BigBro Spy and Trafficams Who Did What When #2 – Virginia

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With the blatantly ballooning Big Brotheria wildly manifesting as AUTOMATED TICKETING SYSTEMS, RED-LIGHT CAMERAS, STOP-SIGN CAMERAS, SCHOOL BUS CAMERAS, UNMANNED RADAR, and all that ilk, it’s worth noting that these evils were historically not allowed but also not disallowed. So: Traffic Cameras, Flock, etc are technocratic cancers grown in legal grey areas. Since all evil is done by a few bad actors allowed by the collective ignorance and inaction of most good men, let’s examine who did what and when.

BigBro Spy and Trafficams Who Did What When

Found the core Virginia enabling statutes.

Virginia automated-ticketing laws

Red-light cameras

Code: Va. Code § 15.2-968.1
Enabled by:

  • 2007 HB 1778 / Ch. 836
    • Introduced by: Del. John A. Cosgrove
    • Offered: Jan. 10, 2007; prefiled Dec. 28, 2006
    • Approved: Mar. 26, 2007
    • Governor: Tim Kaine
    • Effective: July 1, 2007
  • Companion/parallel: 2007 SB 829 / Ch. 903
    • Introduced by: Sen. Jeannemarie D. Davis
    • Offered: Jan. 10, 2007
    • Approved: Apr. 4, 2007
    • Governor: Tim Kaine
    • Effective: July 1, 2007

Photo speed / “unmanned radar” cameras

Code: Va. Code § 46.2-882.1
Enabled by:

  • 2020 HB 1442 / Ch. 1232
    • Introduced by: Del. Jerrauld C. “Jay” Jones
    • Offered/prefiled: Jan. 8, 2020
    • Approved with Governor’s recommendation: Apr. 22, 2020
    • Governor: Ralph Northam
    • Effective: July 1, 2020
    • Scope: school crossing zones + highway work zones; civil penalty up to $100.

School-bus stop-arm cameras

Code: Va. Code § 46.2-844
Enabled by:

  • 2011 HB 1911 / Ch. 787
    • Introduced by: Del. Jackson H. Miller
    • Offered: Jan. 12, 2011; prefiled Jan. 11
    • Approved: Apr. 6, 2011
    • Governor: Bob McDonnell
    • Effective: July 1, 2011
  • Identical companion: 2011 SB 946 / Ch. 838
    • Introduced by: Sen. Janet D. Howell
    • Offered: Jan. 12, 2011; prefiled Jan. 10
    • Approved: Apr. 6, 2011
    • Governor: Bob McDonnell

Stop-sign cameras / pedestrian crossing cameras

Code: Va. Code § 46.2-882.1
Later expansions:

  • 2025 Ch. 434 / SB 852
  • 2025 Ch. 670 / HB 2718
  • Governor: Glenn Youngkin
  • These added/expanded “pedestrian crossing violation monitoring systems” and “stop sign violation monitoring systems” under § 46.2-882.1.

I verified the exact 2007/2011/2020 chapter dates from Virginia LIS/Acts text. The 2025 stop-sign-camera patron/sign-date needs one more LIS API pull; current LIS is JS/API-gated from here.

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