How to Fight a Speed Camera Ticket in Chicago, IL (2026)
The Illinois General Assembly authorized speed cameras for Chicago on February 6, 2012, restricted to Children's Safety Zones — areas within 1/8 mile of a qualifying school or Chicago Park District park. The first camera activated in August 2013. As of December 31, 2023 Chicago ran 162 automated speed enforcement cameras across 83 Child Safety Zones, out of 1,495 qualifying zones citywide (the ordinance caps enforcement at 20% of eligible zones). The vendor is Verra Mobility (formerly American Traffic Solutions), which calibrates each camera weekly with monthly on-site maintenance. The ordinance divides the city into six geographic regions, each guaranteed no fewer than 10% of enforced zones.
Free Camera Ticket Assessment
Can you fight your camera ticket?
Answer 3–4 quick questions. No payment required.
Chicago Speed Camera Fines
| Violation | Fine |
|---|---|
| Speed camera — lower tier6–10 mph over the posted limit in a Child Safety Zone. The $35 lower-threshold tier took effect March 1, 2021. | $35 |
| Speed camera — upper tier11 mph or more over the posted limit. Unchanged since the 2013 program launch. | $100 |
| Zero-dollar warningIssued for the first 30 days after a new camera activates, plus once per plate per new camera location. | $0 |
How to Contest a Chicago Speed Camera Ticket
Where: City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings (DOAH)
How / where to file: Contest online at chicago.gov/parking, by mail at the address on the violation notice, or in person at a DOAH hearing location.
Chicago Deadline
The registered owner has 21 days from the date the citation was issued to request a hearing — confirmed in CDOT's Automated Speed Enforcement FAQ. Miss it and a default determination is issued; you then have one additional 21-day window to appear in person to set it aside before the doubled penalty locks in.
Chicago speed camera tickets are administrative violations heard by DOAH — a city hearing officer, not a court. Contest online via chicago.gov/parking, by mail, or in person. The CDOT FAQ enumerates the allowable speed-camera defenses (not the owner/lessee at the time, stolen plates/vehicle, facts inconsistent with a violation, an officer-issued UTC for the same speeding event within 1/8 mile and 15 minutes, and authorized emergency vehicle). If you lose at DOAH, the Illinois framework permits judicial review in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Notable Speed Camera Locations in Chicago
- 901 N Clark St (Washington Square Park) — the highest-volume speed camera location in 2023 (76,341 tickets)
- 4124 W Foster Ave / 5120 N Pulaski (Gompers Park) — ~84,913 tickets combined in 2023
- 536 E Morgan Dr (Washington Park) — 68,381 tickets in 2023
- 445 W 127th St (Major Taylor Bike park) — 66,711 tickets in 2023
- 215 E 63rd St (Dulles Elementary School) — top school-zone location at 25,202 tickets in 2023
- 3521–3534 N Western (Lane Tech HS, multiple cameras) — ~39,233 tickets combined in 2023
Chicago Speed Camera — By the Numbers
As of December 31, 2023, the City of Chicago operated 162 active speed enforcement cameras across 83 Child Safety Zones (CDOT 2023 Annual Report).
In 2023, Chicago speed cameras issued 2,127,138 tickets (including zero-dollar warnings) with a total fine value of $69,601,050 (CDOT 2023 Annual Report, p. 9).
In 2023, 53% of Chicago speed camera tickets were issued to Chicago residents and 47% to non-Chicago addresses (CDOT 2023 Annual Report, p. 9).
Effective March 1, 2021, Chicago began issuing $35 fines to motorists driving 6–10 mph over the limit in Child Safety Zones; 11 or more mph over remains a $100 fine (CDOT Children's Safety Zone page).
In 2023, the highest-volume Chicago speed camera location was 901 N Clark St at Washington Square Park, with 76,341 tickets issued (CDOT 2023 Annual Report, Appendix C).
Which Illinois defenses apply to your ticket?
Chicago's speed cameras run under 625 ILCS 5/11-208.8 (which incorporates the 11-208.6 framework), so the Illinois state-level defenses apply here in full — including the 90-day mailing bar, the no-points/no-Secretary-of-State-report rule, and the independent dual-reviewer requirement for cities over 1,000,000 population. The Illinois state page covers those; this page layers Chicago's DOAH process, 21-day deadline, Children's Safety Zone hours, and tiered $35/$100 fines on top.
See all Illinois speed camera defenses →Chicago Speed Camera Ticket FAQ
What are the speed camera fines in Chicago, and how do they differ from other Illinois cities?
Chicago speed camera fines are $35 for driving 6–10 mph over the posted limit in a Child Safety Zone, and $100 for 11 or more mph over. The $35 lower-threshold tier took effect March 1, 2021. Speed cameras only operate within 1/8 mile of a school or park, and only during that location's active hours — school days for school zones, park hours for park zones. This is a Chicago-specific schedule; other Illinois municipalities set their own.
Where do Chicago speed cameras operate and when are they active?
Chicago speed cameras enforce in Children's Safety Zones — within 1/8 mile of a school or park — under 625 ILCS 5/11-208.8. School-zone cameras are active 7am–7pm on school days, and the lower 20 mph limit applies only when children are present (typically 7am–4pm). Park-zone cameras are active every day, typically 6am–11pm. A ticket issued outside those posted hours, or citing a 20 mph violation outside the children-present window, is inconsistent with the regulation.
Can I fight a Chicago speed camera ticket if someone else was driving?
Yes. One of Chicago's enumerated speed-camera contest grounds is that the respondent was not the owner or lessee of the cited vehicle at the time of the violation. Because these are owner-liability administrative citations, the ticket goes to the registered owner regardless of who was driving. The city does not require you to identify who was driving — you can raise the defense at the DOAH hearing or in your written contest.
How do I contest a Chicago speed camera ticket and what is the deadline?
Contest with the City of Chicago Department of Administrative Hearings — online at chicago.gov/parking, by mail, or in person. You have 21 days from the date the citation was issued to request a hearing, per the CDOT Automated Speed Enforcement FAQ. If you miss the deadline, a default determination is issued and you get one additional 21-day window to appear in person to set it aside before a penalty equal to the original fine is added.
Is there any financial relief available for Chicago speed camera fines?
Yes. Chicago's Clear Path Relief Program provides fine reductions or waivers for income-qualified motorists who receive automated camera tickets, including speed camera citations. It is a Chicago-specific program; eligibility and application details are published by the City of Chicago Department of Finance.
Ready to Contest Your Chicago Speed Camera Ticket?
ParkingFight generates a professional appeal letter citing the exact Illinois statutes and defenses that apply. Takes 5 minutes. One-time $29.
Get Your Appeal LetterRelated Camera Ticket Guides
ParkingFight is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Information is for informational purposes only and based on publicly available Illinois statutes, Chicago program documents, and primary-source research as of 2026-06-05. Verify current rules with your court or a licensed attorney.