Attention Shreveport Drivers: Your Speed Camera Tickets Are Changing

Small towns across Louisiana will have to stop using cameras to issue speeding tickets to drivers in the mail. But speed zone cameras in school zones will still be allowed. That means Shreveport can continue the program to slow drivers down around our schools. But the city will have to make a couple of changes.

READ MORE: See how the debate on the speed cameras developed.

One Louisiana Town Gets an Exception to the Speed Camera Ban

SB 99 by Stewart Cathey essentially bans all speed zone cameras in the state except for those in school zones. The house did add an amendment to give Opelousas an exemption. but the bill does not name the city specifically. It says:

"Exclude a governing authority of a municipality with a populations of less than 16,000 and more than 15,000, within a parish with a population of less than 90,000 and more than 70,000 according to the latest federal decennial census." This demographic data is specifically written to give Opelousas the exception. The latest population of Opelousas was 15,390.

The bill has now won final approval and is on the way to Governor Jeff Landry for his signature.

What Is Now Required for School Zone Cameras?

The bill requires "at the entrance of a school zone, there must be a painted a 2 ft. wide yellow stripe across the roadway with "Entering School Zone" painted in 12 in. black lettering visible in the school zone."

Signs must also be posted alerting drivers to the cameras within 200 feet of the school zone. Shreveport already complies with this portion of the law.

This new law also prohibits cities from "referring these tickets to the office of debt recovery within the Department of Revenue" if the drivers do not pay the citation.

What Are the Arguments for and Against Speed Zone Cameras?

Opponents of these speed zone cameras say they are nothing more than a money grab, but supporters say it's about safety and slowing drivers down. Many towns are struggling to find enough police officers and this has provided a way of conducting speed enforcement without assigning officers to that duty.

This new law goes into effect August 1, 2025.