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# Fact brief: Are red light cameras illegal in South Dakota?
- URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-red-light-cameras-south-dakota-lawsuit/
- Published: 2026-08-04T09:00:03.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-04T15:10:12.000Z
- Description: A lawsuit filed in 2010 claimed Sioux Falls violated state law by placing a camera at the downtown intersection.
- Author: Michael Klinski
- Tags: Fact briefs

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png)

## Yes.

South Dakota is one of about 10 states where the use of cameras to enforce traffic violations is against the law. 

The South Dakota Legislature passed the law banning the cameras in 2014\. It states that “no state, county, municipal, or township authority may contract with any private corporation to provide for the use of any photo monitoring device to detect any red light violation.”

In 2006, I.L. Wiedermann's vehicle was photographed violating a “no turn on red” sign in downtown Sioux Falls. He was subsequently fined $86 and appealed before taking the case to circuit court in 2010.

The lawsuit claimed the city violated state law by placing a camera at the downtown intersection, violated his due process rights and exceeded legal authority by assessing a civil penalty for a traffic offense. The circuit court ruled in Wiedermann's favor.

Four years later, the Legislature banned the cameras.

ℹ️

This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1f5ydyd/i%5Fran%5Fa%5Fred%5Flight%5Fwhat%5Fcan%5Fi%5Fexpect/?share%5Fid=r9kYaANwJlirdK1ctAgc1&utm%5Fcontent=1&utm%5Fmedium=ios%5Fapp&utm%5Fname=ioscss&utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fterm=1).

### Sources

South Dakota codified laws, [32-28-17](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/32-28-17?ref=sdnewswatch.org)

World Population Review, [Red light cameras](https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/red-light-cameras-by-state?ref=sdnewswatch.org)

Circuit Court of South Dakota, [I.L Wiedermann vs. City of Sioux Falls](https://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2010/sd-wieder.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org)

Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [S.D. House unanimously votes to ban red light cameras](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2014/02/05/sd-house-unanimously-votes-to-ban-red-light-cameras-/5237881/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z114101e000400v114101d--41--b--41--&gca-ft=214&gca-ds=sophi&ref=sdnewswatch.org)

### About fact briefs

Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org).

*This story was updated.*

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**South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.*