School
• Boone High School
• College Park Middle School
• Dover Shores Elementary School
• Eagle’s Nest Elementary School
• Engelwood Elementary School
• Innovation Middle School
• Lake Como School
• Lake Silver Elementary School
• Laureate Park Elementary School
• MetroWest Elementary School
• Millennia Gardens Elementary School
• Odyssey Middle School
• Princeton Elementary School
• Roberto Clemente Middle School
• Rock Lake Elementary School
• Sun Blaze Elementary School
• Vista Lakes Elementary School
• Vista Pointe Elementary School
• Westpointe Elementary School

The city’s current camera webpage visibly lists 17 locations and uses some different school names. The four locations listed in the ordinance but not visibly shown in the extracted city-page location list are Eagle’s Nest, Princeton, Sun Blaze and Vista Pointe. Drivers should rely on posted signs and the city’s current program information as installations are finalized.

Rock Lake Elementary is one of the locations identified in local reporting. The city says “Photo Enforced” signs are installed at every entrance to a participating school zone.

What triggers a notice

The key threshold is more than 10 mph over the speed limit in force at the time of the event. The applicable limit may be the posted school-zone speed limit or another posted limit covered by the ordinance.

The city says the locations were selected after a study evaluated factors including roadway conditions, traffic patterns, vehicle speeds, pedestrian activity, crash history and other safety concerns. Orlando describes the program as a pedestrian-safety and Vision Zero initiative; city records do not establish that the cameras have already reduced crashes.

What arrives in the mail

The initial enforcement action is a civil Notice of Violation mailed to the registered vehicle owner. That may be a different person from the driver who was behind the wheel.

The civil penalty is $100, and the city says no points are added to a Florida driver’s license. The notice is separate from a criminal citation and is handled through the city’s administrative process.

Options after receiving a notice

The registered owner generally has 30 days to respond. The options are:

• Pay the $100 civil penalty by the due date.
• Submit an affidavit to transfer the violation to the driver or establish an exception to liability allowed under state law.
• Request a City of Orlando administrative hearing.

Owners should follow the instructions and deadline printed on the notice. The ordinance governs which affidavits, defenses and transfers are permitted.

What happens if a notice is ignored

If the owner does not pay, submit a sufficient affidavit or request a hearing on time, a law enforcement officer or traffic infraction enforcement officer may issue a $206 uniform traffic citation. The city transmits that citation to the Orange County Clerk of Courts for county-court disposition.

Where the money goes

Florida law controls distribution of each collected $100 civil penalty. The city says $60 is retained for administering school-zone speed-detection systems and other public-safety initiatives; $20 goes to the Florida Department of Revenue’s General Revenue Fund; $12 goes to Orange County Public Schools for specified security, transportation or student-walking-safety purposes; $5 supports the county’s school-crossing-guard recruitment and retention program; and $3 goes to a state criminal-justice training trust fund.

For Orlando families, school staff, pedestrians and commuters, the immediate deadline is Sept. 24. Starting Sept. 25, driving more than 10 mph above the active school-zone limit during an enforcement period can lead to a mailed civil notice after officer review.

Sources

• City of Orlando School Zone Speed Cameras
• City of Orlando Ordinance 2024-25
• ClickOrlando report on Orlando school-zone cameras

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