Lynnwood, WA Mobility & Curb Rules: Red-Light Cameras (2026)
Key Facts
- Camera uses
- Signal, railroad crossing, school-zone speed only
- Notice deadline
- Mailed within 14 days
- Signal fine cap
- $145.00
- School-zone fine range
- $150 to $290 by mph over
- Added fee
- $25.00 traffic safety fee, non-waivable
- Low-income reduction
- 50% off first and 21-day repeat tickets
- Enforcing agency
- Lynnwood Police Department
Summary
Lynnwood police use automated cameras only at stoplight intersections of two arterials, at railroad crossings, and in posted school speed zones, under Lynnwood Municipal Code Section 11.18.010. Camera tickets are civil infractions processed like parking tickets, not moving violations, so they carry no license points. Fines cap at $145.00 for a signal violation and reach $290.00 for the worst school-zone speeding tier.
A. City law enforcement officers and persons commissioned by the Lynnwood police chief are authorized to use automated traffic cameras and related automated systems only to detect and record the image of: (1) stoplight violations at the intersection of two arterials; (2) railroad crossing violations; and (3) school speed zone violations; provided, however, pictures of the vehicle and the vehicle license plate may be taken only while an infraction is occurring, and the picture shall not reveal the face of the driver or of any passengers in the vehicle. ... The amount of the fine issued for an infraction generated through the use of an automated traffic safety camera may not exceed $145.00, as adjusted for inflation by the Office of Financial Management every five years, beginning January 1, 2029, based upon changes in the consumer price index during that time period, but may be doubled for a school speed zone infraction generated through the use of an automated traffic safety camera.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3512, passed May 26, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Every camera location must be marked with signs warning drivers they are entering an automated-enforcement zone, per LMC 11.18.010(B). When a violation is captured, the registered owner receives a notice of infraction by mail within 14 days under LMC 11.18.020(A); a rental company gets 18 days to name the actual driver or pay the fine itself. Registered owners are presumed to have been driving unless they swear under oath the vehicle was stolen or in someone else's control, per LMC 11.18.030. A signal-camera fine equals the state penalty under RCW 46.61.050 as adjusted under RCW 46.63.110, capped at $145.00, adjusted for inflation every five years starting January 1, 2029, under LMC 11.18.050(A).
School-zone speed camera fines follow a mph-based schedule set in LMC 11.18.050(B): $150.00 for 6-10 mph over the posted 20 mph limit, $200.00 for 11-15 mph over, $250.00 for 16-20 mph over, and $290.00 for 21 mph or more over. A flat $25.00 traffic safety fee is added to every camera ticket and cannot be waived, funding traffic officer salaries and collision investigations under LMC 11.18.050(C). Registered owners on public assistance or in the WIC program get a mandatory 50 percent reduction on their first camera ticket and on any repeat ticket issued within 21 days of the first, per LMC 11.18.050(D).
School-zone cameras only run when the zone's flashing lights are on, on days school is in session, within a window tied to the Edmonds School District's published start and end times, under LMC 11.18.070(C).
Violations & Fines
A camera-detected infraction is processed the same way as a parking ticket, not a moving violation, so it carries no license points; nonexclusive enforcement under LMC 11.18.060 still lets an officer write a live ticket for the same conduct under RCW 46.63.020 or 46.63.030. Unpaid or unanswered notices draw further collection action through Lynnwood Municipal Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Lynnwood red light camera ticket go on my driving record?
How much is a Lynnwood school zone camera ticket?
Can I fight a Lynnwood traffic camera ticket?
When are Lynnwood's school-zone speed cameras active?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lynnwood
Compare Lynnwood to another location·View the Washington mobility & curb rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Red-Light Cameras in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle red-light cameras.