--- title: HB 225. Motor vehicles; enforcement of speeding violations in school zones through automated traffic enforcement safety devices; repeal all laws collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb225 cite_as: HB 225, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb225 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb225.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb225/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69778 date: 2025-04-04 status: engrossed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb224.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb226.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 969 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb225.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 225 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2025-03-04 last_action: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute sponsors: - Dale Washburn - Ron Stephens - Eddie Lumsden - Bill Yearta - Dewey McClain - Darlene Taylor - Randy Robertson text_version: Comm Sub has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB225/2025 upstream_id: 1952988 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - school zone speed cameras - traffic enforcement - school safety - local government contracts - speeding fines --- # HB 225. Motor vehicles; enforcement of speeding violations in school zones through automated traffic enforcement safety devices; repeal all laws ## Text 25 LC 39 4808S The Senate Committee on Rules offered the following substitute to HB 225: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Article 2 of Chapter 14 of Title 40 of the Official Co de of Georgia Annotated,1 relating to speed detection devices, so as to repeal all laws r elative to enforcement of2 speeding violations in school zones through the use of automated traffic enforcement safety3 devices; to provide for conforming changes; to prohibit a local governing body or law4 enforcement agency from entering into or renewing a contract that provides for enforcement5 of laws relative to speeding violations in school zones through the use of automated traffic6 enforcement safety devices; to provide for related matters; to provide for effective dates; to7 repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.8 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:9 SECTION 1.10 Article 2 of Chapter 14 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Geo rgia Annotated, relating to11 speed detection devices, is amended by repealing Code Section 4 0-14-1.1, relating to12 definitions.13 - 1 - 25 LC 39 4808S SECTION 2.14 Said article is further amended by repealing Code Section 40-14 -1.2, relating to agent not15 private investigator or subject to certain laws.16 SECTION 3.17 Said article is further amended in Code Section 40-14-2, relating to permit required for use,18 use not authorized where officers paid on fee system, and operation by registered or certified19 peace officers, by repealing subsection (c).20 SECTION 4.21 Said article is further amended by revising Code Section 40-14-5, relating to testing of radar22 devices, removal of inaccurate radar devices from service, and maintenance of testing log23 and independent calibration tests of automated traffic enforcement devices, as follows:24 "40-14-5.25 (a) Each state, county, municipal, or campus law enforcement officer using a radar device,26 except for an automated traffic enforcement safety device as pr ovided for under Code27 Section 40-14-18, shall test the device for accuracy and record and maintain the results of28 the test at the beginning and end of each duty tour. Each such test shall be made in29 accordance with the manufacturer's recommended procedure. Any radar unit not meeting30 the manufacturer's minimum accuracy requirements shall be remov ed from service and31 thereafter shall not be used by the state, county, municipal, o r campus law enforcement32 agency until it has been serviced, calibrated, and recertified by a technician with the33 qualifications specified in Code Section 40-14-4.34 (b) Each county, municipal, or campus law enforcement officer using a radar device,35 except for an automated traffic enforcement safety device as pr ovided for under Code36 Section 40-14-18, shall notify each person against whom the officer intends to make a case37 based on the use of the radar device that the such person has a right to request the officer38 - 2 - 25 LC 39 4808S to test the radar device for accuracy. The notice shall be given prior to the time a citation39 and complaint or ticket is issued against the person and, if re quested to make a test, the40 officer shall test the radar device for accuracy. In the event the radar device does not meet41 the minimum accuracy requirements, the citation and complaint or ticket shall not be issued42 against the person, and the radar device shall be removed from service and thereafter shall43 not be used by the county, municipal, or campus law enforcement agency until it has been44 serviced, calibrated, and recertified by a technician with the qualifications specified in45 Code Section 40-14-4.46 (c)(1) The law enforcement agency, or agent on behalf of the law enforcement agency,47 operating an automated traffic enforcement safety device provid ed for under Code48 Section 40-14-18 shall maintain a log for the automated traffic enforcement safety device49 attesting to the performance of such device's self-test at least once every 30 days and the50 results of such self-test pertaining to the accuracy of the automated traffic enforcement51 safety device. Such log shall be admissible in any court proceeding for a violation issued52 pursuant to Code Section 40-14-18.53 (2) The law enforcement agency, or agent on behalf of the law enforcement agency,54 operating an automated traffic enforcement safety device shall perform an independent55 calibration test on the automated traffic enforcement safety device at least once every 1256 months. The results of such calibration test shall be admissible in any court proceeding57 for a violation issued pursuant to Code Section 40-14-18."58 SECTION 5.59 Said article is further amended in Code Section 40-14-6, relating to warning signs required60 and signage requirements, by repealing subsection (c).61 - 3 - 25 LC 39 4808S SECTION 6.62 Said article is further amended by revising Code Section 40-14- 7, relating to visibility of63 vehicle from which device is operated, as follows:64 "40-14-7.65 Except as provided for in Code Section 40-14-18, no No stationary speed detection device66 shall be employed by county, municipal, college, or university law enforcement officers67 where the vehicle from which the such device is operated is obstructed from the view of68 approaching motorists or is otherwise not visible for a distance of at least 500 feet."69 SECTION 7.70 Said article is further amended in Code Section 40-14-11, relat ing to investigations by71 commissioner of public safety, issuance of order suspending or revoking permit, and ratio72 of speeding fines to agency's budget, by revising subsection (d) as follows:73 "(d) There shall be a rebuttable presumption that a law enforcement agency is employing74 speed detection devices for purposes other than the promotion of the public health, welfare,75 and safety if the fines levied based on the use of speed detect ion devices for speeding76 offenses are equal to or greater than 35 percent of a municipal or county law enforcement77 agency's budget. For purposes of this Code section, fines collected for citations issued for78 violations of Code Section 40-6-180 shall be included when calculating total speeding fine79 revenue for the agency; provided, however, that fines for speeding violations exceeding 2080 miles per hour over the established speed limit and civil monetary penalties for speeding81 violations issued pursuant to Code Section 40-14-18 shall not be considered when82 calculating total speeding fine revenue for the such agency."83 - 4 - 25 LC 39 4808S SECTION 8.84 Said article is further amended by repealing Code Section 40-14-18, relating to enforcement85 of speed limit in school zones with recorded images, civil mone tary penalty, and86 consequences for failure to pay penalty.87 SECTION 9.88 Said article is further amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:89 "40-14-19.90 (a) No contract shall be entered into or renewed by a local go verning body or law91 enforcement agency for the enforcement of speeding violations in a school zone through92 the use of an automated traffic enforcement safety device on or after July 1, 2027.93 (b) This Code section shall stand repealed on July 1, 2028."94 SECTION 10.95 (a) Except as otherwise provided for in subsection (b) of this section, this Act shall become96 effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval.97 (b) Sections 1 through 8 of this Act shall become effective on July 1, 2028. 98 SECTION 11.99 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.100 - 5 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. A Senate substitute for House Bill 225 would end Georgia's school zone speed camera program, repealing the law that lets automated cameras issue speeding tickets near schools, with the change taking effect July 1, 2028. ### Plain-language summary Georgia law currently allows local governments and law enforcement agencies to use automated traffic enforcement safety devices, essentially speed cameras, to catch and ticket drivers speeding in school zones under O.C.G.A. § 40-14-18. This bill repeals that authorization along with related definitions, agent rules, and signage requirements written specifically for these camera programs. The repeal of the core camera law and its supporting sections does not take effect immediately; it is delayed until July 1, 2028. In the meantime, the bill immediately bars local governments and police agencies from signing new contracts or renewing existing contracts for school zone camera enforcement on or after July 1, 2027. That new prohibition itself expires on July 1, 2028, once the underlying camera law is gone. The bill also updates related radar testing and speeding-fine calculation rules to remove references to the camera program. ### What it does - Repeals O.C.G.A. § 40-14-18, the law that lets law enforcement use automated camera devices to ticket speeding drivers in school zones. - Repeals related definitions (§ 40-14-1.1), agent status rules (§ 40-14-1.2), and a signage subsection (§ 40-14-6(c)) tied to the camera program. - Bars any local government or law enforcement agency from entering into or renewing a school zone camera enforcement contract on or after July 1, 2027. - Rewrites radar testing rules (§ 40-14-5) and vehicle visibility rules (§ 40-14-7) to remove references to automated camera devices once they are phased out. - Updates the speeding-fine budget ratio rule (§ 40-14-11) to stop excluding camera penalties from the calculation once the camera law ends. - Delays the main repeal (Sections 1 through 8) until July 1, 2028, while the new contract ban takes effect as soon as the Governor signs the bill. ### Who it affects Local governments and police departments that currently run or contract out school zone speed camera programs, private vendors that operate these camera systems under contract, and drivers who travel through school zones where cameras are installed. ### Why it matters School zone speed cameras have generated tickets and revenue for many Georgia cities and counties. This bill would phase out that enforcement tool entirely by mid-2028, cutting off new contracts starting in 2027, which would end automated ticketing in school zones and remove a funding source some agencies rely on. ### Key provisions - Section 1 and 2 repeal the definitions and agent-status provisions (§§ 40-14-1.1, 40-14-1.2) specific to automated traffic enforcement. - Section 3 removes a subsection of § 40-14-2 tied to automated device permits. - Section 4 rewrites § 40-14-5's testing requirements, removing the self-test and calibration log rules for automated devices once they are phased out. - Section 5 repeals the signage subsection of § 40-14-6 that applied to camera devices. - Section 6 rewrites § 40-14-7's visibility rule for stationary speed devices, removing the carve-out for automated cameras. - Section 7 revises § 40-14-11 so camera-issued fines are no longer excluded from the 35 percent budget ratio test used to flag agencies over-relying on speeding fines. - Section 8 repeals § 40-14-18, the core law authorizing school zone camera enforcement and its civil penalties. - Section 9 adds new § 40-14-19, banning new or renewed camera enforcement contracts starting July 1, 2027; that new section repeals itself on July 1, 2028. ## Status - Status: Engrossed (2025-03-04) - Last action: Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (2025-04-04) - Sponsors: Dale Washburn, Ron Stephens, Eddie Lumsden, Bill Yearta, Dewey McClain, Darlene Taylor, Randy Robertson - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69778 > The history, votes, and amendments (969 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb225.md?full=1