School Zone Hours 

In the City of Orting, all school zones are clearly marked by flashing beacons when active.  School zones are active:

• Monday - Thursday:     7:00 am - 9:15 am and 2:10 pm - 4:15 pm.
• Friday:                                   7:00 am - 9:15 am and 12:40 pm - 2:45 pm.

School zones are not active on weekends, holidays, or days when school is not in session (spring break, summer break, etc.)

 While there are multiple school-zones located within Orting, only the school-zone located between the 1000 and 1100 blocks of Washington Avenue North will be enforced by automated cameras.   

Warning Period Ends May 27th, 2026

Washington State Law Requires that municipalities, prior to issuing a notice of infraction via an automated school-zone traffic safety camera,  issue warning notices to drivers for a period of time before implementing a camera system.   This is meant to provide fair and ample notice to motorists that new cameras have been installed and that the area will be subject to automated enforcement.   Orting's automated ticketing is set to begin operation on April 27, 2026.   Warning notices will be mailed to those exceeding the speed limit until May 27th, 2026.  After May 27th, 2026, the system will begin sending a notice of infraction to the registered owner of a speeding vehicle.

Warning notices will be clearly marked "THIS IS A WARNING NOTICE NO FINE IS DUE" in red to indicate that no payment is due.     

If a dollar amount appears in the "Amount Due" field near the top of the notice, the warning period has ended, and you will be required to respond to the notice. 

An example warning notice can be found at the following link:

Example School Zone Speed Violation Notice of Warning

Authorization to operate automated school-zone  enforcement cameras within the  City of Orting was granted by the Orting City Council by way of city ordinance  #2024-1138 in November of 2024.  

 City of Orting Ordinance #2024-1138 -  Automated School Zone Enforcement Cameras 

The  ordinance was codified into municipal code as Title 7, Chapter 12.  

VIEW TITLE 7 CHAPTER 12 - AUTOMATED TRAFFIC SAFETY CAMERAS HERE

 The City entered into a contract with a private vendor to install and operate automated cameras in September of 2025, and the system is on track to be fully operational in early 2026.  

Fines

Speeding through a  school-zone can come with a hefty fine as the penalty amount is generally double that of a comparable speeding ticket committed outside of a school zone.   For tickets issued  by automated school zone enforcement cameras, the  law may allow for additional payment options or overall fine reductions depending on factors such as a driver's income or ticket history. 

Pay a Fine

Fines can be paid in person, online, or by phone using one of the following options:

• VIA PHONE:  To pay via phone, contact us at 360-872-6040.

• IN PERSON:  Make a payment in-person  at our office located at 104 Bridge ST S.  Our payment window is located just inside the Police and Court lobby off of Washington Avenue.  Our office will accept payments Monday - Thursday 0900 am - 4:30 pm.   Court is closed on Fridays.  

• ONLINE:  To pay a fine online: 

To request a hearing for a school-zone violation, complete the appropriate section on the lower portion of the Notice of Infraction. Select either a contested hearing or a mitigation hearing, then mail the completed form to the court at the address provided on the notice.

Important Information:

• The return form on the lower portion of the notice serves multiple purposes. It may be used to submit payment by U.S. mail or to request a contested or mitigation hearing.
• All school-zone infraction hearings are conducted in person. Virtual attendance is not currently available.

The school-zone camera system  was implemented  due to an increasing number of speeding vehicles being observed each day by  school district employees, police officers, parents, and children.  The program is the result of a collaborative effort between community groups and Orting Police Department with a common and primary goal to eliminate roadway injuries and fatalities within the city. 

As part of the implementation process, a traffic and equity study was completed to understand the impacts to local citizens.   You can access  the equity report by clicking the following link:

City of Orting Equity Report - Automated School Zone Enforcement Cameras 

City of Orting Safe Streets for All Project

The Orting Police Department publishes and annual report that contains summary information about the automated school-zone camera program and it's cost to operate.   The annual report contains information such as: 

• How many automated school-zone infractions were issued during the calendar year. 
• The number of traffic collisions that occurred within school-zone during the calendar year. 
• The percentage of infraction revenue used to pay for operating the program for the calendar year.
• Description of how any excess revenue was spent during the calendar year.