Video imaging of parking violations

Transit operators can continue using forward-facing cameras to deter vehicles that block transit operations, while the law adds privacy limits, warning requirements for newly enforced violations, and legislative reporting.

What the law does ​

• Allows public transit operators to use vehicle-mounted cameras to document parking violations in transit-only lanes and at transit stops until January 1, 2034.
• Bars transit operators from starting new camera-enforcement programs on or after January 1, 2032.
• Requires 60 days of warnings and public notice before citations begin for a violation not previously enforced with video imaging.
• Requires operators to report on effectiveness, privacy, traffic outcomes, costs, citations, and revenue; exempts the City and County of San Francisco from that reporting requirement.
• Restricts video records to authorized local parking enforcement, prohibits biometric identification and general law-enforcement or federal access without a court order, and requires blurring of unnecessarily captured people and vehicles.
• Requires destruction of footage without evidence of a violation within 15 days and generally limits retention of violation evidence to six months or 60 days after final resolution, whichever is later.

Who it affects ​

• Public transit operators and local parking-enforcement authorities using camera enforcement.
• Drivers who park or stop in transit-only lanes or at transit stops during posted or scheduled operating hours.
• The City and County of San Francisco, which retains its separate permanent authority and is exempt from the evaluation-report requirement.

Context ​

The law replaces a prior January 1, 2027 expiration for most transit operators with a January 1, 2034 expiration.