Speed limits are not guideline – they are the law. Driving at or below the posted speed limit is the best way to ensure you don’t receive a ticket.
Automated Speed Enforcement
Kingston’s automated speed enforcement pilot project launches in the fall of 2024. It will run for two years before being reviewed in 2026.
Paying or contesting a ticket
Tickets for speeding vary based on how fast the vehicle was going. Fines are outlined in Schedule D of the Provincial Offences Act, the total cost of the ticket will also include a victim fine surcharge and court costs. The Ministry of Transportation does not issue demerit points and driving records are not impacted for automated speed enforcement. Tickets are issued to the registered owner of the vehicle regardless of who is driving the vehicle.
Automated speed enforcement locations
The location of automated speed enforcement varies. Two cameras rotate between locations approximately every three months. Notice is provided 90 days before a location change with signs at the new location.
Locations for automated speed enforcement are selected through a safety and speed review of all Community Safety Zones in the city. Automated speed enforcement is only used in the City’s Community Safety Zones.
How automated speed enforcement works
A camera and a speed measurement device are set up at the location where enforcement is taking place. When a vehicle is detected going faster than the posted speed limit by the measuring device the camera photographs the vehicle’s licence plate. Those photographs are reviewed by a Provincial Offences Office and if a speeding violation is confirmed a ticket is issued through the mail.
The ticket is mailed to the owner of the vehicle regardless of who was driving. Upon conviction, the only penalty is a fine – no demerit points will be issued nor will the registered owner's driving record be impacted.
Automated speed enforcement is a part of a broader speeding reduction strategy. It is focused on changing driver behaviour to decrease speed and improve safety. It works with other strategies including education, engineering and police enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the camera thresholds?
Are the cameras always recording?
Cameras are not passively recording. They are triggered by vehicles travelling faster than the posted speed limit and take a still photo when that happens. Additional info is not record or photographed.
Why is the vehicle owner and not necessarily the driver the one who receive the ticket?
The cameras only take photographs of the rear license plate of the vehicle and do not photograph or identify the driver. Vehicle owner should ensure that anyone driving their vehicle adheres to the posted speed limits.
Are there warnings when entering an area where automated speed enforcement is used?
Signage is located before entering areas where automated enforcement is used. In advance of cameras moving to a site signage will be installed 90-days in advance to let drivers know.
Contact Us
City of Kingston
City Hall
216 Ontario Street
Kingston, ON K7L 2Z3
Canada
contactus@cityofkingston.ca
Phone: 613-546-0000
Fax: 613-546-7816
The City of Kingston acknowledges that we are on the traditional homeland of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and the Huron-Wendat, and thanks these nations for their care and stewardship over this shared land.
Today, the City is committed to working with Indigenous peoples and all residents to pursue a united path of reconciliation.
Learn more about the City's reconciliation initiatives.
