Photo Traffic Enforcement

Arizona Senate Research Staff, 1700 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007

PHOTO TRAFFIC

ENFORCEMENT

INTRODUCTION

Photo enforcement systems, commonly referred to as photo

radar, utilize digital cameras, computers and radar sensors to detect

violations of speed limit and red light laws.

There are two types of photo radar systems: fixed and mobile. A

fixed photo radar system is the most common form of photo radar and

can be installed on the side of a road or mounted overhead in gantries.

A mobile photo radar system is mounted on a mobile device that

usually takes one of two basic forms: 1) a photo radar camera or

sensor that can be moved from one fixed location to the next; or 2) a

photo radar camera or sensor that is mounted in a van or tethered to a

vehicle.

Photo radar typically utilizes two cameras to identify the vehicle

and driver involved in speeding or red light violations. One camera

produces an image of the oncoming driver’s face while the other

camera is used to identify the vehicle’s rear license plate.

The Phoenix metropolitan area was an early adopter of photo

radar systems. In 2005, the City of Scottsdale implemented a year-

long demonstration program to evaluate the efficacy of photo radar

detection systems on a 7.8-mile long portion of the Loop 101 within

the Scottsdale city limits. This program was the first of its kind

throughout the United States. Numerous cities in Arizona utilize the

technology, including Scottsdale, Chandler, Mesa, Paradise Valley,

Tempe, Prescott and Tucson.

ARIZONA USAGE OF PHOTO ENFORCEMENT

Arizona law allows the use of photo radar for violations of either

speed or traffic signs, signals or markings. The use of photo radar on

state highways was prohibited by Laws 2016, Chapter 55.

Under most contracts in Arizona, when traffic violations are

detected using photo radar, the photo radar vendor receives evidence

Note to Reader:

The Senate Research Staff

provides nonpartisan, objective

legislative research, policy

analysis and related assistance

to the members of the Arizona

State Senate. The Issue Briefs

series is intended to introduce a

reader to various legislatively

related issues and provide

useful resources to assist the

reader in learning more on a

given topic. Because of

frequent legislative and

executive activity, topics may

undergo frequent changes.

Nothing in the Brief should be

used to draw conclusions on

the legality of an issue.

Arizona State Senate

Issue Brief

November 10, 2022

ADOT: Final Report 596

 
Arizona Senate Research Staff, 1700 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007 
of the violation. Pursuant to Laws 2018, Chapter 
123, the evidence of a violation must be reviewed 
by a law enforcement agency before a citation is 
issued. Upon validation, a traffic citation is filed 
against the registered owner of the vehicle in the 
appropriate  municipal  court  having  jurisdiction 
over  the  violation.  After  the  citation  is  filed, 
notice is sent by mail to  the  vehicle’s  registered 
owner. If the  owner does not  respond, a  process 
server may be sent to  serve the complaint to  the 
owner  in  person  or  may  leave  copies  at  the 
owner’s  home  with  another  resident  of  suitable 
age  and  discretion.  If  the  person  in  the 
photograph  is  not  the  registered  owner  of  the 
vehicle,  municipalities  may  allow  the  owner  to 
identify the  driver and transfer responsibility  for 
the traffic citation; however, the person does not 
have to identify who is in the photo.
2
 
Local  municipalities  using  photo  radar 
systems  must  display  signs  indicating  to  drivers 
on  the  road  that  a  photo  radar  system  is  present 
and operational. Photo radar systems may not be 
placed  within  600  feet  of  a  posted  speed  limit 
change,  except  in  school  crossing  zones,  and 
speed  limit  signs  must  be  placed  in  specified 
locations within the photo radar zone.
3
 
A  person  who  receives  a  notice  of  violation 
(notice) in the mail for speeding or running a red 
light that is obtained using  photo  radar  does  not 
have to respond to the notice or identify who is in 
the photo. The notice must state that  the notice is 
not  a  court-issued  document and the  recipient is 
not  obligated  to  identify  the  person  or  respond, 
but  failure  to  respond  may  result  in  official 
service that may result in an additional fee being 
levied  Alternative  or  substitute  forms  of  service 
of process may be used to notify an individual of 
a  photo  enforcement  violation  citation.  An 
individual’s  driving  privileges  may  not  be 
suspended or revoked as a result of a citation that 
is served by alternative service e of process.
4
 
Photo Traffic Enforcement  2 
Photo enforcement systems  may not  be  used 
on a state highway to identify violators of traffic 
control  or  speed  restrictions.
5
  There  have  been 
various legislative measures introduced in the last 
several  years  to  completely  ban  photo  radar  in 
Arizona, however, the Legislature has not passed 
or referred a measure of this nature at this time. 
ADDITIONAL REFERENCES 
•  Arizona  Department  of  Public  Safety 
http://www.azdps.gov 
•  Arizona  Department  of  Transportation 
Technical  Evaluation  of  Photo  Enforcement 
for Freeways – Final Report 596 
•  National  Conference  of  State  Legislatures 
Traffic  Safety  Review:  State  Speed  and  Red-
Light Camera Laws and Programs 
2
 A.R.S. § 28-1602  
3
 A.R.S. §§ 28-1203 and 28-1204  
4
 A.R.S. § 28-1602 
5
 A.R.S. § 28-1206  