What Oregon law says about photo red light and photo radar citations

Oregon Revised Statutes chapter 810 (oregonlegislature.gov, 2025 Edition, retrieved 29 Oct 2026) has sections headed “Photo Red Light” and “Photo Radar”. This page quotes ORS 810.434 to 810.444, the speed classes in ORS 811.109, the presumptive fines in ORS 153.019, and pages from the City of Portland and the Beaverton Police Department. It does not apply them to any citation. Confirm what your paper says.

An Oregon speeding citation that an officer hands to the driver is a different paper. See What an Oregon speeding ticket is.

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 · 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 · New Mexico city camera notices: Albuquerque ASE and Santa Fe STOP speed cameras · Iowa automated speed camera citations: Iowa DOT-permitted fixed and mobile systems under Iowa Code chapter 321P · Texas red-light camera and city speed camera prohibitions: what Transportation Code chapter 707 and § 542.2035 say · Alabama camera notices: the state work-zone speed camera pilot under Act 2026-475 and city red-light camera local acts · Louisiana camera citations: what R.S. 32:43 to 32:49 say about school-zone speed cameras and red light cameras.

The Oregon Revised Statutes text below is quoted from the Oregon Legislature’s site as shown when retrieved on 29 Oct 2026.

What ORS 810.434 says about photo red light cameras

ORS 810.434(1): “Any city may, at its own cost, operate cameras designed to photograph drivers who:”

(a) “Violate ORS 811.265 by failing to obey a traffic control device; or”
(b) “Violate the speed limit established in ORS 811.111 by 11 miles per hour or greater or violate the designated speed posted under ORS 810.180 by 11 miles per hour or greater.”

ORS 810.434(3)(a) states that a city that chooses to operate a camera shall “Provide a public information campaign to inform local drivers about the use of cameras before citations are actually issued; and” conduct the evaluation described in paragraph (b). That is the statute’s statement.

What ORS 810.436 and 810.437 say about photo red light citations

ORS 810.436 covers red light citations from those cameras. Among the conditions in ORS 810.436(1): (d) “The citation is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle, or to the driver if identifiable, within 10 business days of the alleged violation.” and (e) “The registered owner is given 30 days from the date the citation is mailed to respond to the citation.” ORS 810.436(4): “A rebuttable presumption exists that the registered owner of the vehicle was the driver of the vehicle when the citation was issued and delivered as provided in this section.” ORS 810.436(5): “A person issued a citation under subsection (1) of this section may respond to the citation by submitting a certificate of innocence or a certificate of nonliability under subsection (7) of this section or any other response allowed by law.” ORS 810.436(7)(a) sets the time for a certificate of innocence as “within 30 days from the mailing of the citation”. ORS 810.436(8): “The penalties for and all consequences of a violation of ORS 811.265 initiated by the use of a camera installed as provided in this section and ORS 810.434 are the same as for a violation initiated by any other means.”

ORS 810.437 covers speeding citations from the same cameras. ORS 810.437(1) states that “a citation for speeding may be issued on the basis of photographs from a camera and other technology, including but not limited to sensors, that measure the speed of a vehicle without the presence of a police officer if the following conditions are met:” Among them: (d) “The registered owner is given 30 days from the date the citation is delivered to respond to the citation.” and (f) “The person exceeded the speed limit or designated speed by 11 miles per hour or greater.” ORS 810.437(6)(a) sets the time for a certificate of innocence as “within 30 days from delivery of the citation”. ORS 810.437(7): “The penalties for and all consequences of a speeding violation initiated by the use of a camera installed as provided in this section and ORS 810.434 are the same as for a violation initiated by any other means.” That is the statute’s statement. This page does not say how that statement applies to a particular citation, license, or insurance policy.

What ORS 810.438 says about photo radar

ORS 810.438(1): “A city at its own cost may operate photo radar.” ORS 810.438(2): “A photo radar system operated under this section:”

(a) “May be used on streets in residential areas or school zones.”
(b) “May be used in other areas if the governing body of the city makes a finding that speeding has had a negative impact on traffic safety in those areas.”
(c) “May not be used on controlled access highways.”

Paragraph (d) requires a posted sign announcing “Traffic Laws Photo Enforced.” and sets where the sign goes. History line: “1995 c.579 §1; 1997 c.280 §1; 1999 c.1071 §1; 2005 c.686 §3; 2007 c.634 §1; 2010 c.30 §9; 2011 c.545 §66; 2015 c.138 §25; 2023 c.33 §1”. That is the statute’s statement.

What ORS 810.444 says about photo radar citations

ORS 810.444(1): “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in a city operating a photo radar system under ORS 810.438:” (a) “A citation for speeding may be issued on the basis of photo radar if:”

(A) “A sign that provides drivers with information about the driver’s current rate of speed is posted between 100 and 400 yards before the location of each photo radar unit;”
(B) “A police officer or a duly authorized traffic enforcement agent has reviewed the photographic evidence of the conduct; and”
(C) “A police officer signs and issues the citation, except that a citation issued by the City of Portland may be signed and issued by a duly authorized traffic enforcement agent or a police officer.”

ORS 810.444(1)(b): “A rebuttable presumption exists that the registered owner of the vehicle was the driver of the vehicle when the citation is issued and delivered as provided in subsection (2) of this section.” ORS 810.444(3)(a): “An individual named as the registered owner of a vehicle in current records of the Department of Transportation may respond by mail to a citation issued under subsection (1) of this section by submitting a certificate of innocence within 30 days from the mailing of the citation swearing or affirming that the registered owner was not the driver of the vehicle and by providing a photocopy of the registered owner’s driver license.” ORS 810.444(5): “The penalties for and all consequences of a speeding violation initiated by the use of photo radar are the same as for a speeding violation initiated by any other means.” History line: “2015 c.721 §2; 2022 c.64 §3; 2024 c.82 §2”. ORS 810.445 is shown as “repealed by 2024 c.82 §4”, as are ORS 810.439 and 810.443. That is the statute’s statement. This page does not say how that statement applies to a particular citation, license, or insurance policy.

What ORS 810.441 and 810.442 say about highway work-zone photo radar

ORS 810.441(1): “The Department of Transportation may operate photo radar within a highway work zone that is located on a state highway.” ORS 810.442(1)(a) lists conditions for a citation, including (A) “The photo radar unit is operated by a uniformed police officer.” (B) “The photo radar unit is operated out of a marked police vehicle.” (D) “The citation is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle within six business days of the alleged violation.” and (E) “The registered owner is given 30 days from the date the citation is mailed to respond to the citation.” That is the statute’s statement. This page does not state whether photo radar is in use in any highway work zone on a given day.

What ORS 811.109, 811.265, and 153.019 say about classes and presumptive fines

ORS 811.109(1): “Violation of a specific speed limit imposed under law or of a posted speed limit is punishable as follows:”

(a) “One to 10 miles per hour in excess of the speed limit is a Class D traffic violation.”
(b) “11 to 20 miles per hour in excess of the speed limit is a Class C traffic violation.”
(c) “21 to 30 miles per hour in excess of the speed limit is a Class B traffic violation.”
(d) “Over 30 miles per hour in excess of the speed limit is a Class A traffic violation.”

Subsection (2) of ORS 811.109 sets different classes where the speed limit is 65 miles per hour or greater. ORS 811.265(3): “The offense described in this section, driver failure to obey a traffic control device, is a Class B traffic violation.” ORS 153.019(1): “Except as provided in ORS 153.020, the presumptive fines for violations are:”

(a) “$440 for a Class A violation.”
(b) “$265 for a Class B violation.”
(c) “$165 for a Class C violation.”
(d) “$115 for a Class D violation.”

That is the statute’s statement. Read the class and the amount printed on your citation.

The City of Portland camera pages

The City of Portland page “Speed and intersection safety cameras” (portland.gov, retrieved 29 Oct 2026; its camera location list is marked “Updated October 5, 2026”) states: “Speed safety cameras (sometimes referred to as "fixed speed cameras") issue citations for speeding.” and “Intersection safety cameras issue citations for speeding and red light running.” It also states: “Every citation generated from the cameras is first reviewed by a duly authorized traffic enforcement agent of PBOT or a Portland Police officer.” On amounts, it states: “A speeding citation from a safety camera in Oregon may range from a Class C to Class A violation resulting in fines from $170 to $445, including the $5 court processing fee.” and “A red-light running citation in Oregon is a Class B violation resulting in a $270 fine.” The Portland page “How to resolve a safety camera citation” states: “The completed certificate of innocence and the photocopy of the driver’s license must be received within 75 days of the incident date on the citation or else it will not be processed.” Those are the city’s statements as shown on that date, and they can change.

ORS 810.444(3)(a), quoted above, says “within 30 days from the mailing of the citation”. The Portland page says “within 75 days of the incident date on the citation”. This page does not say how the two statements relate to each other or to a particular citation. The amounts on the Portland page are not the same as the presumptive fines in ORS 153.019(1) quoted above. This page does not say why.

The Beaverton Police Department photo enforcement page

The Beaverton Police Department page “Photo Enforcement” (beavertonpolice.org, retrieved 29 Oct 2026) states: “The goal of Beaverton’s photo enforcement program is to increase the safety and quality of life in Beaverton by reducing incidences of two of the most dangerous violations: red light running and speeding.” It also states: “Citations are authorized for mail delivery ONLY AFTER they are reviewed and digitally signed by a Beaverton Police Department photo enforcement officer.” Those are the police department’s statements as shown on that date, and they can change.

This page quotes official pages from two cities, Portland and Beaverton. It does not say whether other Oregon cities use cameras, and it does not state which cameras are in use on a given day.

Paths the citation describes (not which to choose)

Read which city or agency issued your citation, the court name, the amount, the date, and the response instructions printed on it. We do not tell you whether to pay, appear, submit a certificate, or take any other step.

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Sources retrieved 29 Oct 2026:

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Information on this page was last checked against official sources on November 8, 2026.