National debate over Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) focuses on public safety versus individual privacy

By the Arkansas Delta Informer Staff

LITTLE ROCK – April 12, 2026 – The Arkansas State Highway Commission has announced it is seeking public comment on a proposal to establish formal License Plate Reader Rules. The commission issued a public notice on April 10, 2026, inviting residents from all counties to weigh in on how this technology will be managed on state roadways.

The comment period, which must last at least 30 days by law, began on Sunday, April 5, 2026, and is scheduled to close on Thursday, May 14, 2026. The proposed regulations aim to define the scope and limitations of automated license plate reader (LPR) technology in Arkansas. Based on the draft language, key highlights include:

• System Definitions: The rules distinguish between Fixed LPR systems (permanently attached to structures like bridges or traffic barriers), Mobile LPR systems (affixed to law enforcement vehicles), and Portable LPR systems that can be moved as needed.
• Legitimate Law Enforcement Purpose: Usage is strictly limited to specific duties, such as locating missing persons, responding to AMBER or Silver Alerts, tracking stolen vehicles, and assisting in criminal or narcotics investigations.
• Prohibited Uses: The rules explicitly forbid using LPR data for personal gain, political purposes, or to influence legal proceedings for the benefit of a member’s family.
• Data Retention and Privacy: Captured data—which includes the license plate image, date, time, and GPS coordinates—must be handled according to specific retention methods. Failure to comply with these retention policies can result in the data being ruled inadmissible as evidence in court.
• Oversight and Penalties: Misuse of the system that results in the unauthorized disclosure of data is punishable as a Class A misdemeanor or a Class D felony.

How to Participate

Arkansas residents and interested parties are encouraged to review the full text of the proposed rules and submit their feedback. A copy of the proposed rules is available online at the ARDOT Public Notices page.

A formal public hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. The meeting will be held at the Arkansas Department of Transportation Central Office Auditorium, located at 10324 Interstate 30.

The debate over Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) centers on a fundamental tension between public safety and individual privacy. While the technology is more than 20 years old, recent advancements in artificial intelligence have amplified these concerns, as systems can now process massive amounts of data to track individual behavior over time.

Public Hearing

A formal public hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. The meeting will be held at the Arkansas Department of Transportation Central Office Auditorium, located at 10324 Interstate 30 in Little Rock.

Arkansas residents can also email comments to Gill Rogers at Gill.Rogers@ardot.gov or send them by mail to Rogers at P.O. Box 2261, Little Rock, AR 72203-2261. All written comments must be received by the expiration of the comment period on May 14, 2026, to be considered.

National privacy debate

The debate over Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) centers on a fundamental tension between public safety and individual privacy. While the technology is more than 20 years old, recent advancements in artificial intelligence have amplified these concerns, as systems can now process massive amounts of data to track individual behavior over time.

In California, the Oakland-based law firm Gibbs Mura recently filed a class-action lawsuit against Flock Safety, alleging that Flock Safety used its license-plate cameras to share millions of Californians’ daily movements with law enforcement agencies, violating California privacy laws.

The lawsuit alleges that Flock, which runs networks of thousands of automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras, violated California’s ALPR Privacy Act (passed as SB 34 in 2015) by sharing license plate data with out-of-state agencies, including police departments outside of California and federal authorities. The lawsuit also alleges violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law and privacy rights enshrined in California’s Constitution and common law.

In addition, the class action filing states that on streets where the ALPR cameras are mounted, Flock captures images of every vehicle passing by and uses AI-powered software to record their license plate numbers and track drivers’ movements. As reported by KQED, over 200 municipal police and sheriff’s departments across California use Flock’s license plate readers, including San Francisco and Oakland. This effectively gives police a dragnet surveillance system, rather than relying on traditional investigative methods that target specific suspects.

“License plate readers collect and store vast amounts of information about innocent people, and public safety cannot be a catch-all justification for overreach,” said lead attorney David Berger. “We have filed this class action lawsuit to hold Flock accountable for unlawfully sharing license plate data across state lines in direct violation of California law.”

Based in Atlanta, Flock Safety is one of the largest providers of license plate reader technology in the U.S., with clients including the police departments two of the state’s largest cities – Little Rock and Fort Smith. Police departments in Texarkana, Rogers, Pine Bluff, North Little Rock, Sherwood, Jacksonville, Conway, and Alexander are among nearly 40 Arkansas law enforcement agencies that use Flock cameras, according to the Atlas of Surveillance, a surveillance-technology watchdog project. 

In Arkansas, state lawmakers have already established a legal framework to limit potential abuse, which officials say serves as the foundation for the Highway Commission’s new rules. They include:

• Existing Restrictions: State law generally prohibits individuals or private companies from using ALPRs, with narrow exceptions for parking enforcement and secured access.
• Repossession Ban: In 2023, the Arkansas Attorney General confirmed that it is illegal for private businesses to use ALPRs to track vehicles for repossession.
• Law Enforcement Guardrails: Arkansas law currently restricts police use of ALPR data to “legitimate law enforcement purposes,” including active criminal investigations or AMBER Alerts.

Currently, there are no federal laws that explicitly govern ALPR technology. Consequently, rules are being set at the state and local levels through court cases and commission hearings:

Across the country, ALPR use is increasingly being shaped by court rulings and local policy decisions. Judges have raised Fourth Amendment concerns, with some courts likening long-term license-plate tracking to GPS surveillance that often requires a warrant.

At the same time, several California cities and counties have canceled contracts with major LPR vendors in 2026 amid worries about accidental data sharing and officers’ personal use of the systems.

Meanwhile, public-records access is also a flashpoint: many states are weighing whether ALPR logs should be released, while civil-rights advocates argue that unredacted records should be exempt to prevent misuse by stalkers and other bad actors.

(Arkansas Delta Informer is a sister publication of Arkansas Black Vitality)