Full Breakdown
Florida Pulls Flock License-Plate Readers from State Highway Rights-of-Way
9/1/2026, 4:35:33 AM
FDOT Revokes All Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) Permits on State Roads
On August 31, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) issued Engineering and Operations Memorandum No. 26-01, signed by chief operating officer Will Watts, P.E. The memo revokes every permit that had allowed local law-enforcement agencies to install automated license-plate readers (ALPRs) on the State Highway System. Agencies must remove the devices within 30 days or FDOT will take them down itself, and the department will no longer approve any new ALPR requests for state-road rights-of-way.
Background and Context
Flock Safety, the company that operates one of the nation’s largest ALPR networks, has placed cameras in thousands of municipalities. In Florida, the technology has been praised for locating missing persons and aiding homicide investigations, yet it has also generated controversy after multiple incidents of alleged personal misuse. Two Tampa-Bay officers were recently arrested for using the system to stalk romantic interests, and a Haines-City officer allegedly queried the database more than 700 times for an ex-spouse’s vehicle. Nationally, the rapid spread of ALPRs prompted protests, vandalism of camera poles, and contract terminations in cities such as Tempe, Arizona, and Los Angeles. The Florida memo follows that broader backlash and Governor Ron DeSantis’s public remarks about an “AI-surveillance state.”
Data and Statistics
- An investigation published in March identified a dozen cases where Flock cameras misread plates or where officers failed to verify alerts, leading to wrongful stops.
- Business Insider reported that in Roseville, California, 71 % of alerts sent to police in 2023-2024 were misreads.
- In Jacksonville, ALPRs helped locate a missing 76-year-old woman, a homicide suspect, and a child involved in a custody-interference case.
Official Statements & Responses
Governor DeSantis reiterated his opposition to a “digital AI surveillance state,” while acknowledging that ALPRs can be useful for toll collection and certain law-enforcement tasks. Alachua County Sheriff Chad Scott stressed the constitutional protection of “individual liberty and privacy” and called for a broader community conversation.
On-the-Ground Reports
Following the memo, dozens of sheriff’s offices announced compliance:
- Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office will cease all ALPR use countywide.
- Clay, Duval, Franklin, Liberty, Putnam, Wakulla, Jefferson and other Big-Bend counties issued statements ending or suspending their programs.
- Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco announced the termination of a 60-camera agreement.
- Baker County Sheriff Scotty Rhoden and Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith similarly pledged immediate discontinuation.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the geographic scope of the ban. FDOT’s memo applies only to devices located within the State Highway System, allowing cameras to remain on municipal or county roads outside FDOT rights-of-way. Some local statements, however, suggest a broader intent to eliminate all Flock cameras statewide, creating uncertainty about future enforcement on non-state roads.
What’s Next
If any ALPR remains after the 30-day window, FDOT will remove it directly. The department has also halted all future permit approvals for state-road installations. Governor DeSantis has signaled that the Legislature may consider an “AI Bill of Rights” in the coming session, potentially extending privacy safeguards beyond state-road rights-of-way.
