ALPR Statutes / laws by state - updated 1/2/2018

[Revlus]

I was looking for the laws pertaining to my state... and found this, which I thought would be helpful for searching on here.

ALPR Statutes

It's interesting to note... some states put limitations on gov't entities... while others. put limitations on non gov't entities (residential use).

Please note.. I'm not sure this is an all inclusive list. It's best to research your state individually. When I looked directly into my state, I did find more information... but nothing that was called out specifically that should've been included in this link... it didn't change the fact that its allowed here... but YMMV.

 

[tangent]

I was looking for the laws pertaining to my state... and found this, which I thought would be helpful for searching on here.

ALPR Statutes

It's interesting to note... some states put limitations on gov't entities... while others. put limitations on non gov't entities (residential use).

Please note.. I'm not sure this is an all inclusive list. It's best to research your state individually. When I looked directly into my state, I did find more information... but nothing that was called out specifically that should've been included in this link... it didn't change the fact that its allowed here... but YMMV.

Give these a read:
"No Cost" License Plate Readers Are Turning Texas Police into Mobile Debt Collectors and Data Miners
Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs)

If I understand correctly, it's hard to legally restrict commercial use of ALPR. The cameras are just observing things anyone could see with their eyes in public spaces. There's an article somewhere that goes into more detail on this and commercial uses and databases of ALPR.

 

[tangent]

Also note simply recording video of license plates without performing ALPR would cover you in any place with a law restricting ALPR.

 

[Migel]

How on earth could a US Fed or State govt enact legislation preventing me from taking an image of a public area and processing it with whatever the hell of processing I want?

 

[tangent]

How on earth could a US Fed or State govt enact legislation preventing me from taking an image of a public area and processing it with whatever the hell of processing I want?

most of the laws are about restricting what the government can do with alpr data it collects. plenty of commercial uses of alpr aren't exactly consumer friendly.

 

[cam235]

It looks like (since 2015) California Civil Code section 1798.90.51 Law section requires anyone operating an ALPR in California to have written procedures describing authorized use, maintain adequate security of records etc. and 1798.90.54 allows anyone harmed by an unauthorized use to sue for damages.

1798.90.5 (d) “Automated license plate recognition system” or “ALPR system” means a searchable computerized database resulting from the operation of one or more mobile or fixed cameras combined with computer algorithms to read and convert images of registration plates and the characters they contain into computer-readable data.

I'm not a lawyer, but it seems to me "ALPR" under this section may not cover a system which just stores images/video and only scans images for plates in response to a user query. It clearly requires conversion of "images of registration plates and the characters they contain into computer-readable data" so that doesn't seem to cover just images of the plates.

 

[patrocle]

So by pointing a camera on the street and register/record the car moving and same time records the plate number , but you don't run a software with the camera to keep the exact plate numbers in your system , then i guess is legal?, confusing this laws.

 

[tangent]

It looks like (since 2015) California Civil Code section 1798.90.51 Law section requires anyone operating an ALPR in California to have written procedures describing authorized use, maintain adequate security of records etc. and 1798.90.54 allows anyone harmed by an unauthorized use to sue for damages.

1798.90.5 (d) “Automated license plate recognition system” or “ALPR system” means a searchable computerized database resulting from the operation of one or more mobile or fixed cameras combined with computer algorithms to read and convert images of registration plates and the characters they contain into computer-readable data.

I'm not a lawyer, but it seems to me "ALPR" under this section may not cover a system which just stores images/video and only scans images for plates in response to a user query. It clearly requires conversion of "images of registration plates and the characters they contain into computer-readable data" so that doesn't seem to cover just images of the plates.

It would be more useful to go up a level on the ca leginfo site: Codes Display Text.
there are some other provisions that are relevant.

It wouldn't be that hard for a homeonwer in CA to comply with the law, you'd just have to create some of these policies regarding the alpr data and follow them. Ultimately nobody would know you were running ALPR unless you tell them or report something to the police, but you could just give them the still image.