TAMPA, Fla. — Hillsborough County’s school zone speed camera program has hit a new milestone: Over 100,000 tickets since the new initiative launched at the beginning of the school year.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office confirms that its school zone speed cameras have issued 104,543 violations from when the program went into effect in August through March 22 of this year. More than 30,000 of those violations were in 2026 alone.
An area that concerns parents is outside of Citrus Park Elementary on Gunn Highway. With a speed limit of 45 mph, parent Amey Major says she couldn’t believe just how many Hillsborough drivers were nabbed speeding in school zones.
“That’s terrifying honestly. That’s scary. That’s a lot of people not paying attention that’s a lot of people looking at their phones,” she said. “They’re more interested in what’s going on in their hand than the streets around them.”
When these school zone speed cameras were first installed, they were only activated during school drop-off and pickup times for a period of 30 minutes before and after school. As of Sept. 22, they are active for the entire school day and capture speeders’ license plate information sending an automated violation.
HCSO said when lights are flashing, the lower school zone speed limit is enforced. When lights are not flashing, the regular posted speed limit is enforced.
If a driver is clocked by the cameras going 11 mph or more over the speed limit during the school day, they will receive a $100 violation in the mail. If the driver chooses to contest the ticket and loses, they are required to pay an additional $75 administrative fee.
The special magistrate over school zone speed camera appeals in Hillsborough County said he was reassigned earlier this year because he was throwing out tickets.