Tallahassee, FL Mobility & Curb Rules: Red-Light Cameras (2026)
Key Facts
- Red-light camera authority
- § 20-50, still on the books, unused
- Active program
- School-zone speed cameras, §§ 20-200-20-211
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 24-O-18, May 8, 2024
- Fine per notice
- $100.00 (§ 20-207(d))
- Speed threshold
- More than 10 mph over the limit
- Enforcing agency
- Tallahassee Police Department
- Footage retention
- Destroyed within 90 days of disposition
Summary
Tallahassee Code of General Ordinances § 20-50 still authorizes the city manager to run "traffic infraction detectors" (red-light cameras) under F.S. § 316.0083, but the city pulled its red-light camera program years ago. The live automated-enforcement effort today is the School Zone Speed Enforcement Ordinance, §§ 20-200 through 20-211, adopted by Ord. No. 24-O-18 on May 8, 2024.
(a)The city manager or his/her designee is authorized to implement a system utilizing traffic infraction detectors pursuant to F.S. § 316.0083.(b)The city manager or his/her designee shall have the authority to select locations within the city for the installation, operation, and maintenance of the traffic infraction detectors, including on rights-of-way owned or maintained by Leon County or the state within the city pursuant to section F.S. § 316.0776.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Land Development Code: Supplement 75 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
Section 20-50, reenacted by Ord. No. 0776. That authority covers red-light cameras, but the city removed its actual red-light camera installations years ago and has not run a red-light program since. The active photo-enforcement program is school-zone speed cameras. Section 20-204 puts the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) in charge, working with the Leon County School Board and a vendor, and lets the city's code enforcement special magistrate or code enforcement board act as the hearing officer for challenges. Section 20-206 designates specific campuses for cameras, including Raa Middle School, Desoto Trail Elementary, Rickards High School and Leon High School among others.
Section 20-207(a) authorizes TPD to enforce against drivers going more than ten miles per hour over the posted or school-zone limit during specified windows around breakfast programs and the school session. 18(3)(d)", submit an affidavit of exception, or request a hearing. Section 20-205(d) required a 30-day public-awareness warning period, warnings only, before any fine could issue; TPD began that period in February 2025. Section 20-208 bars using the cameras for remote surveillance and requires footage destruction within 90 days of final disposition, and § 20-209 requires an annual public report to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Violations & Fines
A speed detection system photographs a vehicle exceeding the school-zone limit by more than ten miles per hour; a TPD officer or traffic infraction enforcement officer reviews the image before a notice of violation is mailed to the registered owner. Within 30 days the owner must pay the $100.00 fine, file an affidavit under F.S. § 316.1896(8) shifting liability to another driver, or request a hearing before the city's local hearing officer. Ignoring the notice converts it into a uniform traffic citation forwarded to the Leon County Clerk of Court for county court disposition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tallahassee still have red-light cameras?
How much is a Tallahassee school-zone speed camera ticket?
How fast do you have to be driving to trigger a ticket?
Which Tallahassee schools have speed cameras?
Can I contest a school-zone speed camera ticket?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tallahassee
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