Georgians hoping for changes to the school zone speed cameras will have to wait another year. The legislative session adjourned on Friday, April 4, with no changes passed to the automated cameras.
State lawmakers had been considering multiple bills to either repeal entirely or revise the school zone cameras law. The senate passed their substitutes to both bills on the last day of session. This left little time for the state house and state senate to discuss their differences in the two bills.
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School Zone Cameras No Changes
Two bills were at the center of the school zone cameras discussion. They were House Bill 225, to repeal the cameras entirely, and HB 651 to revise the cameras’ operations. Neither received final passage during the 2025 session. Both will be eligible for consideration when lawmakers return in January 2026.
The senate amended HB 225 to adjust the effective date to prohibit new contracts for additional school zone cameras after July 1, 2027. Their amendment would repeal their use entirely after July 1, 2028. The original house version would prevent the installation of new cameras immediately and repeal the cameras on July 1, 2026. The legislative session ended before the house considered whether to adopt the senate’s substitute to HB 225.
House Bill 651 is a multi-part bill to revise when school zone cameras are in use. The bill would introduce new requirements, such as the presence of flashing lights and a speed detection message sign when an automated camera is in use. The operating hours for the cameras were also a point of discussion. Right now, Georgia law permits the cameras to operate from one hour before the school day starts, during the school day, to one hour after the school day ends. The original version of HB 651 reduced this time to only morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up. The senate amended it to leave the hours as is.
Ultimately, the house and senate had different positions how best to address all of these concerns. On Friday, April 4, the house passed the senate substitute with amendments. Those amendments were not considered by the senate before they adjourned.
Featured image shows a school zone speed limit photo-enforced road sign. Dalton Police Department photo.
