§ 1606. Automated traffic law enforcement systems; speeding [Effective July 1, 2025; Repealed
effective July 2, 2025 or July 1, 2027]
(a) Use. Deployment of ATLE systems on behalf of the Agency of Transportation by a third party
pursuant to subsection (b) of this section is intended to investigate the benefits
of automated law enforcement for speeding violations as a way to improve work crew
safety and reduce traffic crashes resulting from an increased adherence to traffic
laws achieved by effective deterrence of potential violators, which could not be achieved
by traditional law enforcement methods or traffic calming measures, or both. Deployment
of ATLE systems on behalf of the Agency is not intended to replace law enforcement
personnel, nor is it intended to mitigate problems caused by deficient road design,
construction, or maintenance.
(b) Vendor.
(1) The Agency of Transportation shall enter into a contract with a third party for the
operation and deployment of ATLE systems on behalf of the Agency.
(2) The Agency, in consultation with the Department of Public Safety, may require the
vendor to maintain a storage system to store any recorded images or other data collected
by the ATLE system. Any storage system shall adhere to the use, retention, and limitation
requirements pursuant to this section.
(c) Locations. An ATLE system may only be utilized at a location in the vicinity of a work zone on
a limited-access highway under the jurisdiction of the Agency of Transportation and
selected by the Agency, provided that:
(1) the Agency shall document through an appropriate engineering analysis that the location
meets highway standards;
(2) the ATLE system is not used as a means of combating deficiencies in roadway design
or environment;
(3) at least two signs notifying members of the traveling public of the use of an ATLE
system are in place before any recorded images or other data is collected by the ATLE
system;
(4) there is a sign at the end of the work zone;
(5) the ATLE system is only in operation when workers are present in the work zone and
at least one of the signs required under subdivision (3) of this subsection indicates
whether the ATLE system is currently in operation; and
(6) there is notice of the use of the ATLE system on the Agency’s website, including the
location and typical hours when workers are present and the ATLE system is in operation.
(d) Daily log.
(1) The vendor that deploys an ATLE system in accordance with this section must maintain
a daily log for each deployed ATLE system that includes:
(A) the date, time, and location of the ATLE system setup;
(B) a demonstration that the equipment is operating properly before and after daily use;
(C) a verification that the signage and equipment placement meet applicable highway standards;
and
(D) the name of the employee who performed any self-tests required by the ATLE system
manufacturer and the results of those self-tests.
(2) The daily log shall be retained for not fewer than three years by the Agency and admissible
in any proceeding for a violation involving ATLE systems deployed on behalf of the
Agency.
(e) Annual calibration. All ATLE systems shall undergo an annual calibration check performed by an independent
calibration laboratory. The calibration laboratory shall issue a signed certificate
of calibration after the annual calibration check, which shall be retained for not
fewer than three years by the Agency and admissible in any proceeding for a violation
involving the ATLE system.
(f) Penalty.
(1) The owner of the motor vehicle bearing the rear registration number plate captured
in a recorded image shall be liable for one of the following civil penalties unless,
for the violation in question, the owner is convicted of exceeding the speed limit
under chapter 13 of this title or has a defense under subsection (h) of this section:
(A) $0.00, which shall be exempt from surcharges under 13 V.S.A. § 7282(a), for a first violation within 12 months;
(B) $80.00 for a second violation within 12 months; provided, however, that a violation
shall be considered a second violation for purposes of this subdivision only if it
has occurred at least 30 days after the date on which the notice of the first violation
was mailed; and
(C) $160.00 for a third or subsequent violation within 12 months.
(2) The owner of the motor vehicle bearing the rear registration number plate captured
in a recorded image shall not be deemed to have committed a crime or moving violation
unless otherwise convicted under another section of this title, and a violation of
this section shall not be made a part of the operating record of the owner or considered
for insurance purposes.
(g) Notice and complaint.
(1) An action to enforce this section shall be initiated by issuing a Vermont civil violation
complaint to the owner of a motor vehicle bearing the rear registration number plate
captured in a recorded image and mailing the Vermont civil violation complaint to
the owner by U.S. mail.
(2) The civil violation complaint shall:
(A) be based on an inspection of recorded images and data produced by one or more ATLE
systems or one or more ATLE and ALPR systems;
(B) be issued, sworn, and affirmed by the law enforcement officer who inspected the recorded
images and data;
(C) enclose copies of applicable recorded images and at least one recorded image showing
the rear registration number plate of the motor vehicle;
(D) include the date, time, and place of the violation;
(E) include the applicable civil penalty amount and the dates, times, and places for any
prior violations from the prior 12 months;
(F) include written verification that the ATLE system was operating correctly at the time
of the violation and the date of the most recent inspection that confirms the ATLE
system to be operating properly;
(G) contain a notice of language access services in accordance with federal and state
law; and
(H) in compliance with 4 V.S.A. § 1105(f), include an affidavit that the issuing officer has determined the owner’s military
status to the best of the officer’s ability by conducting a search of the available
Department of Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) online records, together with a
copy of the record obtained from the DMDC that is the basis for the issuing officer’s
affidavit.
(3) In the case of a violation involving a motor vehicle registered under the laws of
this State, the civil violation complaint shall be mailed within 30 days after the
violation to the address of the owner as listed in the records of the Department of
Motor Vehicles. A notice of violation issued under this subdivision shall be mailed
not more than 30 days after the date of the violation. A notice mailed after 30 days
is void.
(4) In the case of a violation involving a motor vehicle registered under the laws of
a jurisdiction other than this State, the notice of violation shall be mailed within
30 days after the discovery of the identity of the owner to the address of the owner
as listed in the records of the official in the jurisdiction having charge of the
registration of the motor vehicle. A notice of violation issued under this subdivision
shall be mailed not more than 90 days after the date of the violation. A notice mailed
after 90 days is void.
(h) Defenses. The following shall be defenses to a violation under this section:
(1) that the motor vehicle or license plates shown in one or more recorded images was
in the care, custody, or control of another person at the time of the violation; and
(2) that the radar component of the ATLE system was not properly calibrated or tested
at the time of the violation.
(i) Proceedings before the Judicial Bureau.
(1) To the extent not inconsistent with this section, the provisions for the adjudication
of a Vermont civil violation complaint, the payment of a Vermont civil violation complaint,
and the collection of civil penalties associated with a civil violation complaint
in 4 V.S.A. chapter 29 shall apply to civil violation complaints issued under this section.
(2) Notwithstanding an owner’s failure to request a hearing, a Vermont civil violation
complaint issued pursuant to this section shall be dismissed with prejudice upon showing
by the owner, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the motor vehicle in question
was not in the care, custody, or control of the owner at the time of the violation
because, at the time, the owner was a person in military service as defined in 50 U.S.C. § 3911.
(j) Retention.
(1) All recorded images shall be retained by the vendor pursuant to the requirements of
subdivision (2) of this subsection.
(2) A recorded image shall only be retained for 12 months after the date it was obtained
or until the resolution of the applicable violation and the appeal period if the violation
is contested. When the retention period has expired, the vendor and any law enforcement
agency with custody of the recorded image shall destroy it and cause to have destroyed
any copies or backups made of the original recorded image.
(k) Review process and annual report.
(1) The Agency of Transportation, in consultation with the Department of Public Safety,
shall establish a review process to ensure that recorded images are used only for
the purposes permitted by this section. The Agency of Transportation shall report
the results of this review annually on or before January 15 to the Senate and House
Committees on Judiciary and on Transportation. The report shall contain the following
information based on prior calendar year data:
(A) the total number of ATLE systems units being operated on behalf of the Agency in the
State;
(B) the terms of any contracts entered into with any vendors for the deployment of ATLE
on behalf of the Agency;
(C) all of the locations where an ATLE system was deployed along with the dates and hours
that the ATLE system was in operation;
(D) the number of violations issued based on recorded images and the outcomes of those
violations by category, including first, second, and third and subsequent violations
and contested violations;
(E) the number of recorded images the Agency submitted to the automated traffic law enforcement
storage system;
(F) the total amount paid in civil penalties; and
(G) any recommended changes for the use of ATLE systems in Vermont.
(2) Notwithstanding 2 V.S.A. § 20(d), the annual report required under this section shall continue to be required if an
ATLE system is deployed in the State unless the General Assembly takes specific action
to repeal the report requirement.
(l) Limitations.
(1) ATLE systems shall only record violations of this section and shall not be used for
any other purpose, including other surveillance purposes.
(2) Recorded images shall only be accessed to determine if a violation of this section
was committed in the prior 12 months.
(3) Notwithstanding any applicable law to the contrary, the Agency of Transportation may
permit the vendor to coordinate with designated law enforcement agencies to obtain
a recorded image from the vendor to determine whether a violation of this section
occurred within the prior 12 months. (Added 2023, No. 135 (Adj. Sess.), § 1a, eff. July 1, 2025.)