Automated photo enforcement is a commonly used and accurate way to enforce speed laws, enhancing public safety in the community. It is operated from a marked police van by a trained member of the Aurora Police Department. Photo enforcement combines signage notifying the driver, a camera(s), and LiDAR or radar detection that captures the speed of each passing vehicle. If a speeding car is detected, a picture is taken of the driver, the vehicle and license plate. Next, the infraction is independently reviewed and verified by the Police Department. Once verified, the registered owner of the speeding vehicle will receive a ticket in the mail.
The 13-month pilot program will begin in Summer 2023, with warnings for the first month. Citations will begin in the second month. Before the program ends in Summer 2024, the results will be studied to determine whether it should continue.
The program is aimed at deterring speeding and reducing roadside fatalities in Aurora, as a result of rising crash fatality rates both across the US and within Colorado. Since 2019, annual crash fatalities have increased by 18% across the US and by 25% in Colorado, according to the NHTSA and CODOT. The program launch, approved by the City Council in July 2022, also addresses resident complaints about speeding in recent years. In Aurora, annual crash fatalities have increased by 32% percent since 2019 (Source), and this program is designed to reduce the risk of these crashes by discouraging speeding in high-risk areas.
Any vehicles recorded traveling 11 mph or more above the speed limit would be considered in violation once verified independently by the Police Department. The decision to issue a violation at 11 mph or more is based on
Colorado State Statute 42-4-110.5.
Similar to photo enforcement programs in Denver and other communities in Colorado and across the United States, Aurora’s program will feature three photo enforcement vehicles equipped with advanced camera systems capable of pinpointing a speeding vehicle, even on a multi-lane road. Vehicles will be located in residential neighborhoods where the speed limit is 35 mph or less, school and work zones, and streets that border a municipal park. Locations will be chosen based on traffic safety risks or history. Warning signs will be visible to motorists approaching the enforcement zone. The vehicles will be operated seven days a week. All infractions will be reviewed by the police department before any citation is issued.
Vehicles will be located in residential neighborhoods where the speed limit is 35 mph or less, school and work zones, and streets that border a municipal park. Locations will be chosen based on traffic safety risks or history. Vehicles will park in the open and signage will be placed ahead to warn motorists traveling in either direction of the enforcement zone, in accordance with state law.
Fines are a state-capped $40 per citation, $80 in school zones. Motorists caught driving more than 25 mph over the posted speed limit will receive a summons for a traffic offense which can be disputed in the Aurora Municipal Court. Fines will pay for the program and traffic safety improvements in the city.
Online and phone payment options are no longer available. The three payments options are:
Walk-Ins: In person payments can be made at the Aurora Municipal Center in the Cashier’s Office Monday through Friday from 9 am to 4 pm. The address is 15151 E. Alameda Pkwy, Aurora, CO 80012. Accepted payments are check, money order, credit card or cash.
Drop box: Check or money order made payable to the City of Aurora with the citation number and the payment stub in a sealed envelope addressed to the Cashier's Office - Photo Enforcement Program can placed in the drop box located on the east side of the Aurora Municipal Center at 15151 E. Alameda Pkwy, Aurora, CO 80012.
By Mail: Check or money order must be made payable to the City of Aurora. Mail your payment and payment stub to: City of Aurora Cashier's Office - Photo Enforcement Program, 15151 E. Alameda Pkwy, Aurora, CO 80012. Include the citation number and vehicle tag number on your check or money order. TO ENSURE PROPER CREDIT, DO NOT SEND CASH. A $20 fee will be assessed for any rejected or declined payments.
FOR ALL OTHER QUESTIONS CONTACT: City of Aurora Photo Enforcement Program at 844.924.0927
Yes, there are two forms at the bottom of the paper Notice of Violation that recipients can fill out to contest a citation, along with instructions for how to do so. Please make note of any deadlines for returning the forms, which must be mailed in a separate envelope. For due dates, mailing addresses and other information, such as if your vehicle or license plates were stolen, please refer to the instructions on the back of the Notice of Violation.
For any questions, you can call the City of Aurora Photo Speed Enforcement Program at (844) 924-0927.
No. Photo Speed violations are “zero point” traffic infractions that are not reported to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Aurora Municipal Code requires that each laser system be certified annually and daily checks are performed to verify accuracy. Each potential violation is witnessed by an Aurora Police Department employee and independently verified by a separate person to ensure photos are clear and accurate.
Article XI of the Aurora Municipal Code covers Automated Vehicle Identification Systems and is supported by Colorado Revised Statutes 42-4-110.5. These laws regulate photo enforcement violations and do obligate violators to pay fines. Failure to pay fines can result in the amount being referred to collections and can have a negative impact on the recipient’s credit.
LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology forms the basis for effective traffic monitoring and surveillance with more precise and consistent measurements than conventional radar concepts. LIDAR measurement is based on the transmission of a “fan” of laser beams. More than 15,000 light pulses per second detect all vehicles, track their position and generate an exact spatial picture of the traffic situation in real time. The high repetition rate of the laser pulse ensures a precise calculation of the speed of all vehicles (Source). It is operated from a marked police van by a trained member of the Aurora Police Department. If a speeding car is detected, pictures are taken of the offending vehicle and the infraction is then independently reviewed and verified by the Police Department. Once verified, the registered owner of the speeding vehicle will receive a ticket in the mail.
Yes, contact
Access Aurora to share your suggestions on which roads in Aurora (in residential areas with limits of 35 mph or less, school zones, streets that border municipal parks and work zones) should be monitored under this program. Locations will be chosen based on the input we receive from this portal, as well as traffic safety risks and history.
Recently signed Colorado legislation, SB23-200, gives the enforcing jurisdiction the ability, with a local approval process, to expand speed enforcement zones beyond the current designated areas. It also requires the jurisdiction to send the notice of violation within 30 days to in-state drivers and within 60 days to out-of-state drivers (versus 90 days previously).
View SB23-200 for more information.
The change to the launch date is largely to account for the hiring and training process, including required background checks, in a competitive labor market, and final equipment reviews. The Police Department is committed to ensuring a successful launch of the enforcement program to improve traffic safety in the city.