PROP 319Voter approval for photo radar and traffic cameras
The measure would generally stop new state and local speed and red-light camera systems, while allowing certain contracted local systems to continue only with voter approval every ten years.
The law, with a human translation.
A.R.S. § 28-1201 · Definition
In this article, unless the context otherwise requires, "photo enforcement system" means a device substantially consisting of a radar unit or sensor linked to a camera or other recording device that produces one or more photographs, microphotographs, videotapes or digital or other recorded images of a vehicle's license plate for the purpose of identifying violators of article 3 or 6 of this chapter or of a city or town ordinance for excessive speed or failure to obey a traffic control device.
The amended definition specifies the connected sensing, recording, license-plate, and enforcement functions that bring a system within the article.
A.R.S. § 28-1207(A) · Contract cutoff
A. A local authority or an agency of this state may not use a photo enforcement system to identify violators of article 3 or 6 of this chapter or of a city or town ordinance for excessive speed or failure to obey a traffic control device, unless, on or before December 31, 2026, the local authority or the agency of this state has a signed contract to operate a photo enforcement system.
Use is prohibited unless the responsible or state agency satisfies the pre-2027 signed-contract condition.
A.R.S. § 28-1207(B) · First local vote
B. Notwithstanding section 16-204, a local authority that has a signed contract to operate a photo enforcement system pursuant to subsection A of this section shall seek approval of the voters of the local authority at the next general election immediately after the effective date of this section to continue operation of the photo enforcement system.
A qualifying local program must receive local at the first general election after the section takes effect.
A.R.S. § 28-1207(C) · Rejection and shutdown
C. If the local authority does not receive voter approval to operate a photo enforcement system pursuant to subsection B of this section, the local authority shall cease operations of the photo enforcement system within ninety days after the general election in which the voters failed to approve the operation of the photo enforcement system.
Failure to obtain approval triggers a mandatory 90-day shutdown deadline.
A.R.S. § 28-1207(D) · Ten-year renewals
D. If the local authority receives voter approval to operate a photo enforcement system pursuant to subsection B of this section, the local authority may continue to operate the photo enforcement system for a period of ten years and all of the following apply: 1. Notwithstanding section 16-204, the local authority shall submit to the local authority's voters the question of the continued operation of the photo enforcement system for an additional ten years that shall be placed on the general election ballot for the general election that is held ten years after the previous vote that approved the operation of the photo enforcement system. 2. If the local authority receives voter approval at the election prescribed by paragraph 1 of this subsection, the local authority may continue to operate the photo enforcement system for a period of ten years and shall submit to the local authority's voters the question of the continued operation of the photo enforcement system every ten years thereafter as prescribed by this section.
Each local approval lasts ten years and must be renewed at the corresponding general election every decade.
Measure § 3 · Legislative intent
Pursuant to section 41-1107, Arizona Revised Statutes, the legislature intends to: 1. Keep the enforcement of the laws in this state in the hands of trained law enforcement officers who are authorized by the people of this state to enforce the laws. 2. Protect the citizens of this state from the abuses that accompany the outsourcing of law enforcement to private, for-profit entities. 3. Ensure that the purpose of law enforcement remains to serve and protect and not to generate revenue for governments.
The intent clause states officer-led enforcement, protection against for-profit outsourcing abuses, and a service rather than revenue purpose.
Resolution ¶ 2 · Submission to voters
The Secretary of State shall submit this proposition to the voters at the next general election as provided by article IV, part 1, section 1, Constitution of Arizona.
The resolution refers the proposed statute to voters.
The contract cutoff favors systems already under contract and blocks a later city from starting a covered program.
Cameras can enforce rules continuously without traffic stops; critics raise due-process, privacy, profit, and fairness concerns.
The text requires local voter approval but does not describe a statewide vote for an eligible state-agency system.
Read every word for yourself.
This is the complete adopted or enrolled document, reproduced from the official government source. Page and part labels follow the source file.
Senate Engrossed
photo enforcement systems; prohibition
(now: photo enforcement systems; voter approval)
State of Arizona
Senate
Fifty-seventh Legislature
Second Regular Session
2026
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1004
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
ENACTING AND ORDERING THE SUBMISSION TO THE PEOPLE OF A MEASURE RELATING TO
PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
- i -S.C.R. 1004
1 Be it resolved by the Senate of the State of Arizona, the House of
2 Representatives concurring:
3 1. Under the power of the referendum, as vested in the Legislature,
4 the following measure, relating to photo enforcement systems, is enacted to
5 become valid as a law if approved by the voters and on proclamation of the
6 Governor:
7 AN ACT
8 AMENDING SECTION 28-1201, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES; AMENDING
9 TITLE 28, CHAPTER 3, ARTICLE 21, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES, BY
10 ADDING SECTION 28-1207; RELATING TO PHOTO ENFORCEMENT.
11 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
12 Section 1. Section 28-1201, Arizona Revised Statutes, is
13 amended to read:
14 28-1201. Definition of photo enforcement system
15 In this article, unless the context otherwise requires,
16 "photo enforcement system" has the same meaning prescribed in
17 section 28-601 MEANS A DEVICE SUBSTANTIALLY CONSISTING OF A
18 RADAR UNIT OR SENSOR LINKED TO A CAMERA OR OTHER RECORDING
19 DEVICE THAT PRODUCES ONE OR MORE PHOTOGRAPHS, MICROPHOTOGRAPHS,
20 VIDEOTAPES OR DIGITAL OR OTHER RECORDED IMAGES OF A VEHICLE'S
21 LICENSE PLATE FOR THE PURPOSE OF IDENTIFYING VIOLATORS OF
22 ARTICLE 3 OR 6 OF THIS CHAPTER OR OF A CITY OR TOWN ORDINANCE
23 FOR EXCESSIVE SPEED OR FAILURE TO OBEY A TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE.
24 Sec. 2. Title 28, chapter 3, article 21, Arizona Revised
25 Statutes, is amended by adding section 28-1207, to read:
26 28-1207. Photo enforcement system; voter approval
27 requirement
28 A. A LOCAL AUTHORITY OR AN AGENCY OF THIS STATE MAY NOT
29 USE A PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM TO IDENTIFY VIOLATORS OF ARTICLE
30 3 OR 6 OF THIS CHAPTER OR OF A CITY OR TOWN ORDINANCE FOR
31 EXCESSIVE SPEED OR FAILURE TO OBEY A TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE,
32 UNLESS, ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 2026, THE LOCAL AUTHORITY OR
33 THE AGENCY OF THIS STATE HAS A SIGNED CONTRACT TO OPERATE A
34 PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM.
35 B. NOTWITHSTANDING SECTION 16-204, A LOCAL AUTHORITY
36 THAT HAS A SIGNED CONTRACT TO OPERATE A PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM
37 PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION A OF THIS SECTION SHALL SEEK APPROVAL OF
38 THE VOTERS OF THE LOCAL AUTHORITY AT THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION
39 IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION TO CONTINUE
40 OPERATION OF THE PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM.
- 1 -S.C.R. 1004
1 C. IF THE LOCAL AUTHORITY DOES NOT RECEIVE VOTER APPROVAL
2 TO OPERATE A PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION B
3 OF THIS SECTION, THE LOCAL AUTHORITY SHALL CEASE OPERATIONS OF
4 THE PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM WITHIN NINETY DAYS AFTER THE
5 GENERAL ELECTION IN WHICH THE VOTERS FAILED TO APPROVE THE
6 OPERATION OF THE PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM.
7 D. IF THE LOCAL AUTHORITY RECEIVES VOTER APPROVAL TO
8 OPERATE A PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION B OF
9 THIS SECTION, THE LOCAL AUTHORITY MAY CONTINUE TO OPERATE THE
10 PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM FOR A PERIOD OF TEN YEARS AND ALL OF
11 THE FOLLOWING APPLY:
12 1. NOTWITHSTANDING SECTION 16-204, THE LOCAL AUTHORITY
13 SHALL SUBMIT TO THE LOCAL AUTHORITY'S VOTERS THE QUESTION OF
14 THE CONTINUED OPERATION OF THE PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM FOR AN
15 ADDITIONAL TEN YEARS THAT SHALL BE PLACED ON THE GENERAL
16 ELECTION BALLOT FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION THAT IS HELD TEN YEARS
17 AFTER THE PREVIOUS VOTE THAT APPROVED THE OPERATION OF THE PHOTO
18 ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM.
19 2. IF THE LOCAL AUTHORITY RECEIVES VOTER APPROVAL AT THE
20 ELECTION PRESCRIBED BY PARAGRAPH 1 OF THIS SUBSECTION, THE LOCAL
21 AUTHORITY MAY CONTINUE TO OPERATE THE PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM
22 FOR A PERIOD OF TEN YEARS AND SHALL SUBMIT TO THE LOCAL
23 AUTHORITY'S VOTERS THE QUESTION OF THE CONTINUED OPERATION OF
24 THE PHOTO ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM EVERY TEN YEARS THEREAFTER AS
25 PRESCRIBED BY THIS SECTION.
26 Sec. 3. Legislative intent
27 Pursuant to section 41-1107, Arizona Revised Statutes,
28 the legislature intends to:
29 1. Keep the enforcement of the laws in this state in the
30 hands of trained law enforcement officers who are authorized by
31 the people of this state to enforce the laws.
32 2. Protect the citizens of this state from the abuses
33 that accompany the outsourcing of law enforcement to private,
34 for-profit entities.
35 3. Ensure that the purpose of law enforcement remains to
36 serve and protect and not to generate revenue for governments.
37 2. The Secretary of State shall submit this proposition to the voters
38 at the next general election as provided by article IV, part 1, section 1,
39 Constitution of Arizona.
PASSED BY THE HOUSE JUNE 12, 2026.
PASSED BY THE SENATE FEBRUARY 26, 2026.
FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE JUNE 15, 2026.
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