Manitou Springs, CO Privacy & Surveillance: License Plate Readers (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Municipal Code Ch. 10.26, Ord. No. 0824 (2024)
- Data destruction
- Within 3 years of final disposition
- Speeding penalty
- Up to $40 ($80 in school zones)
- Red light penalty
- Up to $75
- Camera corridors
- 6 designated streets under §10.26.050
- Vendor pay
- Cannot be tied to citation volume
Summary
Manitou Springs runs an automated vehicle identification system that photographs vehicles and license plates to enforce speed and red-light violations under Municipal Code Chapter 10.26. Photos and video are confidential under the Colorado Open Records Act, cannot be sold, and must be destroyed within three years of a violation's final disposition.
2.Treat all photographs and video collected by the automated vehicle identification system as confidential and exempt from disclosure and inspection pursuant to the "Colorado Open Records Act" part 2 of Article 72, Title 24, C.R.S.;3.Not use, disclose, sell, or permit access to photographs, video, or personal identifiable data collected by the automated vehicle identification system, except to the extent necessary to operate the program, including for purposes of processing violations, for other law enforcement purposes, for transferring data to a new vendor or operating system, or, pursuant to a court order, for use in unrelated legal proceedings; and4.Destroy any photographs and video of a violation collected by the automated vehicle identification system within three years after the final disposition of the violation, unless the photographs or video are maintained in a separate system for other purposes allowed by law.
Full Breakdown
26 by Ordinance No. 0824 on October 1, 2024, creating an automated vehicle identification system that pairs traffic cameras with license plate capture to cite speeding and red light violations. 050: Sunshine Trail, Serpentine Drive, Manitou Avenue, Crystal Park Road, El Paso Boulevard and the US Highway 24 Bypass. Every corridor and school-zone camera must be preceded by a warning sign at least 300 feet ahead, or between 200 and 500 feet for a signal camera. A registered owner gets a notice of violation by mail or personal service within 30 days, or 60 days for an out-of-state vehicle, stating the penalty and the deadline to dispute it at a hearing without being forced to identify who was driving.
080, all photographs and video are treated as confidential and exempt from Colorado Open Records Act disclosure, cannot be sold or shared beyond what the program needs, and must be destroyed within three years of a violation's final disposition. 070.
Violations & Fines
A speeding citation carries a civil penalty of up to $40, or $80 inside a school zone; a red light violation carries up to $75, with the maximum amounts waived in a designated construction zone under C.R.S. § 42-4-614. These are civil, not criminal: the city cannot report a conviction to the Department of Transportation or immobilize a vehicle for nonpayment. Unpaid penalties become a final order of liability, appealable to Manitou Springs Municipal Court, and the city may pursue a collection action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Manitou Springs share license plate camera data with ICE or other federal agencies?
Where in Manitou Springs are the cameras placed?
Is a camera ticket a criminal charge?
How long does the city keep the photos and video?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Manitou Springs
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