Florida Bans Police Use of License Plate Readers on State Roads

Florida’s Department of Transportation has officially prohibited law enforcement agencies from installing license plate readers (LPRs) on state-managed roadways. The directive, issued via a memorandum by DOT Chief Operating Officer Will Watts, marks a significant regulatory response to the expanding use of automatic license plate reader technology and the growing public skepticism surrounding providers such as Flock Safety.

The memorandum cites an “exponential increase” in LPR deployments alongside concerns regarding data privacy, potential misuse, and surveillance overreach as justification for the ban. Under the new rules, all existing permits for these systems are immediately revoked, and law enforcement agencies have until August 31 to remove the devices from state roads. Additionally, the DOT will exercise its discretionary authority to stop issuing any future LPR permits within its jurisdiction.

The policy shift follows directives from Governor Ron DeSantis, who characterized the proliferation of the technology as “out of control” in August 2026. However, the governor acknowledged during a podcast appearance that regulating state roads addresses only a fraction of the issue, noting that approximately 98 percent of ALPRs are installed on local roads or private property. Despite this limitation, local jurisdictions are moving independently; both the Jacksonville and Okaloosa county sheriff’s offices have pledged to remove ALPRs from their respective areas.

Automatic license plate readers, which have been in use for decades on toll roads and traffic signals, remain a staple of modern law enforcement. Agencies utilize them to track stolen vehicles, locate missing persons, and generate leads in criminal investigations. Just days before Florida’s ban, LPR data helped identify a murder suspect who fled to West Virginia.

Critics argue that the technology enables constant surveillance, a concern amplified by documented instances of misuse involving Flock Safety. While the company has implemented software updates and shortened data retention periods to address these issues, continued public outcry and vandalism of the devices have pressured regulators into action.

Florida’s move is part of a broader trend across the United States. The Los Angeles Police Department suspended its contract with Flock in July, and two Ohio counties paused their use of the cameras in early August due to alleged misuse. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott halted state funding for agencies attempting to acquire Flock hardware. While most of these measures target specific vendors rather than banning ALPRs entirely, they signal a growing willingness among officials to reconsider public safety strategies.