Starting October 1, 2026, cameras mounted inside MBTA bus windshields will start recording cars parked or stopped in bus lanes and at bus stops. For the first three months the registered owner gets an “educational notice” in the mail. Real tickets, from $25 to $125, begin January 1, 2027.
The program runs under a state law most drivers have never read, Chapter 90K of the General Laws. It decides who pays, what counts against you, what the T can do with the photos, and how to fight a ticket. Here is what it says.
What the MBTA announced
MBTA officials presented the rollout to the MBTA Board of Directors on Thursday, September 24, WCVB reported. Enforcement starts on the SL4 and SL5 Silver Line routes between Nubian Square, the South End and Chinatown, then expands to other routes. A February test flagged about 26,500 potential violations, according to the MBTA’s director of transit priority, Alex Hallowell.
Notices go to the address where the vehicle is registered: within two weeks for Massachusetts plates and within three weeks for out-of-state plates. Hallowell told the board that MBTA employees will review every incident before a ticket goes out, that the vendor gets no share of the fines, and that the system does not connect to other license plate reader networks.
What counts as a violation
Chapter 90K covers exactly two things, which the statute calls “camera enforceable violations”:
- Parking in a posted bus stop.
- Parking, standing or causing a vehicle to stand in a bus-only lane, unless a signal, sign, marking or a police officer directs otherwise.
It is not a speed camera or a red light camera. The definition is written in terms of parking and standing, not driving through the lane.
How much it costs
G.L. c. 90K, § 2(b) sets the ranges:
- Bus stop: $100.
- Bus lane: not less than $25 and not more than $125, with separate schedules for passenger and commercial vehicles.
MassLive reported that a bus stop violation will carry an immediate $100 ticket, while a bus lane violation will start with a warning and then climb from $25 to $125 on later offenses. The statute allows written warnings in place of fines only under “objective and consistent criteria in a written policy.”
It is on the owner, not the driver
Under § 2(c), “the registered owner of a motor vehicle shall be liable for any fine.” It does not matter who was driving. The statute lists specific exceptions. The owner is not liable if the violation:
- was necessary to let an emergency vehicle pass;
- happened in a funeral procession;
- happened while the car was reported stolen and not yet recovered;
- involved a rental or leased vehicle, and the rental company identifies the renter within 45 days (§ 3);
- led to a regular police citation for the same violation;
- was necessary for the safety of passengers or pedestrians; or
- was necessary to comply with another traffic law or regulation.
Emergency vehicles responding to calls are also exempt under § 7.
What it does not do to your record
This is the part most drivers will care about. Under § 2(f), a camera violation “shall not be”:
- “made part of the driving record” of the person held liable; or
- treated as “a conviction of a moving violation” for purposes of an insurance surcharge under G.L. c. 175, § 113B.
It works like a parking ticket that follows the car, not a moving violation that follows the driver.
What happens if you ignore it
Unpaid notices catch up with you at the Registry. Under § 2(j), once a registered owner has three or more unresolved violation notices, the MBTA notifies the Registrar, who “shall not issue or renew the registered owner’s motor vehicle registration” until the fines are paid. For rental customers identified under § 3, five unresolved notices lead to suspension of the renter’s license or right to operate in Massachusetts.
How to contest a ticket
The notice itself must include the photographs, the plate, the date, time and location, the violation charged, payment instructions, appeal instructions, and an affidavit form (§ 2(h)). You then have two options, and both must be used within 60 days of the violation, not 60 days from when you get the notice:
- A written appeal, by mail or online. Under § 2(i)(2), you submit a signed affidavit stating why you dispute the violation, your full name and address, and the full name and address of whoever was driving. You can attach signed witness statements. A decision with reasons must be mailed within 21 days of receipt.
- A hearing. Under § 2(i)(3), you can instead request a hearing in writing or online. It is informal, and “the rules of evidence shall not apply.” The hearing officer can be an MBTA employee. A decision with reasons must be mailed within 21 days after the hearing.
If you lose, you have 14 days to pay or to seek judicial review in court under G.L. c. 30A, § 14. At any stage, the MBTA’s sworn certificate based on the photos and data is “prima facie evidence of the facts contained therein” (§ 2(e)), which means the burden is effectively on the owner to show one of the exceptions applies or the photo is wrong.
Paying the fine ends the matter, for every registered owner of that vehicle.
What the T can and cannot do with the photos
Given the fights this year over Flock license plate cameras, the privacy provisions matter. Section 5 of Chapter 90K provides that:
- The photos “shall not be used by an enforcing authority to identify the vehicle operator, the passengers or the contents of the vehicle,” and must be redacted to obscure them before a notice goes out.
- The images are not public records.
- They cannot be obtained in any other court or administrative case, or admitted as evidence, without a court order, and a court may order release only where the image bears on whether a camera violation occurred and that violation is material to civil or criminal liability.
- The MBTA and its vendor may not “use, disclose, sell or permit access to” the data except as needed to process violations.
On money, § 6 lets the MBTA recover only costs reasonably related to running the program. Net revenue goes to the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund.
Frequently asked questions
When do MBTA bus lane camera tickets start?
The MBTA says the cameras begin sending educational notices on October 1, 2026, starting on the SL4 and SL5 routes. Fines begin January 1, 2027.
How much is a bus lane or bus stop camera ticket?
Under G.L. c. 90K, a bus stop violation is $100. A bus lane violation is $25 to $125, with separate schedules for passenger and commercial vehicles.
Does a bus lane camera ticket go on my driving record or raise my insurance?
No. Chapter 90K, section 2(f) says the violation is not part of the driving record and is not a moving violation for insurance surcharge purposes.
I was not driving. Do I still have to pay?
The registered owner is liable regardless of who was driving, unless a statutory exception applies, such as a stolen vehicle, a rental identified to the MBTA, an emergency, or a funeral procession. When contesting, the owner’s affidavit must name the operator.
How long do I have to appeal?
Sixty days from the date of the violation, either in writing or online with a signed affidavit, or by requesting a hearing.
What if I do not pay?
With three or more unresolved notices, the Registry will not issue or renew the vehicle’s registration until the fines are paid.
Sources: statutory text of G.L. c. 90K, sections 1 through 9, read at malegislature.gov; the MBTA’s annual report to the Legislature under c. 90K, § 8, which identifies its implementing regulation as 703 CMR 6; WCVB and MassLive, September 24, 2026, for the rollout dates, routes, test results, mailing times, fine structure, and statements to the MBTA board. We have not read 703 CMR 6 itself, which sets the MBTA’s detailed fine schedule and procedures. General information about Massachusetts law, not legal advice.