Hampton, VA Mobility & Curb Rules: Red-Light Cameras (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Hampton City Code § 21-19
- Camera density cap
- 1 per 10,000 residents
- Penalty type
- Civil, no court costs
- Sign requirement
- Within 500 ft of intersection
- HREL camera sunset
- Expires July 1, 2027
Summary
Hampton's city manager may install traffic light and traffic-control-device camera systems at up to one intersection per 10,000 residents under § 21-19, issuing civil penalties by mail to the registered owner of vehicles caught running red lights.
The city manager is hereby authorized to establish a traffic signal enforcement program and to impose monetary liability on the operator of a motor vehicle for failure to comply with traffic light signals in accordance with the provisions of Code of Virginia § 15.2-968.1. The city manager shall cause the installation and operation of traffic light signal violation monitoring systems at no more than one intersection for every 10,000 residents within the city at any one time.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31 | Zoning: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 21-19 authorizes the city manager to run a traffic light signal violation monitoring program, capped at one camera intersection per 10,000 residents, plus a separate traffic-control-device camera program tied to the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Express Lanes project that expires July 1, 2027, or on project completion. Photo evidence creates a rebuttable presumption that the registered owner committed the violation; owners can rebut it by affidavit or sworn courtroom testimony. Penalties are civil, capped at the maximum set by Virginia Code § 15.2-968.1, carry no court costs, and aren't reported to insurers or added to a driving record. Signs must be posted within 500 feet of a monitored approach, and a public-awareness campaign must run before any camera goes live.
Violations & Fines
A photo-documented red-light or traffic-control-device violation draws a mailed civil penalty, not a criminal charge or DMV points; unpaid or contested tickets proceed through Hampton General District Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hampton use red-light cameras?
Is a Hampton camera ticket a criminal conviction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hampton
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