Traffic Defense · 75 Pa.C.S. §§ 3326, 3362, 1535(e), 3369
Work-Zone Speeding Tickets and Camera Notices in Pennsylvania
A police-issued speeding ticket for going 11 mph or more over the limit in an active Pennsylvania work zone carries a 15-day license suspension under 75 Pa.C.S. § 1535(e), on top of the usual speeding points. An automated work-zone camera notice under § 3369 is different. It is a warning for a first offense and a $75 or $150 fine after that, and it is not a criminal conviction and adds no points.
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What the offense actually is.
Section 3326 sets drivers' duties in construction and maintenance areas. Speeding in a work zone is usually charged under § 3362, with the work-zone consequences coming from § 1535(e).
Automated speed enforcement under § 3369 mails a notice to the vehicle owner when a camera records a vehicle 11 mph or more over the posted limit in an active automated-enforcement work area.
What a conviction costs.
Under § 1535(e), a conviction report showing the violation happened in an active work zone creates a presumption that it did — so whether the zone was active is often the key fact.
Under § 3369, the camera penalty is not a criminal conviction, is not made part of your § 1535 driving record, and may not be used for insurance merit rating or surcharge points. The fine is not authorized when the work area is not active.
For the full point schedule and suspension thresholds, see the PA license points & suspension guide. If a magisterial district judge has already found you guilty, you have 30 days to file a summary appeal for a new trial at the Court of Common Pleas.
Work-Zone Speeding at a glance
75 Pa.C.S. §§ 3326, 3362, 1535(e), 3369
- Points
- Police ticket: speeding points under § 1535(a). Camera notice: no points (§ 3369)
- Fine
- Camera notice: written warning first, $75 second, $150 third and later (§ 3369)
- License suspension
- 15 days for a § 3362 conviction 11+ mph over in an active work zone (§ 1535(e)(2))
- CDL impact
- Police ticket 15+ mph over is a serious violation (49 CFR 383.51 Table 2). Camera notices are not convictions
- Grading
- Police ticket: summary offense. Camera notice: owner liability penalty, not a criminal conviction
How these citations get fought
Defenses that actually move the outcome.
Zone was not active
The § 1535(e) suspension and § 3369 penalties depend on an active work zone.
Speed measurement
Timing devices and their calibration records can be challenged in a police-ticket case.
Camera notice timing
A second camera offense does not count unless it happened at least 15 days after the warning was mailed (§ 3369).
Owner defenses
Section 3369 provides owner defenses, such as a stolen vehicle.
How the case moves.
- Within 10 days: plead guilty or not guilty (Pa.R.Crim.P. 407). Paying the fine and costs is a guilty plea (Rule 409).
- Not-guilty plea: the magisterial district judge sets a summary trial and notifies you and the officer (Rule 408).
- Before trial: counsel can review the evidence and talk with the officer about the citation.
- After a conviction: you have 30 days to file a notice of appeal with the clerk of courts for a new trial in the Court of Common Pleas (Rule 460).
- PennDOT: points are assigned as of the violation date and must be assigned within six months of the conviction (§ 1535(a), (c)).
Likely outcomes.
Every case is different and no result can be promised. Common outcomes include a dismissal when the Commonwealth cannot prove the charge or the officer does not appear, an amendment to a different Vehicle Code section agreed with the officer, a conviction after trial, or a new trial on appeal. Sean P. Quinlan, Esq. reviews your citation and record before advising which path fits.
Other Pennsylvania violations
- Careless Driving
- Following Too Closely
- Improper Passing
- Red Light / Traffic-Control Device Violations
- Aggressive Driving
- Texting While Driving
- Driving Without a License
- School Bus Violation
- Driving Too Fast for Conditions
- Driving Without Insurance
- Stop Sign Violation
- Improper Lane Change
- CDL Traffic Tickets
- Speeding
- Reckless Driving
Related traffic defense
Where these tickets get written, and who hears them.
PA traffic tickets hub
Every violation page, the pay-or-fight decision tool, and local traffic courts.
PA points calculator
Add up points by violation and see where the 6- and 11-point thresholds hit.
PA points & suspension guide
Point values by violation, the 6- and 11-point thresholds, and how points come off.
PA Turnpike (I-76) — Cumberland & Dauphin toll plazas citations
Enforcement patterns and courts along PA Turnpike (I-76) — Cumberland & Dauphin toll plazas.
I-81 through Cumberland County citations
Enforcement patterns and courts along I-81 through Cumberland County.
I-83 through York County citations
Enforcement patterns and courts along I-83 through York County.
Work-Zone Speeding ticket in Harrisburg
Local citations, MDJs, and enforcement in Harrisburg.
Work-Zone Speeding ticket in Camp Hill
Local citations, MDJs, and enforcement in Camp Hill.
Work-Zone Speeding ticket in Mechanicsburg
Local citations, MDJs, and enforcement in Mechanicsburg.
Work-Zone Speeding ticket in Carlisle
Local citations, MDJs, and enforcement in Carlisle.
Work-Zone Speeding ticket in York
Local citations, MDJs, and enforcement in York.
Work-Zone Speeding ticket in Hershey
Local citations, MDJs, and enforcement in Hershey.
Work-Zone Speeding ticket in Lower Paxton Township
Local citations, MDJs, and enforcement in Lower Paxton Township.
Work-Zone Speeding ticket in Hampden Township
Local citations, MDJs, and enforcement in Hampden Township.
Don't pay that ticket yet.
Send the citation to Sean P. Quinlan, Esq. before you plead. Flat fee starting at $550 per citation. Or call (717) 724-7503.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
Common questions about work-zone speeding citations in Pennsylvania — points, suspensions, and what a summary hearing looks like.
No. Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3369, the penalty is not made part of your operating record under § 1535 and is not a criminal conviction.
A first offense is a written warning. A second is $75 and a third or later is $150 (§ 3369).
A police-issued § 3362 conviction for 11 mph or more over in an active work zone carries a 15-day suspension under § 1535(e)(2).
Section 3369 says the penalty may not be the subject of merit rating for insurance purposes or authorize surcharge points.
Yes. A police ticket for 15 mph or more over is a federal serious traffic violation for CDL holders (49 CFR 383.51 Table 2).
Sometimes. In many Central PA magisterial district courts, the officer and defense counsel can discuss amending a citation to a different Vehicle Code section before the hearing. Whether that is offered depends on the officer, the facts and your record, and it is never guaranteed.
Paying is pleading guilty. Points attach to your PennDOT record, your insurance can rise for years, and some convictions carry a suspension or a CDL disqualification on their own. Many citations can be reduced to a non-point violation or beaten at the summary trial.
At 6 points PennDOT can require a written exam or a departmental hearing under § 1538, and repeat 6-point accumulations bring escalating suspensions. At 11 points a suspension is automatic under § 1539. Under § 1537, three points come off for every 12 consecutive months without a suspension or a point-carrying violation.
Thirty days from the magisterial district judge's decision. A summary appeal goes to the county Court of Common Pleas for a trial de novo, meaning the case is heard fresh rather than reviewed for error.
Related pages
Summary appeals — Harrisburg
Appeal an MDJ guilty verdict to Common Pleas. 30-day deadline.
PA points & suspension guide
Point values, 6/11-point thresholds, and how points come off.
Reckless driving (§ 3736)
Automatic 6-month suspension, jail exposure, CDL impact — Adams, York, Cumberland & Dauphin.
DUI defense
When a traffic stop turns into a DUI arrest.
Criminal defense
Reckless driving, fleeing, and related charges.
Areas we serve
Where we appear across Central PA.
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Sources & statutory citations
- [1]75 Pa.C.S. § 3326 — Duty of driver in construction and maintenance areas or on highway safety corridors.
- [2]75 Pa.C.S. § 3362 — Maximum speed limits.
- [3]75 Pa.C.S. § 1535 — Schedule of convictions and points; §1535(e) — automatic 15-day suspension for active work-zone speeding.
- [4]75 Pa.C.S. § 3369 — Automated speed enforcement in active work zones. Violation at 11+ mph over; first offense is a written warning, $75 for a second and $150 for third and subsequent offenses; the penalty is not a criminal conviction, is not made part of the § 1535 operating record, and is not subject to insurance merit rating or surcharge points (§ 3369(e)).
- [5]Pa.R.Crim.P. 407 — Pleas in response to citation — within 10 days after issuance, the defendant must notify the issuing authority of a guilty or not-guilty plea.
- [6]Pa.R.Crim.P. 460 — Summary appeal — notice of appeal filed with the clerk of courts within 30 days after the guilty plea, conviction or other final order.
Statutes are summarized for public reference. Confirm current text at palegis.us. This page is attorney advertising, not legal advice.
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