Illinois automated camera notices: red light, Chicago safety-zone speed, school-bus stop-arm, and railroad-crossing cameras, plus state work-zone speed camera citations

Do not treat “Illinois camera ticket” as one object. This page covers five different camera programs that Illinois law authorizes, each in its own statute:

The first four produce a mailed camera notice. The fifth produces a camera-based Uniform Traffic Citation, which is a different kind of paper. Read the section, program, and agency named on your mailed camera notice or camera-based Uniform Traffic Citation. Confirm what your paper says.

US overview: What a mailed camera notice is. Contrast: What an NYC camera notice is · Three different California camera notices · Florida Notice of Violation vs Uniform Traffic Citation · Maryland school-zone speed monitoring vs SafeZones work-zone cameras · Colorado automated camera notices: CDOT Speed Enforcement vs local AVIS · Washington automated camera notices: local programs vs WSDOT work-zone cameras · Virginia automated camera notices: photo-speed, red light, and school-bus cameras · Tennessee automated camera notices: unmanned ASE, school-zone / S-curve speed, and school-bus cameras · Pennsylvania automated camera notices: red light, work-zone speed, Philadelphia speed, and school-bus cameras.

A paper about the same driving is not automatically a camera notice. The red-light and school-bus camera penalties apply “Unless the driver of the motor vehicle received a Uniform Traffic Citation from a police officer at the time of the violation” (625 ILCS 5/11-208.6(j); 11-208.9(k)). Officer-charged violations follow different sections. For a school bus, Section 11-1414(f) states that the Secretary of State “shall suspend for a period of 3 months the driving privileges of any person convicted of a violation of subsection (a) of this Section or a similar provision of a local ordinance”, and that a person convicted is “subject to a mandatory fine of $300 or, upon a second or subsequent violation, $1,000, and community service in an amount set by the court.” For a railroad crossing, Section 11-1201(e)(1) states that a violation “is a petty offense for which a fine of $500 shall be imposed for a first violation, and a fine of $1,000 shall be imposed for a second or subsequent violation.” That is the statute’s statement. Confirm the section your notice or citation names.

What these camera sections say about the driving record

Three of the camera sections (Illinois General Assembly, 625 ILCS 5, retrieved 8 Oct 2026) each state, in their own words: “A violation for which a civil penalty is imposed under this Section is not a violation of a traffic regulation governing the movement of vehicles and may not be recorded on the driving record of the owner of the vehicle” (11-208.6(j); 11-208.8(c); 11-208.9(k)). Section 11-208.9(k) adds that such a violation “may be recorded by the municipality or county for the purpose of determining if a person is subject to the higher fine for a second or subsequent offense.” That is the statute’s statement. It covers only civil penalties imposed under those three sections.

The railroad-crossing section (11-1201.1) contains no driving-record sentence; see section 4 below. The work-zone citation path is different again; see section 5 below.

Do not assume camera notices never add points. Confirm which section your notice or citation names.

1. Red light cameras (625 ILCS 5/11-208.6, retrieved 8 Oct 2026)

Section 11-208.6(a) describes the system as “a device with one or more motor vehicle sensors working in conjunction with a red light signal to produce recorded images of motor vehicles entering an intersection against a red signal indication in violation of Section 11-306 of this Code or a similar provision of a local ordinance.” Section 11-208.6(m) states: “This Section applies only to the counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, Madison, McHenry, St. Clair, and Will and to municipalities located within those counties.” That is the statute’s statement. This page does not list which counties or municipalities operate a program, and it does not state an amount for any municipality other than Chicago.

Section 11-208.6(d) states that “the county or municipality having jurisdiction shall issue a written notice of the violation to the registered owner of the vehicle as the alleged violator. The notice shall be delivered to the registered owner of the vehicle, by mail, within 30 days after the Secretary of State notifies the municipality or county of the identity of the owner of the vehicle, but in no event later than 90 days after the violation.” That is the statute’s statement.

Section 11-208.6(j) states that the owner “is subject to a civil penalty not exceeding $100 or the completion of a traffic education program, or both, plus an additional penalty of not more than $100 for failure to pay the original penalty or to complete a required traffic education program, or both, in a timely manner, if the motor vehicle is recorded by an automated traffic law enforcement system.” That is the statute’s statement.

The City of Chicago Department of Finance violation schedule (chicago.gov, retrieved 8 Oct 2026) lists violation code 9-102-020, “Red Light Camera Violation”, with a fine of $100.00. That is the City’s statement. Section 11-208.6(j) separately caps the civil penalty at “not exceeding $100”. Confirm what your notice says.

2. Chicago safety-zone speed cameras (625 ILCS 5/11-208.8, retrieved 8 Oct 2026)

Section 11-208.8(s) states: “This Section applies only to municipalities with a population of 1,000,000 or more inhabitants.” That is the statute’s statement. Chicago runs its Children’s Safety Zone program under this section. Chicago’s CDOT page states that “The City ordinance establishing the Children’s Safety Zone program substantially narrows the hours and locations of automated speed enforcement, which is allowed under state law”. That is the City’s statement.

Section 11-208.8(a) describes the system as one “designed to record the speed of a vehicle and obtain a clear photograph or other recorded image of the vehicle and the vehicle's registration plate or digital registration plate while the driver is violating Article VI of Chapter 11 of this Code or a similar provision of a local ordinance.” It defines a “Safety zone” as “an area that is within one-eighth of a mile from the nearest property line of any public or private elementary or secondary school, or from the nearest property line of any facility, area, or land owned by a school district that is used for educational purposes approved by the Illinois State Board of Education, not including school district headquarters or administrative buildings”, and states: “A safety zone also includes an area that is within one-eighth of a mile from the nearest property line of any facility, area, or land owned by a park district used for recreational purposes. However, if any portion of a roadway is within either one-eighth mile radius, the safety zone also shall include the roadway extended to the furthest portion of the next furthest intersection.”

Section 11-208.8(a) also states: “The term ‘safety zone’ does not include any portion of the roadway known as Lake Shore Drive or any controlled access highway with 8 or more lanes of traffic or any roadway in which the 30 mile per hour maximum speed limit is decreased by local ordinance without an engineering or traffic investigation in accordance with subsection (b) of Section 11-604 after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 104th General Assembly.” The last clause was added by Public Act 104-787, which took effect August 7, 2026. That is the statute’s statement. This page does not say whether any particular roadway is covered by it.

State law limits when a safety-zone camera may record violations (625 ILCS 5/11-208.8(a-5)): for school-based zones, “only on school days and no earlier than 6 a.m. and no later than 8:30 p.m. if the school day is during the period of Monday through Thursday, or 9 p.m. if the school day is a Friday”; for park-based zones, “no earlier than one hour prior to the time that the facility, area, or land is open to the public or other patrons, and no later than one hour after the facility, area, or land is closed to the public or other patrons.” That is the statute’s statement. Chicago’s CDOT page states that “The City ordinance establishing the Children’s Safety Zone program” provides that “Enforcement hours around schools will be limited to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on school days (Monday through Friday)” and that “Enforcement hours around parks will be limited to only those hours when each park is open (typically 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., 7 days a week)”. That is the City’s statement.

Section 11-208.8(e) states that “the municipality having jurisdiction shall issue a written notice of the violation to the registered owner of the vehicle as the alleged violator. The notice shall be delivered to the registered owner of the vehicle, by mail, within 30 days after the Secretary of State notifies the municipality of the identity of the owner of the vehicle, but in no event later than 90 days after the violation.” That is the statute’s statement.

Section 11-208.8(c) states: “No penalty may be imposed under this Section if the recorded speed of a vehicle is 5 miles per hour or less over the legal speed limit.” That is the statute’s statement.

State law caps the civil penalty at “not exceeding $50” when the recorded speed is “no less than 6 miles per hour and no more than 10 miles per hour over the legal speed limit,” and at “not exceeding $100” when it is “more than 10 miles per hour over the legal speed limit” (625 ILCS 5/11-208.8(c)). That is the statute’s statement. Chicago’s CDOT page states: “Fines for violations are: $35 for vehicles traveling 6-10 mph over the posted speed limit, and $100 for vehicles traveling 11 or more mph over the posted speed limit.” The Department of Finance violation schedule lists 9-101-020 “Speed Camera Violations 6-10 mph” at $35.00 and “Speed Camera Violation 11+ mph” at $100.00. Those are the City’s statements. Confirm what your notice says.

3. School-bus stop-arm cameras (625 ILCS 5/11-208.9, retrieved 8 Oct 2026)

Section 11-208.9(a) describes the system as “a device with one or more motor vehicle sensors working in conjunction with the visual signals on a school bus, as specified in Sections 12-803 and 12-805 of this Code, to produce recorded images of motor vehicles that fail to stop before meeting or overtaking, from either direction, any school bus stopped at any location for the purpose of receiving or discharging pupils in violation of Section 11-1414 of this Code or a similar provision of a local ordinance.” Section 11-208.9(r) states: “After a municipality or county enacts an ordinance providing for automated traffic law enforcement systems under this Section, each school district within that municipality or county's jurisdiction may implement an automated traffic law enforcement system under this Section.” That is the statute’s statement. This page does not list which school districts use stop-arm cameras.

Section 11-208.9(d) as in effect on 8 Oct 2026 states that “the county or municipality having jurisdiction shall issue a written notice of the violation to the registered owner of the vehicle as the alleged violator. The notice shall be delivered to the registered owner of the vehicle, by mail, within 30 days after the Secretary of State notifies the municipality or county of the identity of the owner of the vehicle, but in no event later than 90 days after the violation.” That is the statute’s statement. Public Act 104-587 also amends subsection (d) effective January 1, 2027.

Section 11-208.9 as in effect on 8 Oct 2026 states that the owner “is subject to a civil penalty not exceeding $150 for a first time violation or $500 for a second or subsequent violation, plus an additional penalty of not more than $100 for failure to pay the original penalty in a timely manner”. Public Act 104-587 amends that text effective January 1, 2027. The amended text states that the owner “is subject to a mandatory civil penalty of $300 for a first time violation or $1,000 for a second or subsequent violation, plus an additional penalty of not more than $100 for failure to pay the original penalty in a timely manner”. That amended text is not in effect on 8 Oct 2026. Those are the statute’s statements. Confirm what your notice says.

An officer-charged school-bus violation under Section 11-1414 is a different path. See the paragraph near the top of this page.

4. Railroad-crossing cameras (625 ILCS 5/11-1201.1, retrieved 8 Oct 2026)

Section 11-1201.1(b) states that the Illinois Commerce Commission “may, in cooperation with a local law enforcement agency, establish in any county or municipality an automated railroad grade crossing enforcement system”, after local authorities enact an ordinance requesting it. Section 11-1201.1(c) states that “the county or municipality having jurisdiction shall issue a written notice of the violation to the registered owner of the vehicle as the alleged violator.” That is the statute’s statement.

Section 11-1201.1(c) also states: “The notice shall be delivered to the registered owner of the vehicle, by mail, no later than 90 days after the violation.” That is the statute’s statement. This page does not list which crossings have cameras.

Section 11-1201.1(j) states: “Penalty. A civil fine of $250 shall be imposed for a first violation of this Section, and a civil fine of $500 shall be imposed for a second or subsequent violation of this Section.” That is the statute’s statement. Confirm what your notice says.

Section 11-1201.1 states the civil fine amounts but contains no sentence about the driving record. This page does not say whether a railroad-crossing camera fine is recorded. Do not assume camera notices never add points.

5. Work-zone speed camera citations (625 ILCS 7, retrieved 8 Oct 2026)

A work-zone speed camera paper is a different kind of paper. Under 625 ILCS 7/30(b), “A Uniform Traffic Citation must be mailed or otherwise delivered to the registered owner of the vehicle. If mailed, the citation must be sent via certified mail within 14 business days of the alleged violation, return receipt requested.” Section 7/30(c) requires the citation to include “the first available court date”. Unlike the four programs above, these work-zone statutes do not describe a civil penalty. Section 7/20 states: “The penalties for and consequences of a traffic violation recorded by an automated traffic control system are the same as for any similar violation of the Illinois Vehicle Code.” Section 11-605.1(d) states: “Except as provided under subsection (d-5), a person who violates this Section is guilty of a petty offense. Violations of this Section are punishable with a minimum fine of $250 for the first violation and a minimum fine of $750 for the second or subsequent violation.” That is the statute’s statement.

625 ILCS 7/10 states: “The Illinois State Police may establish an automated traffic control system in any construction or maintenance zone established by the Department of Transportation or the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. An automated traffic control system may operate only during those periods when workers are present in the construction or maintenance zone.” That is the statute’s statement. This page does not say whether or where these cameras are operating.

Section 7/15(a) describes the system as one “designed to record the speed of a vehicle and obtain a clear photograph or other recorded image of the vehicle, the vehicle operator, and the vehicle's registration plate or digital registration plate while the driver is violating Section 11-605.1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code.” That is the statute’s statement.

The speed limit itself is not limited to times when workers are present. Section 11-605.1(a-5) states: “A person may not operate a motor vehicle in a construction or maintenance speed zone at a speed in excess of the posted speed limit when workers are not present.” That is the statute’s statement. IDOT’s Vehicle Compliance Program page states: “While work zone speeds and fines apply regardless of the presence of workers, photo speed enforcement can only be utilized when workers are present.” That is IDOT’s statement.

Section 7/25(e) states: “If the driver of the vehicle cannot be identified through the photograph, the owner is not liable for the fine, and the citation may not be counted against the driving record of the owner. If the driver can be identified, the driver is liable for the fine, and the violation is counted against his or her driving record.” That is the statute’s statement. This page does not state a total, court costs, or points for a work-zone citation. Confirm what your citation says.

Speed imaging outside these two statutes

625 ILCS 5/11-612 states: “Except as authorized in the Automated Traffic Control Systems in Highway Construction or Maintenance Zones Act and Section 11-208.8 of this Code, no photographic, video, or other imaging system may be used in this State to record vehicle speeds for the purpose of enforcing any law or ordinance regarding a maximum or minimum speed limit unless a law enforcement officer is present at the scene and witnesses the event.” That is the statute’s statement. Sections 11-208.8 and 625 ILCS 7 are the two automated speed-camera statutes this page covers. Section 11-208.6(c) separately states that, “Except as provided under Section 11-208.8 of this Code, a county or municipality, including a home rule county or municipality, may not use an automated traffic law enforcement system to provide recorded images of a motor vehicle for the purpose of recording its speed.” That is the statute’s statement.

What this page does not cover

This page does not cover Illinois Tollway unpaid-toll violation notices or Chicago’s Smart Streets automated parking enforcement (bus-lane, bike-lane, bus-stop and other parking violations). Those are toll or parking matters under separate rules.

Paths the notice and citation sections describe (not which to choose)

For the four mailed camera notice programs, Sections 11-208.8(f), 11-208.9(e), and 11-1201.1(c) each require the notice to include a statement that the person may elect to proceed by “paying the fine” or by “challenging the charge in court, by mail, or by administrative hearing.” Section 11-208.6(d) lists the same paths and adds “completing a required traffic education program”. For the work-zone path, Section 7/30(d) requires the citation to be accompanied by a written document that “explains how the violator can elect to proceed by either paying the fine or challenging the issuance of the Uniform Traffic Citation.” That is the statute’s statement. We do not tell you whether to pay or contest.

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