A bill introduced in the New Jersey Senate would authorize municipalities and counties to install automated speed enforcement systems in school zones, creating a limited statewide framework for the use of speed cameras focused on child safety, transparency, and data protections.

The legislation, Senate Bill No. 3218, sponsored by Troy Singleton, is titled the “School Zone Automated Speed Enforcement and Safety Act.” It was introduced on Jan. 28, 2026, during the 222nd Legislature.

If enacted, the bill would carve out a narrow exception to New Jersey’s long-standing prohibition on photo radar, allowing automated speed enforcement only within designated school zones and only under detailed statutory conditions.

Local Approval and Safety Studies Required
Under the proposal, municipalities and counties could install speed cameras in school zones within their jurisdiction, but only after adopting a resolution or ordinance at a public meeting approving each individual location.

Before activation, the governing authority would be required to conduct a traffic engineering and speed study demonstrating a documented safety need, such as a high volume of pedestrian traffic, a history of speeding violations, or a significant number of crashes involving vehicles, pedestrians, or bicyclists.

The systems would be required to meet specific technical standards, including speed accuracy within plus or minus one mile per hour, multiple photographic images of a violating vehicle, and embedded information such as the date, time, location, posted speed limit, recorded speed, and calibration certification.

Speed cameras could issue summonses only for vehicles traveling at least 10 miles per hour over the posted speed limit. For the first 60 days after a system is installed, drivers would receive warnings instead of citations.

After that grace period, enforcement would be limited to weekdays between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., aligning with typical school hours.
The maximum fine for a violation would be capped at $75, with courts required to offer payment plans, reduced fines, or community service options for individuals who demonstrate financial hardship.

Fines could not be reduced below $25 unless community service is ordered. No motor vehicle points or insurance eligibility points would be assessed for violations captured by the automated systems.

Each speed enforcement system would be required to perform daily self-diagnostic calibration checks and undergo annual independent calibration certification. Any summons issued on a day when the system failed its calibration check would be void.

The bill also prohibits vendors from being paid based on the number of tickets issued or revenue generated. Instead, vendors would be limited to flat-fee or time-based compensation models.

The legislation places strict limits on data collection and retention. Systems would be permitted to collect only license plate information, vehicle speed, and the date, time, and location of the alleged violation. The capture or retention of facial images, biometric data, or facial recognition information would be prohibited.

Images and data related to issued summonses would have to be purged within 90 days of final adjudication, while data tied to incidents that do not result in a summons would need to be deleted within 30 days. The bill bars the sharing, sale, or transfer of data except as explicitly authorized.

Municipalities and counties operating the systems would be required to publish annual public reports detailing crash data, summons totals, revenue, expenditures, error rates, calibration logs, and maps of camera locations with safety justifications. The Department of Transportation would then compile and submit a statewide report to the governor and Legislature, including an analysis of equity impacts in lower-income school areas.

All fine revenue would be deposited into a newly created “School Zone Safety Improvement Fund,” to be used exclusively for pedestrian safety projects near schools, traffic reduction efforts, signage and beacon maintenance, and crossing guard training and salaries. Funds would be redistributed annually to local governments based on the number of violations recorded.