Speed Cameras in Minneapolis

Speed cameras Minneapolis: what operates now

Minneapolis speed cameras operate under Minnesota's traffic safety camera pilot authority, which runs through July 31, 2029. The City began using traffic safety cameras on October 1, 2025, and started with speed enforcement at five locations. The program can expand, but the City says all active camera locations must be signed and listed by the City.

The current Minneapolis program enforces speeding only at the published locations. The City has said it plans to add red-light enforcement at some locations in 2026, but the current public location list still describes the active sites as traffic safety cameras for speed limits. Treat red-light cameras as planned or possible unless the City publishes a specific active site.

These are not average speed cameras. Minneapolis uses fixed point safety cameras that identify a possible speeding violation at the enforcement zone. The cameras are separate from ordinary traffic management cameras, freeway cameras and police cameras, which are not the same as automated citation cameras.

• Speed camera pilot: active in Minneapolis
• Red light cameras: authorized, planned at some sites
• Average speed cameras: no city program found
• Work zone cameras: MnDOT pilot, separate from city sites

Where Minneapolis speed cameras are concentrated

Minneapolis speed camera locations are concentrated on city-owned streets with documented safety concerns and proximity to schools or postsecondary institutions. State law requires a traffic safety concern and, for local camera sites, placement within 2,000 feet of a school, school zone or postsecondary institution. The City also says locations must be geographically distributed and considered through an equity lens.

The five listed Minneapolis speed camera locations are Fremont Avenue North near West Broadway Avenue North, 18th Avenue Northeast near Central Avenue Northeast, 3rd Street North near 1st Avenue North, Chicago Avenue South near Franklin Avenue East and Nicollet Avenue South near 46th Street West. The City's 2026 midyear report shows the posted limit at each active camera location was 25 mph.

County and MnDOT roads in Minneapolis are different. The City says its lowered city speed limits do not change Hennepin County or MnDOT road limits, and early camera locations were chosen only on streets under City jurisdiction. Future camera sites on other road authorities' streets would need the road authority's approval.

• All active City sites are signed
• All current active sites are 25 mph
• County and MnDOT roads may have higher limits

Hours, thresholds and local speed limits

Minneapolis does not publish a simple daily camera schedule such as school-day hours only. The practical rule is to follow the posted limit whenever you pass a signed camera location. Camera notices include the date, time, posted speed limit and vehicle speed, and the system only records or stores images when it detects a possible speed or red-light violation.

The City enforces camera speeding at 10 mph or more over the posted limit. State law also sets 10 mph over the limit as the minimum threshold for a speed-camera citation, after a camera enforcement agent verifies the recorded images. Minneapolis may issue a first warning before later citations for the same vehicle.

Local Minneapolis speed limits are generally 20 mph on local residential streets and parkways unless otherwise signed, 25 mph on larger arterial city-owned streets, and 30 mph or higher on a few city-owned streets. County, MnDOT and freeway corridors can be 30 mph or higher, so signs control. Plan your route before driving, and if you use the Speed Camera Radar Detector app, set alerts before you start the trip rather than handling a phone on the road.

Fines, mailed tickets and licence impact

Warnings and citations are mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. Minneapolis says it does not send camera notices by text message or email. A notice should show the offense type, location, date, time, speed limit, measured vehicle speed, licence plate and three pictures of the vehicle and plate.

The first camera offense gets a warning, and the warning states that no further action is required. After that warning, a speed citation is $40 for 10-19 mph over the limit and $80 for 20 mph or more over the limit. Red-light camera citations, when that part of the pilot is active, are listed by the City at $40. For a first ticketed violation, eligible drivers can take a free traffic safety class instead of paying the fine.

Camera citations generally do not go on Minnesota driving records, except as required by law for commercial driver's licence holders. Minneapolis also says camera violations cannot be grounds for licence revocation, arrest or vehicle towing. State law requires mailed citations to be postmarked within 14 days for Minnesota-registered vehicles and within 30 days for out-of-state vehicles.

How to review or contest a notice

If you receive a Minneapolis camera notice, use the instructions printed on the notice. The City says mailed warnings and citations carry the City of Minneapolis Regulatory Services Traffic Control logo and include a return address for the Automated Enforcement Division. The notice provides the licence plate number and password needed to review the violation video and images through the City's vendor portal.

A Minnesota traffic safety camera citation must include information on the right to contest the citation and the process for doing so. It also must identify the vehicle, date, time and location, include recorded image evidence, show the total fine and include a statement by the traffic enforcement agent who reviewed the images. Payment is treated as a guilty plea, so read the notice before choosing an option.

If the notice seems wrong, focus on the official options and deadlines shown on the citation. This page is educational, not legal advice. For legal questions, commercial driver issues or court consequences, consider getting advice from a qualified Minnesota traffic attorney.

• Review the images and video
• Check the vehicle, plate, date and location
• Use the contest instructions on the citation
• Do not ignore mailed deadlines