Kent, WA Mobility & Curb Rules: Red-Light Cameras (2026)

Kent's two automated-camera programs run on parallel tracks in Chapter 9.36. KCC 9.36.150 authorizes stoplight cameras at intersections: a driver facing a steady red signal must stop and remain stopped, and running the light at the intersection of two arterials draws a $145 infraction when caught on camera. KCC 9.36.140 authorizes a separate school-speed-zone camera program under the same Chapter 46.63 RCW authority; exceeding the posted school-zone limit costs $145, rising to $290 for speeds of 30 mph or more. Both sections require the city to post warning signs at least 30 days before activating a camera at that location, and both bar the vendor's compensation from being tied to ticket revenue or the number of citations issued.

Registered owners who receive public assistance under RCW Title 74 or participate in WIC are entitled to a mandatory 50 percent penalty reduction on their first camera violation and any repeat violation issued within 21 days of the first. Camera images may only show the vehicle and plate, never the driver's or passengers' faces, and are restricted to law enforcement use in prosecuting that specific infraction. Notices of infraction must be mailed to the registered owner within 14 days, and citations are processed like parking infractions rather than counted against a driving record. Both penalty amounts are set to adjust for inflation every five years starting January 1, 2029, under 2024 state legislation.