Bipartisan Amendment Targets Nationwide Use of Automated License Plate Readers

Lawmakers will introduce a single-sentence amendment at a Thursday markup of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The amendment prohibits any recipient of Title 23 assistance from using automated license plate readers for purposes other than toll collection. Sponsored by Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) and Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL), it would attach to a $580 billion, five-year reauthorization of federal surface-transportation programs. Title 23 funds roughly a quarter of U.S. public road mileage; conditioning that assistance on a non-toll ALPR ban would force all recipients to dismantle or limit the technology to toll collection.

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Automated license plate readers (ALPRs) have become a pervasive layer of road infrastructure, mounted on poles, overpasses, traffic signals and police cruisers. They photograph every passing plate, log time and location, and feed the data into searchable databases shared across agencies. Growing concerns about the technology’s surveillance potential have spurred bipartisan legislative action.

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Supporters argue the amendment would halt a growing surveillance apparatus that aggregates vehicle movements across jurisdictions, protecting privacy. Opponents contend that eliminating ALPRs could impede legitimate law-enforcement functions, such as locating stolen vehicles or investigating crimes, because the technology creates searchable databases that aid inter-agency cooperation. The amendment’s language leaves tolling as the sole permissible use.

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The amendment’s text serves as the official language. Neither sponsor’s office nor the committee provided additional comments at the time of reporting.

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Critics highlight the utility of ALPR data for public-safety investigations, noting that the technology “photograph every passing license plate” and builds searchable databases that support inter-agency cooperation. They argue a blanket ban may undermine these capabilities.

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• “A recipient of assistance under Title 23, United States Code, may not use automated license plate readers for any purpose other than tolling.” — Amendment text

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• “ALPR cameras—mounted on poles, overpasses, traffic signals, and police cruisers—photograph every passing license plate, log times and locations, and feed data into searchable databases shared across agencies and jurisdictions.” — Article description

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• “Title 23 funds roughly a quarter of all public road mileage in the US, including most state and county arteries and many city streets where ALPR cameras are becoming ubiquitous.” — Article description

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• “ The amendment is brief, but its reach would be vast.” — Article description

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The amendment will be debated during Thursday’s markup. If approved, it will be incorporated into the surface-transportation reauthorization bill, which must then pass the full House, the Senate and be signed by the President before the funding conditions take effect.

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