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Automated license plate readers (ALPRs) can record more than a plate number: depending on the system, a reading may include plate and vehicle images, vehicle details, and the date, time, and location. There is no single retention period that applies everywhere. Agency policy and state law determine how long records are kept, who may search them, and whether other agencies can access them.
What information does an ALPR collect?
An ALPR combines cameras with software that reads plate images and turns plate information into searchable data. Florida’s statutory definition includes mobile or fixed high-speed cameras and algorithms that convert license plate images into computer-readable data. The record associated with a reading can include:
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- The plate image, recognized plate text, or a partial plate reading.
- The date and time of the reading.
- The geographic location where the reading occurred.
- A vehicle image or characteristics, depending on the system.
For example, Illinois State Police describes its system as collecting an image of the vehicle and an image of the plate, along with a date-stamped time and geographic location. Palo Alto lists date, time, location, plate information, vehicle characteristics, and a rear vehicle photo. Virginia law’s definition of system data also encompasses plate and vehicle images, identifying characteristics, the date, time, and location, and certain peripheral images from which analytical data may be extracted.
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Not every system is described as capturing occupants, but the answer depends on the cameras, their placement, and the agency’s configuration. Illinois State Police says its described system does not collect driver or passenger images or personally identifiable information. Palo Alto says its fixed cameras are aimed at rear plates and are not positioned to photograph occupants or use facial recognition. Those statements describe those specific programs; they do not establish what every ALPR deployment can capture.
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How long is ALPR data kept?
Retention varies by jurisdiction and agency. A routine deletion rule, an exception for investigative records, and a limit on how far back users may search are different things. The examples below illustrate why one number cannot answer the question for every ALPR system.
| Jurisdiction or source | What the rule or policy says | What the time limit means |
|---|---|---|
| City of Palo Alto | The city says ordinary ALPR data is automatically purged after 30 days, unless a specific record is identified as relevant to a specific criminal investigation. | A stated routine purge period with an investigation-related exception. Palo Alto also says other law-enforcement agencies may retain data for up to a year or longer; that is the city’s characterization, not a universal retention rule. |
| Florida statute | Retention may not exceed the maximum period in the applicable records retention schedule. | The cited statutory section does not set one number of days; the applicable schedule matters. |
| Vermont statute | Under 23 V.S.A. § 1607, effective July 1, 2025, designated personnel may access active data collected within the past seven days. The statute also refers to a state storage system containing historical readings. | Seven days is an active-data access lookback limit, not a general deletion deadline for all stored readings. |
Evidence, records tied to a criminal investigation, and other statutory exceptions may be handled differently from routine readings. To determine the rule for a particular agency, look at its written ALPR policy, the relevant records-retention schedule, and applicable state law.
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Who can look up my plate?
Access is usually controlled by a combination of user authorization and permitted purpose, but the governing rules differ. Palo Alto says properly trained staff with a legitimate law-enforcement need may access its data. Florida treats identifying ALPR information as confidential but permits disclosure by or to criminal justice agencies carrying out official duties; it also allows disclosure to the person whose plate is involved unless the record is active criminal intelligence or investigative information. Vermont limits access to active data to personnel designated by each department.
Access may extend beyond employees of the agency that collected the reading. Virginia’s 2025 survey asked agencies about both continuous access for other agencies and individualized data requests. Those are different arrangements: continuous access can let an authorized external user search a system directly, while an individualized request is handled as a particular request. The Virginia survey describes practices among responding Virginia agencies; it does not establish how sharing works elsewhere.
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What oversight applies to searches and sharing?
Some laws and agency policies require records of who searched, when, and why. Virginia law provides a detailed example of an audit trail: the record includes the date and time of access, query terms, the stated purpose (including the offense type for a criminal investigation), an associated call-for-service or case number, and the username of the person who accessed or queried the system.
Permitted uses can also be limited by agency policy. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department policy updated April 22, 2026, lists uses such as criminal investigations, locating wanted or missing persons, crime analysis, and lifesaving efforts, and states that ALPR data may not be used for civil immigration enforcement. That is an LASD policy, not a nationwide restriction.
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A DOJ-hosted policy guide identifies collection, retention, access, sharing, security, accountability, and sanctions as issues a comprehensive ALPR policy should address. The guide is a research report and says its views do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
How to find the rule for your area
For a useful answer, identify the agency operating the cameras—not just the city or vendor—and check the documents that govern its system. A policy summary may describe the agency’s stated practice, while a statute or records schedule may impose separate requirements.
- Find the agency’s ALPR policy. Look for what the system records, the authorized purposes, who may use it, and whether the policy addresses retention exceptions and misuse.
- Check the retention schedule and state law. Confirm whether a stated period is a routine purge deadline, an access window, or a rule for a particular category of records.
- Ask how other agencies get access. Determine whether they have continuous system access, must submit case-specific requests, or use another arrangement, and whether external searches are logged.
- Look for audit and reporting rules. Check what search details are recorded, who reviews the logs, how often audits occur, and what consequences apply to unauthorized use.
Differences among agencies are not just theoretical. In its 2026 report on a 2025 survey, the Virginia State Crime Commission said 251 of 361 agencies responded (70%); 159 of the 251 responding agencies (63%) reported using ALPR. Those figures describe the Virginia survey, not national use. The report also examined variations in agency policies, retention, equipment, vendors, sharing, and public-awareness practices.
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