How the speed camera programme works in Malibu
California’s Speed Safety System, and how Malibu Public Works runs it in Malibu.
The Speed Safety System
California's Speed Safety System uses fixed automated speed enforcement cameras to reduce dangerous speeding in high-collision areas. In Malibu the cameras are authorised by California SB 1297, up to five systems on Pacific Coast Highway, running through January 1, 2032.
The system focuses on camera placement in areas with:
- High rates of speeding-related crashes
- Vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists)
- Community safety concerns
- School zones and residential areas
Program Timeline
Four Pepperdine students killed on PCH
A speeding driver kills four Pepperdine University students on Pacific Coast Highway in October 2023. The City declares a local emergency the following month.
SB 1297 signed into law
A single-corridor bill authorises Malibu — and only Malibu — to run up to five speed safety systems on Pacific Coast Highway, under its own article of the Vehicle Code with the same fines, threshold and warning period as AB 645.
Impact Report adopted
The City adopts its Speed Safety System Impact Report, proposing five camera sites at the Decker Road, Morning View Drive, Latigo Canyon Road, Carbon Beach Terrace and Tuna Canyon Road intersections, four to five miles apart.
Construction nears completion, public education begins
The City announces construction is nearing completion and starts its education and outreach phase, with a 60-day warning period expected in late September 2026 and citations expected in late November 2026.
How It Works
Detection
Cameras detect vehicles travelling 11 mph or more over the posted limit. Below that threshold, nothing is recorded.
Verification
The system captures the rear licence plate. Malibu Public Works reviews it before anything is mailed — no officer, no traffic stop.
Citation
The registered owner receives the notice by mail. A first violation of 11–15 mph over is a warning, not a fine.
Response Options
Pay it, apply to reduce the amount, or protest it. AB 645 requires income-based reductions and payment plans.
Sources
Everything on this page comes from the primary sources below. If you find something that disagrees with an official source, the official source is right and we want to know — tell us.
- SB 1297 — The City of Malibu’s speed safety system pilot program (2024) — California LegislatureA separate article of the Vehicle Code (22435–22441) authorising Malibu to run up to five speed safety systems on Pacific Coast Highway through Jan 1, 2032, with the same fine schedule, threshold and 60-day warning period as AB 645.
- Pacific Coast Highway Safety — PCH Speed Safety System — City of MalibuThe City’s programme page and, per the Use Policy, where the enforced road segments will be listed once final. Publishes the expected warning-period and enforcement timeline; no map layer or coordinates.
- Speed Safety System Impact Report (June 9, 2025) — City of MalibuThe adopted report behind the programme. Proposes five camera sites at the Decker Road, Morning View Drive, Latigo Canyon Road, Carbon Beach Terrace and Tuna Canyon Road intersections, 4–5 miles apart, with exact placement subject to further field observations. No coordinates.
- Speed Safety System Use Policy (May 1, 2025) — City of MalibuAdopted before implementation as SB 1297 requires. Names no locations, but commits the City to listing the enforced road segments on its programme website and updating them on changes.
Sources last verified September 2, 2026.