Ontario Scraps Photo Radar: What Bill 56 Means for Drivers

What Bill 56 changed

In November 2025, Ontario proclaimed Bill 56, the Building a More Competitive Economy Act, 2025, which repealed municipalities’ authority to operate automated speed enforcement cameras within Ontario. The change took effect on November 14, 2025. Municipalities that had been running photo radar programs — measuring vehicle speed and mailing a ticket to the registered owner — were required to stop issuing new tickets as of that date, and signage indicating camera use was generally removed in advance of the cutoff.

Red-light cameras are a separate program

This repeal specifically targets automated speed enforcement. Red-light cameras, which capture a vehicle entering an intersection after the signal turns red, are a legally and operationally separate enforcement program and continue to operate. See our red-light camera ticket calculator for how that distinct offence works.

What happens to tickets already issued

Tickets issued for a speed captured before November 14, 2025 remain valid under the law in effect at the time of the offence, and still need to be paid or responded to through the normal provincial offences process. The repeal affects new enforcement going forward, not tickets already issued under the prior rules.

What the province says will replace it

The province has described a shift toward other traffic-calming approaches in place of camera-based speed enforcement — including physical measures like speed bumps and roundabouts, improved signage, and public education campaigns, alongside funding directed at municipalities for road safety initiatives. See our companion article on what’s replacing photo radar for more detail on that funding.

Frequently Asked Questions

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