ALPRs are high-speed camera systems that take pictures of license plates, translate the numbers and letters into machine-readable text, tag them with the time and place, and upload the information to a database for later retrieval.
ALPR is frequently used by law enforcement authorities to compare plates to a "hot list" of plates suspected of being linked to crimes or even belonging to owners who owe court fines. ALPR, on the other hand, is a mass surveillance device because it captures data on every driver, the vast majority of whom are innocent. The technology aggregates data might and detailed driving patterns and can identify drivers who frequent specific sites.
Laws require agencies to divulge several key policy points, which include:
- The allowed uses of the ALPR system and the collection of ALPR data.
- Employees and independent contractors who are permitted to use or access the ALPR system, or to gather ALPR data, must have a description of their job title or other designation. The training requirements for approved workers and independent contractors must be specified in the policy.
- A explanation of how the ALPR system will be monitored to guarantee information security and adherence to applicable privacy regulations.
- The purpose, procedure, and limitations for selling, exchanging, or transferring ALPR information to others.
- The title of the ALPR system's official custodian, or owner, who is in charge of executing this part.
- A description of the reasonable procedures that will be taken to guarantee that ALPR data is accurate and that data inaccuracies are corrected.
- The amount of time ALPR data will be kept, as well as the process the ALPR operator will use to determine whether or not to keep ALPR data.
The list below contains links to each of the agency's policies, but it does not indicate whether or not the policies themselves contain information that meets these requirements.
If you work for an agency that has an ALPR policy that isn't on this list, or if you independently discovered a policy that isn't on this list, please let us know or comment below on Disqus.
ALPR Policies in Local Government
Please aware that many of the links will take you to the websites of other jurisdictions. This is because, despite the fact that many agencies employ ALPR technology and share data, they are still obligated to link to a policy on their websites, even if the systems are not theirs.
- Bay Area Rapid Transit
- Central Marin Police Authority
- California Air Resources Board
- City and County of San Francisco District Attorney, Police
- City of Alameda
- City of Alhambra
- City of American Canyon
- City of Anaheim
- City of Antioch
- City of Arcadia
- City of Arcata
- City of Atherton
- City of Auburn
- City of Avenal
- City of Azusa
- City of Bakersfield
- City of Beaumont
- City of Bell
- City of Bell Gardens
- City of Berkeley
- City of Belvedere
- City of Beverly Hills
- City of Brawley
- City of Brea
- City of Brentwood
- City of Brisbane
- City of Buena Park
- City of Burbank
- City of Burlingame
- City of Campbell
- City of Carlsbad
- City of Chico
- City of Chula Vista
- City of Claremont
- City of Clayton
- City of Clovis
- City of Concord
- City of Corning
- City of Corona
- City of Coronado
- City of Covina
- City of Culver City
- City of Cypress
- City of Daly City
- City of Davis
- City of Dublin
- City of El Cajon
- City of El Centro
- City of Elk Grove
- City of Emeryville
- City of Escondido
- City of Fairfield
- City of Folsom
- City of Fontana
- City of Fountain Valley
- City of Fremont
- City of Fresno
- City of Fullerton
- City of Galt
- City of Gardena
- City of Glendale
- City of Glendora
- City of Hanford
- City of Hawthorne
- City of Hayward
- City of Huntingon Beach
- City of Imperial
- City of Inglewood
- City of Irvine
- City of Irwindale
- City of La Habra
- City of La Palma
- City of La Verne
- City of Laguna Beach
- City of Lemoore
- City of Livermore
- City of Lodi
- City of Long Beach
- City of Los Alamitos
- City of Los Altos
- City of Los Gatos
- City of Madera
- City of Manhattan Beach
- City of Manteca
- City of Menlo Park
- City of Milpitas
- City of Modesto
- City of Monrovia
- City of Monte Sereno
- City of Montclair
- City of Montebello
- City of Monterey Park
- City of Moraga
- City of Mountain View
- City of Murrieta
- City of National City
- City of Newark
- City of Newport Beach
- City of Novato
- City of Oakland
- City of Oceanside
- City of Oxnard
- City of Pacifica
- City of Palo Alto
- City of Palos Verdes Estates
- City of Pasadena
- City of Petaluma
- City of Piedmont
- City of Pismo Beach
- City of Pittsburgh
- City of Placentia
- City of Placerville
- City of Pleasant Hill
- City of Red Bluff
- City of Redlands
- City of Redwood City
- City of Richmond
- City of Ripon
- City of Riverside
- City of Sacramento
- City of San Bernardino
- City of San Bruno
- City of San Diego
- City of San Fernando
- City of San Gabriel
- City of San Jose
- City of San Leandro
- City of San Luis Obispo
- City of San Marino
- City of San Mateo
- City of San Pablo
- City of San Rafael
- City of San Ramon
- City of Santa Clara
- City of Santa Monica
- City of Sausalito
- City of Seal Beach
- City of Sierra Madre
- City of Signal Hill
- City of Simi Valley
- City of South Beach
- City of South Gate
- City of South San Francisco
- City of Suisun City
- City of Sunnyvale
- City of Torrance
- City of Tulare
- City of Tustin
- City of Ukiah
- City of Upland
- City of Vallejo
- City of Vernon
- City of Visalia
- City of Walnut
- City of Walnut Creek
- City of West Covina
- City of West Sacramento
- City of Westminster
- City of Westmoreland
- City of Whittier
- City of Woodland
- County of Alameda
- County of Contra Costa
- County of Fresno
- County of Los Angeles
- County of Marin
- County of Orange
- County of Riverside
- County of Sacramento (Sheriff)
- County of Sacramento (Department of Human Assistance)
- County of San Bernadino
- County of San Diego
- County of San Luis Obispo
- County of San Mateo
- County of Santa Clara
- County of Shasta
- County of Solano
- County of Ventura
- County of Yolo
- California State University, Long Beach
- Kensington Police Protection and Community Services District
- Port of San Diego
- Town of Hillsborough
- Town of Los Gatos
- Town of Portola Valley
- Town of Tiburon
- University of California - Merced
Privately Operated ALPR Policies
The ALPR statute in California also applies to private businesses. While we have not undertaken a survey of private ALPR systems, we are adding them as they become available.