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S. B. No. 2616 *SS26/R190.2* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/SS26/R190.2
PAGE 1 (ens\kr)
To: Highways and
Transportation
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Hill
SENATE BILL NO. 2616
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; TO PRIORITIZE USAGE IN 5
CERTAIN AREAS; TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF RADAR SPEED DETECTION 6
EQUIPMENT UNITS IN A COUNTY BASED ON POPULATION; TO DEFINE AND 7
PROHIBIT SPEED TRAPS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 8
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 9
SECTION 1. Section 63-3-519, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 10
amended as follows: 11
63-3-519. * * * (1) Only the following listed peace 12
officers and law enforcement agencies are permitted to purchase or 13
use or allow to be used any type of radar speed detection 14
equipment upon any public street, road or highway of this 15
state * * *: 16
(a) The Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol; 17
( * * *b) * * * Municipal law enforcement officers 18
within a municipality having a population of two thousand (2,000) 19
or more, according to the latest or a previous federal census, 20
upon the public streets of the municipality, but in no case where 21
S. B. No. 2616 *SS26/R190.2* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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the latest federal census population for the municipality is less 22
than one thousand five hundred (1,500); 23
( * * *c) * * * Any college or university campus police 24
force within the confines of any campus * * * at which more than 25
two thousand (2,000) students are enrolled; 26
( * * *d) * * * Municipal law enforcement officers in 27
any municipality having a population in excess of fifteen thousand 28
(15,000) according to the latest federal decennial census on 29
federally designated highways lying within the corporate 30
limits * * *; 31
( * * *e) * * * Municipal law enforcement officers upon 32
the public streets of any incorporated municipality (i) where the 33
county seat is located in the municipality and (ii) where there is 34
a public community college located in the municipality * * *; and 35
(f) The sheriff and sheriff deputies on any public 36
road, street or highway that is both under the jurisdiction of the 37
county board of supervisors for maintenance and construction and 38
located no less than one thousand (1,000) feet outside the 39
jurisdictional limits of any municipality, hamlet or village. The 40
use of the radar speed detection equipment should be prioritized 41
where the sheriff has documented a recurring number of crashes or 42
fatalities that are speed-related, in a school zone, or where the 43
sheriff has received a complaint about speeding from a property 44
owner who is adjacent to that portion of the road. The number of 45
radar speed detection equipment units authorized under this 46
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subsection (1)(f) shall be based upon the population of the county 47
according to the latest federal decennial census and shall be as 48
follows: 49
(i) No more than one (1) unit in a county with a 50
population less than thirty thousand (30,000); 51
(ii) No more than two (2) units in a county with a 52
population more than thirty thousand (30,000) but less than 53
forty-five thousand (45,000); 54
(iii) No more than three (3) units in a county 55
with a population more than forty-five thousand (45,000) but less 56
than sixty thousand (60,000); 57
(iv) No more than four (4) units in a county with 58
a population more than sixty thousand (60,000) but less than 59
seventy-five thousand (75,000); and 60
(v) No more than five (5) units in a county with a 61
population more than seventy-five thousand (75,000). 62
(2) (a) It is unlawful for any person or peace officer or 63
law enforcement agency to operate radar speed detection equipment 64
at a speed trap. 65
(b) This subsection (2)(a) does not apply to a posted 66
school zone or to a local street or road. A local street or road 67
is one that primarily provides access to abutting residential 68
property and meets the following three (3) conditions: 69
(i) Roadway width of not more than forty (40) 70
feet; 71
S. B. No. 2616 *SS26/R190.2* ~ OFFICIAL ~
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ST: Ayden's Law; authorize sheriffs to use
radar speed detection equipment.
(ii) Not more than one half (1/2) mile of 72
uninterrupted length; and 73
(iii) Not more than one (1) traffic lane in each 74
direction. 75
(c) For the purposes of this section: 76
(i) A "speed trap" is either 1. a particular 77
section of a highway with a prima facie speed limit established by 78
the local governing authority of the jurisdiction that is not 79
justified by an engineering and traffic survey conducted within 80
ten (10) years before the date of the alleged violation unless the 81
speed limit conforms to requirements established by state or 82
federal law; or 2. a particular section of a highway that does not 83
have adequate signage giving notice of an upcoming lower speed 84
limit. 85
(ii) Interruptions, under subsection (2)(b)(ii), 86
include official traffic control signals. 87
(3) The Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol shall be 88
immediately notified by municipal law enforcement of any road 89
blockages or emergencies occurring on any federally designated 90
limited-access highways lying within the corporate limits. 91
(4) This section of law shall be known and may be cited as 92
"Ayden's Law." 93
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 94
and after July 1, 2026. 95