Long Beach's New Speed Cameras Are Going Up. Here's What Drivers Actually Need to Know

They’re not Flock cameras, they won’t put points on your license, and Long Beach says the data isn’t being shared with police. Here’s how the new system actually works, what tickets will cost and what happens if you get one.

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Adrian Morales

Adrian Morales covers breaking news, public safety, and community stories across Long Beach for Long Beach Classic.
One of Long Beach’s new automated speed cameras installed along Artesia Boulevard in North Long Beach.

Long Beach’s new speed cameras are starting to appear around the city, and if your first thought is, “Great, more cameras watching us,” you’re probably not alone.

Between Flock cameras, license plate readers and ongoing concerns about who has access to that information, another camera pointed at traffic is naturally going to raise some questions.

But these cameras are different.

Long Beach is rolling out a new automated Speed Safety System under California’s AB 645 pilot program. The city is allowed to operate up to 18 devices, and unlike a traditional traffic stop, the program is being administered by the Long Beach Department of Public Works, not the Long Beach Police Department.

The cameras are being provided and operated by Verra Mobility, a company that already operates automated traffic enforcement technology in cities around the country. Oakland is using Verra Mobility for its own speed-camera program under the same California law.

So what exactly are these things doing, who gets your information, and what happens when one catches you speeding?

First things first: these aren't Flock cameras

That’s probably one of the biggest questions right now.

According to the City of Long Beach, the new speed cameras are not Flock cameras, are not connected to the city’s Flock system and are not automated license plate reader, or ALPR, cameras.

They also don’t continuously record video.

Instead, the devices are programmed for one specific purpose: detecting vehicles traveling at least 11 mph over the posted speed limit. When that happens, the system captures a photograph of the rear of the vehicle and its license plate.

It does not photograph the driver’s face, and facial recognition is prohibited under state law.

So if you’re driving through one of these locations at or below the enforcement threshold, the system isn’t supposed to be building a searchable video record of you driving past.

Okay, but does the information go to police? What about ICE?

This is where the privacy rules surrounding the program become important.

Long Beach says citation information will not be shared with the Long Beach Police Department or other law-enforcement agencies.

California law goes even further. Information collected for the speed-camera program can only be used to administer the program and generally cannot be disclosed to another state or federal government agency for another purpose.

That would include federal agencies such as ICE.

There is an important exception: state law allows disclosure when required by state or federal law, a court order, or a subpoena involving an individual case.

Verra Mobility is also prohibited from selling, repurposing or monetizing the information collected by the cameras.

So while it’s fair to have privacy concerns anytime a camera is photographing license plates, this system operates under very different rules from the Flock cameras that have generated controversy over law-enforcement access.

So how does the camera actually catch you?

You have to be traveling at least 11 mph over the posted speed limit before the system can issue a violation.

That means a camera on a 35 mph street begins enforcing at 46 mph.

Long Beach also has to warn you that you’re approaching one. “Photo Enforced” signs and the posted speed limit must appear within 500 feet before each camera, and the city says it will also install speed-feedback signs showing drivers their speed.

When the system detects a violation, it photographs the rear of the vehicle and license plate. DMV registration information is then used to identify the registered owner.

That’s an important distinction: the system does use DMV information, but the resulting citation is not a traditional DMV moving violation.

How expensive are the tickets?

The fines increase depending on how fast the vehicle was traveling.

11 to 15 mph over: $50
16 to 25 mph over: $100
26 mph or more over: $200
Traveling 100 mph or faster: $500

There will also be a 60-day warning period when the system first goes live, meaning violations during that period result in warnings rather than fines.

After that, someone receiving their first violation for traveling 11 to 15 mph over the limit can still receive a warning instead of a fine if they did not already receive a warning during the initial 60-day period.

Here's where these cameras are going up

Long Beach is authorized to operate up to 18 speed-camera locations.

The cameras aren’t supposed to be randomly scattered around the city. Under state law, they can be placed on designated high-injury safety corridors, streets with a documented history of street racing or speed exhibitions, and qualifying school zones.

View Interactive Speed Safety Camera Map

A camera got you. Now what?

If the camera records a violation, a notice has to be mailed to the registered owner within 15 calendar days.

That notice should include the photograph of the rear license plate, the speed the vehicle was traveling, the posted speed limit, the date, time and location of the violation, and information about the camera’s calibration.

Normally, payment is due within 30 days of the notice being mailed.

But here’s something a lot of drivers may not realize.

This isn’t the same type of speeding ticket you’d get after being pulled over by a police officer.

Under AB 645, automated speed-camera violations are civil penalties. The law specifically says they do not result in points being added to a driver’s license and cannot result in the DMV suspending or revoking someone’s driving privileges because of the violation.

Oakland, which is already issuing tickets under the same program, describes them as non-moving violations with no driver’s-license points or insurance impact.

So... what happens if you don't pay it?

And here’s where things get interesting.

Because these are civil penalties rather than traditional moving violations, people in cities where the cameras are already operating have been asking the exact same question.

Reddit threads in Oakland and elsewhere are filled with drivers debating whether to pay, contest every citation or simply refuse to pay them. Some users argue that cities have limited leverage because the violations don’t carry license points or the normal consequences people associate with traffic tickets.

But don’t interpret Reddit comments as legal advice or as proof that an unpaid ticket simply disappears.

California law requires participating cities to track delinquent violations and provides a process for collecting unpaid civil penalties. In other words, an unpaid citation can still become a debt the city attempts to collect.

What is clear is what the law says the camera violation itself does not do: it doesn’t add points to your license and it doesn’t allow the DMV to suspend or revoke your driving privileges because of the violation.

Long Beach also gives drivers a formal process to fight a citation rather than simply ignoring it.

You can request an initial review by Public Works within 30 days. If that doesn’t go your way, you can request an administrative hearing, and after that there is an avenue to appeal the decision to Los Angeles Superior Court.

So if you believe a camera got it wrong, contesting the citation through the actual process is very different from simply throwing the notice away.

And if you can't afford the ticket?

There are some significant reductions built into the law.

People who qualify as indigent can receive an 80% reduction, while qualifying people earning up to 250% of the federal poverty level can receive a 50% reduction.

For qualifying indigent residents, Long Beach must also provide options including payment plans with installments of no more than $25 per month and a community-service diversion program.

That means a $50 citation could potentially be reduced substantially for someone who qualifies.

When do the tickets actually start?

The cameras going up doesn’t mean Long Beach is immediately mailing everybody fines.

The city’s current rollout calls for the warning period to begin in fall 2026, followed by actual citations beginning in winter 2026.

And Oakland gives Long Beach drivers a pretty good preview of what’s coming.

Oakland activated its cameras in January and began issuing actual citations in March. In its first six months, the city’s cameras recorded hundreds of thousands of violations. Oakland also reported that the average vehicle receiving a violation was traveling about 14 mph over the posted speed limit.

So yes, these cameras are very capable of producing a lot of tickets.

But they’re also considerably different from the Flock cameras already scattered around Long Beach and from the traditional speeding ticket you receive after seeing red and blue lights in your rearview mirror.

For Long Beach drivers, the simplest advice might also be the cheapest:

When you see that “Photo Enforced” sign, check your speed.

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