Drivers who've grown used to Annapolis speed cameras only catching them during certain hours are about to lose that cushion. Starting September 8, the city will run automated speed enforcement at six locations around the clock, seven days a week, with fines for the worst offenders reaching as high as $425.
The expansion is authorized under Maryland Transportation Article § 21-809, which allows residential automated speed enforcement locations to operate 24 hours a day, unlike school zone cameras that are limited to weekdays between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., according to Eye On Annapolis. The City of Annapolis maintains automated speed enforcement cameras at six locations, and all six will be subject to the around-the-clock enforcement once it kicks in next month, per the outlet's report.
Those camera sites include Route 665 at Chinquapin Round Road, 919 Cedar Park Road westbound, 111 Chinquapin Round Road southbound, 190 Hilltop Lane southeast, and two positions on Forest Drive — 1399 Forest Drive northwest and 1399 Forest Drive southeast. The city's automated speed enforcement program is intended to improve safety for drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists and residents along Annapolis roadways, and to reduce speeding overall, the report notes.
Forest Drive Enforcement Already Underway
Camera enforcement on Forest Drive actually starts sooner than the citywide 24/7 switch. Motorists exceeding the posted speed limit there can begin receiving citations through the automated enforcement program starting Tuesday, per the same account, after the city issued warnings during the first 15 days following the recent speed limit change on that stretch.
That change followed a documented safety concern. Effective July 27, the speed limit on Forest Drive between Bywater Road and Arundel on the Bay Road dropped from 40 mph to 35 mph after an Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works safety study flagged the nearly 3-mile corridor for high crash rates, according to Patch. The reduction came with variable message signs and an educational warning window meant to get drivers used to the new limit before enforcement began.
That 15-day warning period isn't unique to Forest Drive. Whenever Annapolis activates new speed cameras or lowers speed limits, city policy calls for a 15-day stretch in which speeding drivers get educational warning notices in the mail instead of financial citations, paired with variable message signs to flag the change, per Eye On Annapolis.
What Triggers a Ticket and What It Costs
Not every mile-per-hour over the limit results in a citation. Under Maryland Transportation Code § 21-809, automated speed cameras are legally triggered only when a vehicle is recorded traveling at least 12 mph above the posted speed limit, according to state law.
Once that threshold is crossed, the penalty depends on how fast a driver was going. Maryland replaced its old flat $40 speed camera fee with a graduated fine schedule effective October 1, 2025, meaning drivers going 12 to 15 mph over the limit still pay $40, but penalties escalate to $70, $120, $230, and finally $425 for those caught driving 40 mph or more over the posted limit, according to Anne Arundel County government.
There is some relief for drivers worried about long-term consequences. Automated speed enforcement citations are civil infractions that do not add demerit points to a driver's license and cannot be used by insurance companies to raise premiums, according to the City of Annapolis. Citations are mailed directly to the registered vehicle owner rather than issued as a moving violation during a traffic stop.
Ignoring a mailed citation carries its own risk, however. Motorists who fail to pay or contest a citation within 30 days face late fees and an administrative hold placed on their vehicle registration by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, which blocks tag renewals until the fines are settled, according to TicketGuard.
Who Runs the Cameras — and Who Doesn't
The City of Annapolis contracts with automated enforcement vendor RedSpeed USA to operate, maintain, and process citations for its speed and red-light camera program, per the city. Beyond the six speed camera locations, Annapolis also maintains red-light enforcement camera coverage at the intersection of Route 665 and Chinquapin Round Road, a major arterial route through the city.
It's worth noting that Annapolis's program is entirely separate from Anne Arundel County's enforcement efforts. The county operates its own countywide portable automated speed camera program independently of municipal systems like the one in Annapolis, even though both apply the same statutory 12-mph threshold for issuing violations, according to county officials.
For now, the message from the city is straightforward: drivers are encouraged to pay close attention to posted speed limits as the countdown to September 8 continues. With Forest Drive cameras already active and the rest of the city's network going fully around-the-clock next month, Annapolis motorists have a narrowing window to adjust their habits before the cameras — and the fines — never take a break.
