Full Breakdown
FBI Seeks Nationwide Access to Automated License Plate Readers
5/19/2026, 1:18:42 AM
Nationwide ALPR Procurement by FBI
The FBI’s Directorate of Intelligence issued a procurement request for a SaaS platform to query ALPR data nationwide. The documents cite a “crucial need” for LPR data on routes and an “array of locations.” It proposes up to $6 million per region—covering Eastern and Western 48 states, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Alaska, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands and Tribal Territories—for a total of $36 million.
Limited Vendor Landscape
Few vendors meet the scope. Flock operates at least 80,000 ALPR cameras and previously supplied data to ICE. Motorola Solutions runs an ALPR database from police-vehicle cameras and a commercial arm called the Digital Recognition Network (DRN). The contract may be awarded to a single vendor, or a second if needed.
Privacy Concerns and Public Opposition
Advocacy groups and local residents have protested expanding ALPR networks, citing privacy violations and warrantless surveillance. 404 Media notes the FBI’s plan could enable tracking of vehicle movements “across the country without a warrant,” a concern raised by observers.
Official Statements
Procurement cites a “crucial need” for LPR data. Flock’s chief communications officer, Josh Thomas, said the company works with federal agencies and has built an “Audit Assistance tool” to ensure compliance with local laws. Neither Motorola Solutions nor the FBI provided comments when contacted.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The procurement files do not disclose which vendor, if any, will receive the contract, nor a timeline. Statements on data usage, oversight and safeguards remain undisclosed, leaving a gap in understanding how privacy concerns will be addressed.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The FBI has a crucial need for accessible LPRs to provide a diverse and reliable range of collections across the United States. This data should be available across major highways and in an array of locations for maximum usefulness to law enforcement,” — FBI, Statement of Work
- “We’re not going to speculate on prospective deals. But it’s worth noting that we already work with several federal agencies , all of whom are subject to the same obligations, constraints, and transparency mechanisms that apply to every other Flock customer. We also rebuilt our product from the ground up, starting last year, to ensure all local customers could trust that they can use Flock in full compliance with local and state laws. A big part of that is our Audit Assistance tool .” — Josh Thomas, Chief Communications Officer, Flock
- “The FBI says it is looking for a vendor that will let it log into a Software-as-a-Service system and then query the collected ALPR data with license plate information, a description of the vehicle, a time or date, and geolocation information.” — FBI procurement document
- “The FBI says it intends to award the contract to a single vendor, but if any such vendor is unable to fulfill all of the requirements, the agency may award the contract to up to two vendors.” — FBI procurement document
