Nassau County Red Light Camera Program
- Run by
- Nassau County Traffic and Parking Violations Agency
- Status
- active
- Authorized
- not documented
- Started
- Aug 4, 2009
- Ended
- still running
- Legal basis
- New York Vehicle and Traffic Law section 1111-b (Chapter 19 of the Laws of 2009) and Nassau Local Law No. 12-2009 (June 2009). Extended by Chapter 133 of 2014 (to Dec. 1, 2019), Part TT of Chapter 58 of 2019 (to Dec. 1, 2024) and Chapter 441 of 2024 (to Dec. 1, 2029), with no more than 100 intersections at any one time. State law caps owner liability at $50 per violation plus up to $25 for not responding.
- Cameras
- 2 documented
The county's first camera went live on Aug. 4, 2009, according to the County Legislature (the Long Island Press reported Aug. 6). The program was run with American Traffic Solutions (ATS).
The total charge on a ticket grew from $50 in 2009 to $150 by 2017 through county fees: a driver responsibility fee ($30 from 2012, $45 from 2015 or 2016, sources differ) and a $55 public safety fee from Jan. 2, 2017. On Nov. 27, 2024 the Appellate Division held in Guthart v Nassau County that any charge above $50, or $75 with a late fee, is preempted by state law. The county dropped the fees that day.
Note on the counter: the live estimate uses the county's documented 2022 collections, which included the fees. The fees ended on Nov. 27, 2024, so collections after that date do not include them.
Tickets and money
How we countContracts and vendors
| Contract | Company | Term | Payment terms | Status | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red-light camera vendor contract (ATS, Axsis processing system) | American Traffic Solutions (ATS) | not documented | The Long Island Press reported in 2011 that the contract was a flat lease, so the vendor received the same amount regardless of ticket volume. | Verified | Nassau County Comptroller: Limited Financial Review of the Traffic and Parking Violations Agency |
Camera locations
Records
| Document | Type | Date | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Island Press: Seeing Red, Long Island's Controversial Red Light Cameras | News report | Oct 6, 2011 | |
| Nassau County Comptroller: Limited Financial Review of the Traffic and Parking Violations Agency | Audit | Jan 10, 2012 | |
| Newsday via GovTech: Nassau County, N.Y., Sees Spike in Red-Light Camera Revenues | News report | Jun 11, 2018 | |
| Long Island Press: Editorial, Nassau County should return the money they took illegally from motorists under red light camera program | News report | Dec 14, 2024 | |
| Long Island Herald: What is Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman doing to evade red light fee bill? | News report | Jan 24, 2025 |