School zone speed cameras are named in the laws of 16 US states, and New York City expanded its own program to more than 700 school zones in 2019. The hours differ sharply: New York City cameras run 24 hours a day, Maryland cameras run Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Georgia cameras apply on school days during classes plus one hour either side. The rule that matters is the one where you are driving, so here is how the main programs work.
| Place | Where | When |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | School speed zones in the five boroughs | 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; authorized until July 1, 2030 |
| Florida | School zones in counties and cities that use cameras | 30 minutes before through 30 minutes after the start and end of school and the start of a breakfast program; regular posted limit during the school session |
| Georgia | Marked school zones | School days, during classes and one hour before and after |
| Maryland | Designated segments within up to a half-mile of a K-12 school | Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Rhode Island | School zones | Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., August 15 through June |
| Louisiana | School zones | School days, from one hour before and after the start and end of school |
| Chicago | Within one-eighth of a mile of a school | School days: 20 mph from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. when children are present; posted limit from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
Which states have school zone speed cameras?
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) lists school zones as a permitted camera location in 16 states as of November 2026. New York City runs its own program, and places with broader permission, such as Washington, DC, can also use cameras near schools, so the real map is wider than this list.
- School zones only: Florida, Georgia, Rhode Island and North Carolina.
- School zones, work zones and more: Arkansas, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia and Washington.
- School zones and other places: Tennessee also allows S-curves that limit a driver's view, and Utah allows areas posted at 30 mph or less.
- Specific cities: California lets specified jurisdictions use them, Illinois limits safety zones to cities of 1,000,000 or more people, and Pennsylvania allows no more than five Philadelphia school zones.
- Mobile units: Iowa permits mobile systems in school and collegiate zones, among other places, in larger localities.
Two of those states have the law but no cameras yet: IIHS shows none in place in North Carolina or Utah. In Arkansas, a police officer must be present and issue the citation at the time of the violation, so it works quite differently from a mailed notice. For the full national picture, see our guide to which states have speed cameras.
Are school zone speed cameras legal in Texas?
No, Texas is one of eight states that prohibit speed cameras, so it has no school zone cameras. New Jersey, Wisconsin and Mississippi are in the same group. The reduced limits around schools still apply there, of course, and police can enforce them in person.
When are school zone speed cameras active?
School zone cameras are active only during the hours set by state or local law, and those hours vary more than almost any other traffic rule. Some follow the school bell, some use fixed hours on weekdays, and one big program never switches off.
Are New York City school zone cameras on 24/7?
Yes, New York City school speed cameras run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Before a law signed in June 2022, they could operate only from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays. A law signed on June 30, 2025, extended the program until July 1, 2030, and the governor's office says more than 2,400 cameras are in place across the five boroughs.
What are the school zone camera hours in Florida?
Florida ties its hours to the school day. A county or city that uses cameras can enforce the school zone limit from 30 minutes before through 30 minutes after the start of a regularly scheduled school session, and the same window around the end of the session. A similar window applies around the start of a regularly scheduled breakfast program, and the regular posted limit can be enforced during the entire school session.
What are the school zone camera hours in Georgia?
Georgia allows enforcement only on a school day, during the time classes are taking place and for one hour before they begin and one hour after they end. Local governments may set narrower hours by ordinance or resolution. The state's 2026 law adds further changes, which we cover below.
What are the school zone camera hours in Maryland?
Maryland law says a speed monitoring system in a school zone may operate only Monday through Friday between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. It applies to designated road segments near a school with a posted limit of at least 20 mph.
What are the school zone camera hours in Chicago?
Chicago uses two windows on school days, Monday through Friday. From 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., the limit is 20 mph when children are present in the safety zone. From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the posted limit applies, and that is normally 30 mph. Park safety zones run separately, on every day of the year, typically from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Do school zone speed cameras work in summer and on weekends?
It depends on the place: some do and many do not. New York City cameras run through the summer and on weekends because they run all the time. Georgia's law is tied to school days, so it does not apply during the summer break unless school is in session, and Florida's law is tied to regularly scheduled school sessions and breakfast programs.
Others are defined by the calendar and the clock. Rhode Island allows cameras Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., from August 15 through June. Maryland's law sets weekdays and hours but does not mention the school calendar in that line, so don't assume a Maryland camera is off just because classes have ended. If you are unsure, assume the posted limit applies and check the sign.
How far does a school zone reach?
A school zone can reach from a few hundred feet to half a mile, depending on the state. There is no national measurement, so the signs on the road mark where it begins and ends.
- Maryland: a designated road segment within up to a half-mile radius of a K-12 school, where school-related activity occurs, such as students walking or cycling to school, or pick-up and drop-off.
- Chicago: Children's Safety Zones within one-eighth of a mile of a park or school.
- Illinois: state law also uses one-eighth of a mile for safety zones in cities of 1,000,000 or more people.
- California: standard "SCHOOL" warning signs may be placed up to 500 feet from school grounds.
What speed limit does a school zone camera enforce?
A school zone camera enforces the limit that applies at that moment, and that limit can change during the day. There is no national school zone number, so read the sign: the reduced limit is 20 mph in Chicago when children are present and 25 mph by default in California.
California's default is 25 mph when you approach or pass a school with a standard "SCHOOL" sign while children are going to or leaving the school, during school hours or the noon recess. Chicago uses 20 mph when children are present. Maryland requires a posted limit of at least 20 mph for a school zone camera.
Florida shows why the time of day matters. The reduced school zone limit applies around arrival and dismissal, while the road's regular posted limit can be enforced during the rest of the school session. So the same stretch of road can have two different limits in one morning.
Do school zone cameras work if the lights are not flashing?
They can, so a dark beacon does not always mean the camera is off. In Chicago, the 20 mph limit depends on children being present, but the normal posted limit is enforced until 7 p.m. In Maryland, the hours are set by law. Where a sign says "when flashing," that sign sets the reduced limit, and the regular posted limit still applies the rest of the time.
How do you know a school zone has a camera?
You will usually see a sign, because many laws require one. Maryland says each school zone sign must sit close to a sign indicating that speed monitoring systems are in use, and the operator must publish the camera's location on its website and in a local newspaper first.
Washington state requires signs at least 30 days before a camera is activated, and they must be readily visible to drivers on approach. Chicago gives warning notices only for the first 30 days of a new camera. Florida requires notice to be sent to the registered owner of the vehicle within 30 days of a violation, and Chicago also issues its notices to the registered owner.
What is changing for school zone cameras in Georgia?
Georgia changed its rules in 2026, and the biggest step comes on July 1, 2027. Under House Bill 651, no county or city may enter into or renew a school zone camera contract unless voters approve it in a local referendum. The ballot asks whether the place may use automated cameras to enforce speeding in school zones for the next six years.
- From July 1, 2026: most of the law took effect, including a revised permit process and the option for local governments to narrow the hours.
- From July 1, 2027: the referendum rule starts, and IIHS says warning signs must flash yellow and show the vehicle's speed when cameras are active.
Lawmakers had also considered a full ban in a separate bill, which failed to pass, according to WRDW.
Do school zone speed cameras make streets safer?
Yes, the best US evidence comes from New York City, and it points clearly in that direction. IIHS reports that crashes in the city's school zones fell 14% through March 2022 during the hours the cameras operated, and the number of speeding citations fell 75% by the end of 2021, compared with the first month after the cameras arrived.
The governor's office gave its own figures in 2025. It said speeding violations fell 94% where cameras are installed, that camera locations have 14% fewer fatalities and injuries than areas without cameras, and that injuries and fatalities in overnight and weekend hours have dropped 8% since the cameras went to 24/7 operation.
The reasoning is simple. IIHS explains that speed lengthens both reaction distance and braking distance, and school zones are full of people who are small, hard to see and not always predictable. A few miles per hour can make a real difference to a child stepping off a curb.
What do school zone cameras mean for your next drive?
For your next school run, treat every school zone as active unless you know otherwise. Slow down early, look for flashing beacons and photo enforcement signs, and watch for buses, crossing guards and children on bikes. The hours differ from place to place, but the reason for them does not. If you are heading further afield, our United States guide and our table of interstate speed limits by state cover the rest of the trip.
Ghost is a warm extra pair of eyes on routes you know and ones you don't. It runs in the background next to any navigation app and warns you about known fixed speed cameras and average-speed zones about 700 meters ahead, roughly 0.4 mile, and again at 250 meters, with one tone and no voice. It works on CarPlay, Android Auto and Apple Watch and covers more than 125,000 speed cameras worldwide. Ghost does not warn about police checks, so the school zone sign always comes first, and you can keep your eyes on the street and arrive safely.
