Right now, out-of-state drivers might get tickets for speed cameras around the state of Maryland, but it’s often hard to get them to pay up. In fact, hundreds of thousands of people ticketed by cameras for speeding through Maryland highway work zones have simply ignored the tickets with little consequence.

The number of people who have done so similarly with tickets from county and municipal governments remains unknown.

It’s possible that could all change.

A bill that state lawmakers will consider in Annapolis, at the behest of the governor’s office and the Maryland Department of Transportation, would allow the state to begin entering into what are known as “reciprocity agreements” with other jurisdictions.

That means someone from out of state who blows by a speed camera in Maryland and ignores the ticket would now have to worry about being able to reregister their vehicle in their home state if Maryland reaches an agreement with that jurisdiction.

The flip side is someone who zooms through a speed camera in the District and ignores the fine would face similar consequences in Maryland. D.C. leaders have been pleading for this for years.

“We do have agreements with peer states for things like speed infractions or other types of roadway infractions, for citations that are produced by the Maryland State Police,” said Joe McAndrew, assistant secretary for project development and delivery at the Maryland Department of Transportation.

The only data on unpaid camera tickets the state has are from the cameras it operates in highway work zones.

“Since 2010, we’ve had 770,000 unpaid work zone speed enforcement citations,” McAndrew said. “Sixty-three percent are attributed to out-of-state vehicles.”

He also admitted the state has discussed the potential of a reciprocity agreement with members of the D.C. Council.

“We have porous borders. Our roads connect,” McAndrew said. “And we’d like to make sure that what we would expect one to do inside of the state of Maryland, our residents would do the same in D.C. or other peer states as well.”

However, McAndrew said this isn’t about money but safety, citing data he said proves speed and stop sign cameras make roads safer.

“Roadway fatalities and serious crashes result and get more severe as speeds increase,” McAndrew said. “So, if we can decrease the speed, we have a greater likelihood that one will not die, and that property damage and bodily harm will be reduced.”

In a statement to Â鶹ąŮÍř, D.C. Council member Charles Allen said the development was an “encouraging step.”

“I welcome greater partnership across the DMV to hold dangerous drivers accountable in MD, VA, and DC,” Allen said. “People drive slower and safer when they know that there will be enforcement for speeding. We know that from our own data. It’s a common sense way to make our region’s roads safer for everyone.”

Allen serves as the chair of the District’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment.

While the governor’s office is the one pushing this bill, historically, the legislature has been reluctant to expand speed camera powers too quick. The Senate version of the legislation has its first hearing scheduled for next week.

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The two speed cameras in the school zone near Key Middle School issued the most tickets last school year, according to Fairfax County data obtained Â鶹ąŮÍř.

The eastbound camera along Franconia Road gave out 5,018 citations between Aug. 1, 2024 and May 31, 2025. That marks the highest number of tickets given out among the 10 active cameras in school zones last year. The westbound camera on Franconia Road, meanwhile, gave out 2,411 tickets, the second most.

The county launched the initiative as pilot program in 2023, and it’s now expanding. More school zones will be getting cameras this fall.

“Speeding is a huge issue, aggressive driving,” Second Lt. Tara Gerhard said. “We need everybody to slow down and just take a deep breath when they’re driving, get to where they’re going safely, because if you don’t make it there, you’re not doing anyone good if you don’t arrive alive.”

The cameras issue tickets to drivers caught going 10 or more mph above the speed limit when a school zone’s yellow lights are flashing. Fines range from $50 to $100, depending on how much over the speed limit a car is captured traveling.

“Those cameras are out helping us, because we can’t be everywhere all the time,” Gerhard said.

The camera near London Town Elementary issued the third-most tickets last school year, giving out 2,002.

The others include:

• Chesterbrook Elementary School – 511
• Sleepy Hollow Elementary School – 1,164
• Terraset Elementary School – 980
• South County High School – 1,967
• Irving Middle School – 1,140
• West Springfield High School – 1,876
• Oakton High School – 1,652

Esther Berg, a Key Middle parent, said it’s been easier to pull into the school parking lot and it’s safer for students crossing the street because drivers have slowed down.

“It’s 2025 — I feel like everyone is a little bit more distracted than they have ever been,” Berg said. “Knowing that children can cross a major street safely is critical. Knowing that our teachers and parents can make a turn safely, also critical.”

It’s unclear, Berg said, whether drivers are slowing down because of the cameras or because drivers around them are hitting the brakes. Regardless, it means “We’re going to have fewer accidents, fewer incidents and everyone can get to and from school more safely.”

Before the county piloted the speed camera eastbound at Franconia Road, the average speed was 33.12, according to county data. As of February 2024, the average was 27.8.

As of last year, according to county data, 71% of tickets were issued for driving 35-39 mph in a school zone.

The cameras will be active in the school zones near campuses offering summer programming.

“Phone is not the only distraction inside of a car,” Gerhard said. “It’s eating, it’s doing your mascara while you’re driving, it’s all those kinds of things. We need to eliminate all those distractions, especially in school zones, because we still have kids walking to and from school.”

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LAUREL, Md. – Since the Intercounty Connector opened, nearly 7,000 speeding tickets have been issued, according to documents obtained Â鶹ąŮÍř.

While most tickets are clearly violations, some raise questions for drivers.

Police issued nearly 200 tickets to drivers going less than 65 mph in a 55 mph zone. On Oct. 6, 2011, a driver was ticketed for going 59 mph.

“That’s crazy. I’ve never heard of that before and I don’t understand it,” says Sergio Gutierrez of Laurel.

He says it’s confusing, especially with the recent story of Maryland State Police ticketing a woman for .

The speed limit on that stretch is 65 mph.

“It’s not fair,” he says. “You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”

With thousands of speeding tickets being issued, Alan Bonney of Laurel wonders whether something else is going on.

“Sounds like somebody needs money. Perhaps the police are just trying to meet a quota,” Bonney says.

Eric Henning of Laurel says drivers may be breaking the speed limit, but says police really need to be looking for another ICC problem.

“If you’re really interested in safety, you should be going after drivers weaving in and out of traffic,” says Eric Henning of Laurel.

Maryland Transportation Authority Police say that officers have discretion as to when it’s appropriate to enforce traffic laws.

“A driver who exceeds the posted speed limit by even 1 mph is violating the law and is at risk of being charged for excessive speed,” says Sgt. Jonathan Green with the agency.

“It is important to note that the risk of injury during a motor vehicle collision increases as vehicle speed increases, making speed enforcement critical in terms of maintaining highway safety,” he says.

Police also note that the 200 tickets represent less than 3 percent of the 7,000 tickets.

On Saturday, March 30, the speed limit on the ICC will go up from 55 mph to 60 mph. A Maryland Transportation Authority study found the highway can support the higher speed limit without any safety risk.

Only a half-dozen drivers have received speeding tickets going 60 mph or less on the ICC. The latest case happened last October.

On the other end are tickets that are less debatable. Sixteen drivers were caught driving over 100 mph on the ICC.

In fact, on Sept. 17, 2011, a driver was pulled over for going 140 mph.

“Wow, OK. That driver is definitely in need of a ticket. That’s completely unsafe,” Gutierrez says.

“I can’t understand how anyone would go that fast on a public road. If you want to go that fast, rent out a race track,” Henning says.

“This is not the Autobahn in Germany. That driver should be locked up. It’s people like those who put the safety of everyone at risk,” says Raymond Kuhns of Laurel.

Green tells Â鶹ąŮÍř the driver challenged the ticket in court, but a judge found him guilty.

While most of the people with whom Â鶹ąŮÍř spoke aren’t convinced a higher speed limit will do much, they hope it won’t encourage more drivers to become speedsters.

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