BALTIMORE, MD—Drivers in the Baltimore area and across Maryland face a steep financial hit for speeding tickets from automated cameras starting Oct. 1, when fines jump from a flat $40 fee to a tiered scale topping out at $425, officials said Tuesday.
The overhaul, enacted through House Bill 182 and signed into law by Gov. Wes Moore in May, marks the first major update to the state’s automated speed enforcement penalties since their rollout more than a decade ago. The changes aim to bolster road safety in high-risk zones, including school areas and residential neighborhoods where children and pedestrians are most vulnerable.
Exceeding the Speed Limit by:
Maximum Penalty:
12 – 15 MPH, inclusive
$40
16 ‐ 19 MPH, inclusive
$70
20 – 29 MPH, inclusive
$120
30 – 39 MPH, inclusive
$230
40 or more MPH
$425
The law applies statewide, but in the Baltimore region, it will hit hardest along Interstate 83 and in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County and other locales with active cameras. Speed monitoring systems are restricted to school zones with limits of at least 20 mph, residential areas capped at 35 mph or less, and designated state routes and intersections.
Proponents say the increases will deter reckless driving and generate revenue for public safety initiatives, as required by state law. In Howard County alone, speed cameras issued 41,290 citations in 2024 — up from the prior year — collecting more than $1.1 million in fines, according to county officials. The fiscal note for the bill projects additional local revenue, though exact figures remain unclear.
The move builds on earlier reforms, including doubled fines in highway work zones that took effect at the start of 2025 — ranging from $60 to $1,000 — following a deadly 2023 crash on Interstate 695 in Baltimore County that killed six construction workers.
Critics, however, decry the hikes as revenue grabs that disproportionately burden everyday drivers.
Local sheriffs expressed mixed views, with some predicting the changes could reduce violations while others anticipate a wave of payment disputes or court challenges. Baltimore County, which has operated up to 15 speed cameras in school zones since 2009, offers an ombudsman program for contesting erroneous tickets.
The State Highway Administration must convene a workgroup by December to study best practices for school-zone cameras and report findings to the governor and legislature.
Maryland’s 430 new laws effective Oct. 1 also include faster expungement of certain criminal records and expanded police enforcement in private communities, but the speed fine surge has drawn the most immediate attention from commuters.
Photo via Pixabay
Please follow and like us:
Disclaimer: This news has been automatically collected from the source link above. Our website does not create, edit, or publish the content. All information, statements, and opinions expressed belong solely to the original publisher. We are not responsible or liable for the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of any news, nor for any statements, views, or claims made in the content. All rights remain with the respective source.