Providence, RI Mobility & Curb Rules: Red-Light Cameras (2026)
Key Facts
- Legal basis
- City Code §§ 15-121: 15-130
- Intersection cap
- 45 cameras citywide, max
- New-camera grace period
- 30 days, warnings only
- Liability type
- Civil, owner-liable, not criminal
- Vendor pay
- Can't be per-ticket
Summary
Providence's ordinance authorizes automated red-light cameras at intersections, capped at 45 devices citywide, with civil penalties issued by mail rather than criminal charges.
A sign shall be erected by the city department of traffic engineering on each public highway on the approach to the next traffic-control signal for such highway when a traffic-control signal-monitoring device is monitoring such next signal for such highway. Such signs shall be at least thirty (30) inches by thirty (30) inches in measurement and shall warn motorists that traffic-control signal monitoring devices are being employed... Not more than forty-five (45) intersections shall be equipped with operational traffic-control signal monitoring devices at any one (1) time.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 7).
Full Breakdown
City Code Article X (§§ 15-121: 15-130) lets the police department run traffic-control signal monitoring cameras that photograph vehicles running a red or red-arrow signal. No more than 45 intersections can run cameras at once, and each new camera gets a 30-day warning-only period before citations start. The registered owner is civilly liable under R.I.G.L. § 31-13-6, with the penalty amount set by state law (R.I.G.L. § 31-41.1-4), not a criminal record. Vendors can't be paid per ticket issued.
Violations & Fines
Registered owner is civilly liable (not criminal) for the state-law penalty under R.I.G.L. § 31-41.1-4; unpaid summons can trigger a vehicle-registration suspension request to the DMV.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Providence run cameras at every intersection?
Do I get a warning before a red-light ticket?
Does running a red-light camera go on my driving record?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Providence
Compare Providence to another location·View the Rhode Island mobility & curb rules overview
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Red-Light Cameras in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle red-light cameras.