St. Mary’s County will start its new school zone speed camera program with a 30-day warning period beginning Aug. 24, not the 15-day period the Sheriff’s Office originally announced, according to a correction issued Aug. 20 — two weeks after the county first unveiled the program.
The Sheriff’s Office said its Aug. 7 news release incorrectly stated that warnings would run for 15 days starting Aug. 21, with citations beginning Sept. 7. The corrected release says the warning period will instead run 30 days from Aug. 24, in keeping with County Ordinance No. 2024-02, pushing the start of $40 citations to Sept. 23 — 16 days later than originally announced. During the warning period, drivers who trigger a camera will receive a mailed notice with no fine.
The ordinance, approved by the Board of County Commissioners in January 2024, created the legal framework for school zone speed cameras within a half-mile radius of schools serving kindergarten through 12th grade. Commissioners voted in 2025 to fund the program, approving three new Sheriff’s Office positions and a three-year camera contract with NovoaGlobal Inc.
The first phase of the program covers six camera systems: Mechanicsville Elementary School on southbound Route 5, Loveville and Banneker Elementary Schools on northbound Route 5, Oakville Elementary School on northbound Route 235, Greenview Knolls Elementary School on northbound Route 237, Great Mills High School on eastbound Route 246, and Spring Ridge Middle School on northbound Route 235.
Under state law, a vehicle must be traveling at least 12 mph over the posted speed limit to trigger a violation. Citations carry a $40 civil fine, are not reported to insurance companies and do not add points to a driver’s license. Cameras will operate year-round, including holidays and school breaks, Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Sheriff’s Office has said potential violations are reviewed by an authorized employee before a notice is mailed, and that registered vehicle owners can review the evidence supporting a violation online.
The county has pointed to its own traffic studies in explaining the need for the cameras, saying signage and flashing beacons alone haven’t been enough to slow traffic on corridors like Route 5 and Route 235 during school hours.
The correction gives drivers in the six affected school zones more than two additional weeks before fines can be issued. Warning notices will still go out to any vehicle recorded traveling 12 mph or more over the limit during the 30-day period, but no citation or fine will follow until the period ends Sept. 22.
Hall said in the original announcement that the goal is “a community where no life is lost to speeding,” and that his office remains committed to keeping the public informed as the program moves forward.
The Sheriff’s Office said the original release has been updated to reflect the corrected warning period and implementation dates, and that it will continue posting camera locations and program updates on its Facebook, X and Instagram accounts. More information, including the ordinance and camera locations, is available at www.firstsheriff.com/special-operations/school-zone-speed-camera-program.
