Charles County, MD Mobility & Curb Rules: Red-Light Cameras (2026)
Key Facts
- Program type
- School-zone speed cameras, not red-light
- Speed threshold
- 12 mph over posted limit
- Operator
- Charles County Sheriff's Office
- Warning period
- First 30 days after camera placement
- Bus camera deadline
- 35 days before District Court referral
Summary
Charles County has no traffic-signal red-light camera program, but it does run automated school-zone speed cameras and school bus stop-arm cameras through the Sheriff's Office, ticketing drivers who exceed the limit or pass a stopped bus.
SPEED MONITORING SYSTEM A device with one or more motor vehicle sensors producing recorded images of motor vehicles traveling at speeds at least 12 miles per hour (mph) above the posted speed limit. ... No citation may be issued for a period of at least 30 days after the first speed monitoring system is placed. A violation recorded by any speed monitoring system during this thirty-day period may be enforced by the issuance of a warning.
Full Breakdown
The county code contains no intersection red-light camera ordinance; its photo enforcement is limited to two programs under Chapter 287. Article III, adopted in 2010, authorizes school-zone speed cameras: § 287-13 defines a SPEED MONITORING SYSTEM as a device with vehicle sensors that produces recorded images of vehicles "traveling at speeds at least 12 miles per hour (mph) above the posted speed limit," and defines a SCHOOL ZONE as an area near a school designated by the State Highway Administration or the County Commissioners. Section 287-14 authorizes the Office of the Sheriff to operate these systems and issue citations to vehicle owners based on the recorded images, but bars any citation for at least 30 days after a new camera is placed, during which a violation may only draw a warning.
Section 287-15 ties the program to Transportation Article § 21-809 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, with state law controlling in a conflict. 1. If a citation under the bus camera program is not satisfied within 35 days, § 287-17D lets the county request adjudication through the District Court.
Violations & Fines
A vehicle owner cited by a school-zone speed camera receives a citation based on the recorded image under § 287-14B; no citation issues in the first 30 days after a camera is newly placed, only a warning under § 287-14C. A school bus camera citation not resolved within 35 days may be referred to the District Court for adjudication under § 287-17D, and the District Court may authorize administrative or late fees under § 287-17C.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Charles County have red-light cameras at intersections?
How much over the speed limit triggers a school-zone camera citation?
What happens the first month a new school-zone camera goes up?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charles County
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