Norfolk, VA Mobility & Curb Rules: Red-Light Cameras (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Norfolk Code § 25-196
- State authority
- Code of Virginia § 15.2-968.1
- Camera cap
- 1 per 10,000 residents citywide
- Grace period
- 0.5 seconds minimum after light turns red
- Signage
- Required within 500 feet of intersection approach
- Records retention
- Purged within 60 days of penalty
- Disclosure penalty
- $1,000 civil penalty per unauthorized disclosure
Summary
Norfolk's city manager runs a red-light camera program under Code of Virginia § 15.2-968.1, capping installations at one intersection per 10,000 residents. Cameras must clear a 0.5-second grace period after the light turns red before recording a violation, and the city must post signs within 500 feet of every monitored approach before ticketing begins.
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 photo-monitoring systems at no more than one intersection for every ten thousand (10,000) residents within the city at any one time. ... No monetary penalty imposed under this section shall exceed the maximum permitted by Code of Virginia § 15.2-968.1 at the time of conviction hereunder, nor shall it include court costs. ... All traffic light signal violation monitoring systems shall provide a minimum 0.5-second grace period between the time the signal turns red and the time the first violation is recorded.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 166).
Full Breakdown
Section 25-196 of the Norfolk Code of Ordinances authorizes the city manager to install and operate traffic light signal photo-monitoring systems at intersections, limited to no more than one camera-equipped intersection for every 10,000 city residents at any one time. The vehicle owner, lessee, or renter is civilly liable for the violation captured on camera; a certificate sworn by a Norfolk law-enforcement officer, based on the recorded images, is prima facie evidence of the facts it states. Owners face a rebuttable presumption they were driving, which they can defeat by mailing a sworn affidavit to the clerk of the Norfolk General District Court, testifying in court that they were not the driver, or producing a police report that the vehicle was reported stolen before the violation.
5-second grace period between the light turning red and the first recorded violation. Conspicuous signs must stand within 500 feet of each monitored approach, and the system is evaluated monthly for proper function. A summons can be mailed instead of served in person, giving the recipient at least 30 business days to inspect the recorded images before the return date. Collected images and owner data may only be used for enforcement, cannot be sold, and must be purged within 60 days after any civil penalty is collected, or within two business days if no summons issues within 10 business days of the alleged violation.
Violations & Fines
A photo-enforcement penalty cannot exceed the maximum set by Code of Virginia § 15.2-968.1 and carries no court costs. It is not treated as a conviction, does not go on the driving record, and cannot raise insurance rates or add license points. Anyone who unlawfully discloses images or owner data collected by the system faces a separate $1,000 civil penalty per disclosure, and a private vendor's data-sharing agreement can be terminated for misuse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Norfolk red-light camera ticket add points to my license?
How many red-light cameras can Norfolk operate?
How do I contest a Norfolk photo-enforcement ticket?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Norfolk
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