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SB2614 • 2026

Radar; authorize sheriffs to use based on population and prohibit speed traps.

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 63-3-519, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE THE SHERIFF AND HIS DEPUTIES IN ANY COUNTY TO USE RADAR SPEED DETECTION EQUIPMENT UNITS UPON THE PUBLIC STREETS, ROADS AND HIGHWAYS OF THE COUNTY LYING OUTSIDE OF THE LIMITS OF ANY MUNICIPALITY, VILLAGE OR HAMLET; TO PRIORITIZE USAGE IN CERTAIN AREAS; TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF RADAR SPEED DETECTION EQUIPMENT UNITS IN A COUNTY BASED ON POPULATION; TO DEFINE AND PROHIBIT SPEED TRAPS; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 37-25-17, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH CREATES THE DRIVER TRAINING PENALTY ASSESSMENT FUND, FOR POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

Taxes
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Thompson
Last action
2026-02-12
Official status
Dead
Effective date
July 1, 20

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not provide specific details about how the existing driver training penalty fund will be amended, if at all.

Radar Use by Sheriffs and Prohibition of Speed Traps

This act allows county sheriffs to use radar speed detection equipment outside city limits with approval from the county board of supervisors, prioritizes usage in areas with high crash rates or speeding complaints, limits the number of units based on population, defines and prohibits speed traps, and brings forward an existing law about a driver training penalty fund for possible amendment.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows county sheriffs and their deputies to use radar speed detection equipment outside city limits, subject to unanimous approval from the county board of supervisors before purchase or use.
  • Prioritizes the use of radar in areas where there are high numbers of crashes or fatalities related to speeding, or where property owners have complained about speeding issues.
  • Limits the number of radar units a sheriff can have based on the county's population size: one unit for counties with less than 50,000 people; two units for more than 50,000 but less than 70,000; three units for more than 70,000 but less than 90,000; four units for more than 90,000 but less than 110,000; and five units for more than 110,000.
  • Defines a speed trap as either an area with unfair speed limits or inadequate signage warning drivers about upcoming lower speed limits, and prohibits the creation of such traps.
  • Brings forward Section 37-25-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, which creates the Driver Training Penalty Assessment Fund, for possible amendment.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Sheriffs and their deputies in Mississippi counties
  • Drivers who may be ticketed for speeding based on radar detection

Terms To Know

Speed trap
A section of a highway with unfair speed limits or inadequate signage warning drivers about upcoming lower speed limits.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if the county board of supervisors does not approve radar use.
  • It is unclear how Section 37-25-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, will be amended, if at all.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-12 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    02/12 (S) Tabled

  2. 2026-01-30 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/30 (S) Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub

  3. 2026-01-19 Mississippi Legislative Bill Status System

    01/19 (S) Referred To Highways and Transportation

Official Summary Text

Radar; authorize sheriffs to use based on population and prohibit speed traps.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
S. B. No. 2614 *SS36/R718CS.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/SS36/R718CS.1
PAGE 1

To: Highways and
Transportation
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Thompson

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 2614

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 63-3-519, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, 1
TO AUTHORIZE THE SHERIFF AND HIS DEPUTIES IN ANY COUNTY TO USE 2
RADAR SPEED DETECTION EQUIPMENT UNITS UPON THE PUBLIC STREETS, 3
ROADS AND HIGHWAYS OF THE COUNTY LYING OUTSIDE OF THE LIMITS OF 4
ANY MUNICIPALITY, VILLAGE OR HAMLET, SUBJECT TO THE UNANIMOUS 5
APPROVAL OF THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PRIOR TO THE PURCHASE 6
OR USE OF SUCH EQUIPMENT; TO PRIORITIZE USAGE IN CERTAIN AREAS; TO 7
LIMIT THE NUMBER OF RADAR SPEED DETECTION EQUIPMENT UNITS IN A 8
COUNTY BASED ON POPULATION; TO DEFINE AND PROHIBIT SPEED TRAPS; TO 9
BRING FORWARD SECTION 37-25-17, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH 10
CREATES THE DRIVER TRAINING PENALTY ASSESSMENT FUND, FOR PURPOSES 11
OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 12
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 13
SECTION 1. Section 63-3-519, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 14
amended as follows: 15
63-3-519. * * * (1) Only the following listed peace 16
officers and law enforcement agencies are permitted to purchase or 17
use or allow to be used any type of radar speed detection 18
equipment upon any public street, road or highway of this 19
state * * *: 20
(a) The Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol; 21
( * * *b) * * * Municipal law enforcement officers 22
within a municipality having a population of two thousand (2,000) 23
S. B. No. 2614 *SS36/R718CS.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS36/R718CS.1
PAGE 2

or more, according to the latest or a previous federal census, 24
upon the public streets of the municipality, but in no case where 25
the latest federal census population for the municipality is less 26
than one thousand five hundred (1,500); 27
( * * *c) * * * Any college or university campus police 28
force within the confines of any campus * * * at which more than 29
two thousand (2,000) students are enrolled; 30
( * * *d) * * * Municipal law enforcement officers in 31
any municipality having a population in excess of fifteen thousand 32
(15,000) according to the latest federal decennial census on 33
federally designated highways lying within the corporate 34
limits * * *; 35
( * * *e) * * * Municipal law enforcement officers upon 36
the public streets of any incorporated municipality (i) where the 37
county seat is located in the municipality and (ii) where there is 38
a public community college located in the municipality * * *; and 39
(f) The sheriff and sheriff deputies on any public 40
road, street or highway that is both under the jurisdiction of the 41
county board of supervisors for maintenance and construction and 42
located no less than one thousand (1,000) feet outside the 43
jurisdictional limits of any municipality, hamlet or village, 44
subject to the unanimous approval of the county board of 45
supervisors prior to the purchase or use of the radar speed 46
detection equipment. The use of the radar speed detection 47
equipment should be prioritized where the sheriff has documented a 48
S. B. No. 2614 *SS36/R718CS.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS36/R718CS.1
PAGE 3

recurring number of crashes or fatalities that are speed-related, 49
in a school zone, or where the sheriff has received a complaint 50
about speeding from a property owner who is adjacent to that 51
portion of the road. The number of radar speed detection 52
equipment units authorized under this paragraph (f) shall be based 53
upon the population of the county according to the latest federal 54
decennial census and shall be as follows: 55
(i) No more than one (1) unit in a county with a 56
population of less than fifty thousand (50,000); 57
(ii) No more than two (2) units in a county with a 58
population of more than fifty thousand (50,000) but less than 59
seventy thousand (70,000); 60
(iii) No more than three (3) units in a county 61
with a population of more than seventy thousand (70,000) but less 62
than ninety thousand (90,000); 63
(iv) No more than four (4) units in a county with 64
a population of more than ninety thousand (90,000) but less than 65
one hundred ten thousand (110,000); and 66
(v) No more than five (5) units in a county with a 67
population of more than one hundred ten thousand (110,000). 68
(2) (a) It is unlawful for any person or peace officer or 69
law enforcement agency to operate radar speed detection equipment 70
at a speed trap. 71
(b) Paragraph (a) of this subsection does not apply to 72
a posted school zone or to a local street or road. A local street 73
S. B. No. 2614 *SS36/R718CS.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS36/R718CS.1
PAGE 4

or road is one that primarily provides access to abutting 74
residential property and meets the following three (3) conditions: 75
(i) Roadway width of not more than forty (40) 76
feet; 77
(ii) Not more than one-half (1/2) mile of 78
uninterrupted length; and 79
(iii) Not more than one (1) traffic lane in each 80
direction. 81
(c) For the purposes of this section: 82
(i) A "speed trap" is either 1. a particular 83
section of a highway with a prima facie speed limit established by 84
the local governing authority of the jurisdiction that is not 85
justified by an engineering and traffic survey conducted within 86
ten (10) years before the date of the alleged violation unless the 87
speed limit conforms to requirements established by state or 88
federal law; or 2. a particular section of a highway that does not 89
have adequate signage giving notice of an upcoming lower speed 90
limit. 91
(ii) Interruptions, under paragraph (b)(ii) of 92
this subsection, include official traffic control signals. 93
(3) The Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol shall be 94
immediately notified by municipal law enforcement of any road 95
blockages or emergencies occurring on any federally designated 96
limited-access highways lying within the corporate limits. 97
S. B. No. 2614 *SS36/R718CS.1* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS36/R718CS.1
PAGE 5
ST: Radar; authorize sheriffs to use based on
population, subject to approval of the county
board of supervisors, and prohibit speed traps.
SECTION 2. Section 37-25-17, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 98
brought forward as follows: 99
37-25-17. Such assessments as are collected under 100
subsections (1) and (2) of Section 99-19-73 shall be deposited in 101
the Driver Training Penalty Assessment Fund, which fund is hereby 102
created, to be used exclusively as provided in this chapter. 103
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 104
and after July 1, 2026. 105