The City of Lawtey has received national attention and earned the dubious distinction of being one of only two official speed traps designated by the American Automobile Association (AAA), (the other being Waldo a few miles to the south).

However, the label was removed by AAA in August 2018 after reforms by police chief Shane Bennett.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.7 km2), all land.

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild winters.

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 636 people, 296 households, and 219 families residing in the city.