News Summary
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has called for full refunds for speeding tickets issued to drivers in New Orleans school zones due to unlawful speed camera operations. The city activated its cameras without the required agreements with local school districts, resulting in $2 million in ticket revenue held in escrow. All speed cameras have now been deactivated pending compliance, and negotiations for a revenue-sharing agreement are ongoing, amidst concerns over the city’s timely payments to schools.
New Orleans – Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has demanded full refunds for speeding tickets issued to drivers in New Orleans school zones between August 1, 2024, and May 2025. This comes in response to unlawful operations of speed cameras in the city, which have been activated without following the new state law guidelines requiring a cooperative endeavor agreement (CEA) with local school districts.
In a recent warning letter to the city, Murrill outlined the potential for legal action and even criminal charges against city officials if they fail to comply with the new law that comes into effect on August 1, 2024. This law necessitates a formal agreement between municipalities and local school districts regarding the sharing of revenue derived from automated speed enforcement cameras.
The city of New Orleans activated its speed cameras last August, despite not having established any CEA with NOLA Public Schools or private schools. As a result, ticket revenue collected, totaling approximately $2 million, is currently being held in escrow. Murrill emphasized that any funds collected unlawfully must be returned to individuals who received tickets during this timeframe.
As of now, all speed cameras in New Orleans have been deactivated pending the establishment of the necessary CEAs with local school districts. The letter from Murrill stresses the urgency of resolving these legalities, as a provision added to the law effective August 1, 2025, allows for the prosecution of officials for malfeasance in office if cameras continue to operate without a proper agreement in place.
Although school zone cameras have been inactive, the city still has its red-light cameras operational. City officials have been in negotiations with the Orleans Parish School Board regarding the CEA for revenue sharing from the speed cameras. Recent discussions have led to the City Council approving a new revenue-sharing arrangement which proposes a 60-40 split in favor of the schools, a significant alteration from the previously discussed 90-10 split.
While negotiations have progressed, board members have expressed concerns over the timely payments from the city to the school district related to revenues generated from the speed cameras. The revenue garnered from speed cameras within the school zones amounted to $1.375 million from May 2024 to March 2025, yet these funds are still in escrow due to the pending agreements.
The city’s administration is actively working on necessary physical adjustments within school zones to ensure compliance with the newly enforced laws, but the speed cameras will remain offline until the required agreements are finalized. The city acknowledges that school zone cameras were indeed operational during the fall of 2024 through the end of the school year, contrary to earlier statements indicating that they had been deactivated.
The public response to the Attorney General’s actions and the city’s handling of this situation remains to be seen as the city aims to align itself with the new legislation and restore compliance in the handling of school zone speed enforcement.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
HERE Resources
New Orleans to Halt Speeding Tickets from Automated Cameras
Additional Resources
- Fox 8 Live: Attorney General Vows Enforcement
- Wikipedia: Speed Camera
- WDSU: Attorney General Calls for Ticket Refund
- Google Search: New Orleans school zone law
- WWLTV: Speed Camera Tickets Paused
- Google Scholar: Louisiana speed camera laws
- NOLA: Speed Cameras Turned Off
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Traffic Law
- WGNO: New Orleans to Restrict Automated Speeding Tickets
- Google News: New Orleans speed camera issues
Author: STAFF HERE NEWORLEANS WRITER
NEW ORLEANS STAFF WRITER The NEW ORLEANS STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERENewOrleans.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as French Quarter Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and Essence Music Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce and Greater New Orleans, Inc., plus leading businesses in energy, healthcare, and education that power the local economy such as Entergy, Ochsner Health, and Tulane University. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREShreveport.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Louisiana's dynamic landscape.
