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Map: 145,670 plate readers on the map, by maker.
In the US Plate readers 145,670 Open map
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License plate readers (ALPR): what they are and where they are mapped

145,670 plate readers on the map, by maker.

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© OpenStreetMap contributors · © OpenMapTiles

A license plate reader is a camera that reads the plate of each car that passes. It keeps the plate with the time and the place.

145,670 plate readers are mapped in the United States, as of November 7, 2026. 116,710 carry the Flock Safety tag.

Flock-tagged readers only: Flock cameras. In the UK: ANPR cameras.

What these cameras look like

Flock Safety, one maker, says this in its own FAQ:

“Besides just a license plate number, Flock Safety captures and organizes vehicles into categories based on:”

  • Make
  • Model
  • Color
  • Resident or non-resident vehicle
  • Timestamp
  • Type of plate (standard v. temporary)
  • Damage or alterations (i.e. broken taillight, after-market wheels)

“The customer sets its own data retention period, based on its own policy and applicable law.”

The rows below show what a reader records, who runs it, how long it is kept, who can see it and how to ask. Where the record is silent, a row says “Not published.”

What changed · Find the closest ones to you

License plate readers by maker

Grouped by the maker tag. "Maker not listed yet" means no maker is recorded.

Flock Safety 116,710
Motorola Solutions / Vigilant 7,951
Maker not listed yet 7,143
Genetec 3,805
Other makers 3,289
Axis 2,440
Leonardo / ELSAG 1,346
Rekor 964
Axon 850
Ubicquia 596

Most common tagged operators

Private operators, not named 3,837
NYC Department of Transportation 604
San Diego Police Department 591
Detroit Police Department 450
San Francisco Police Department 430
California Highway Patrol (CHP) 400
Chicago Police Department 229
New York City Police Department 217
St. Charles County PD 175
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department 172
Norfolk Police Department 166
St. Louis City PD 158

How license plate readers work

A plate reader is a camera with software that reads license plates. Some stand on poles, while others ride on police cars and read the plates around them as they drive. Each read is saved with the time, the place and often a photo.

Illustration of one plate reader read: a dark blue pickup drives away on a sunny, palm-lined street, with boxes marking the car (blue pickup), its sample plate (CA · 8SAM123), the back rack, a bumper sticker and the wheels, above a strip with the sample place, time and direction.
What a plate reader tags in one read (illustration, sample plate and place)

What plate readers look like on the street

The software checks each plate against lists, such as stolen cars, and alerts police on a match. Saved reads can be searched later. In February 2020, California’s State Auditor looked at Los Angeles police. It found that 99.9 percent of their 320 million images were of cars on no list.

Some alerts turn out to be wrong. A reader can misread a letter, a number or the state, and a list can be out of date. The Inspector General for Los Angeles police found 161 alerts in August and September 2025 where the plate matched but the car was not stolen.

How long reads are kept depends on the state and the operator. In 19 of the 50 states and DC, a law or rule sets a limit. In October 2026, Rhode Island State Police drafted rules to delete reads within 30 days, for the agencies that sign on.

Unlike a speed camera, a plate reader does not check one moment. It keeps a record of each car that passes, not only the cars on a list.

Other cameras read plates too: toll gantries and ZTL camera gates in Italy. Public CCTV and face checks at US airports are on the map as well. Many agencies that use Flock say who can search their reads on a transparency portal.

What plate readers keep

Records
The plate of each car that passes, with the time and place. Often a photo of the car.
Run by
Most don't say. Tagged ones include private operators (3,837).
Kept for
Not published on the map. Each operator sets its own. Flock Safety’s FAQ: “Flock recommends a 7-day default.”
Who sees it
Whoever runs it, and those it shares with. In California, a public agency may share only with other public agencies in the state.
How to ask
Read the operator's policy. California requires one. Or ask the city for its records.

License plate reader law

California has its own rules for plate readers. Whoever runs one must have a use and privacy policy (California Civil Code §1798.90.51).

Police and other public agencies may share the data only with other public agencies in the state (California Civil Code §1798.90.55). Other states set their own rules. Each state page lists the plate readers mapped there.

Plate reader laws by state

Who can access Flock camera data

License plate readers (ALPR): questions

What is a license plate reader?

A license plate reader (ALPR) is a camera that reads the plates of passing cars. It records the plate, the time and the place. Police, cities, stores and neighborhood groups use them.

What does ALPR stand for?

ALPR stands for automated license plate reader. Some people call it an LPR camera. It reads the plate of each car that passes and keeps the plate with the time and the place.

How many license plate readers are in the United States?

145,670 plate readers are mapped in the United States, as of November 7, 2026. CamsAhead can count only the mapped ones, so the real number may be higher or lower.

Is ALPR legal?

In California, yes, with rules. Whoever runs one must have a use and privacy policy, under state law. Other states set their own rules.

Who runs license plate readers?

Police departments, cities, stores and neighborhood groups run them. Most don't say who runs them. Where the operator is tagged, the most common are private operators (3,837) and NYC Department of Transportation (604).

How long do license plate readers keep data?

It depends on the state and the operator, and each operator sets its own. In California, whoever runs one must have a use and privacy policy (California Civil Code §1798.90.51). Flock Safety’s FAQ: “Flock recommends a 7-day default.”

What pops up on a license plate reader?

It depends on the agency. Police in Rogers, Minnesota, say an alert shows a photo of the plate, where the car was last seen and the reason for the alert. In Los Angeles, the Inspector General found that an alert doesn’t say right away why the plate is on the list.

Can police read plates while driving?

Yes. Some plate readers ride on police cars and read the plates around them. In Los Angeles, each police car has one built into its in-car video system, the Inspector General found.

Plate reader data

Show how to get and credit this data

The data is built from OpenStreetMap and uses the Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0. CamsAhead sends a free copy to anyone who asks (how it is made and how to ask). When you share it, credit "© OpenStreetMap contributors" and keep the license.

Cities with a plate reader page

Marana, AZ 36 Yuma, AZ 41 Jacksonville, AR 30 Carlsbad, CA 87 Davis, CA 26 Grand Terrace, CA 27 La Mirada, CA 26 Merced, CA 55 Redding, CA 51 San Carlos, CA 29 Tustin, CA 104 Victorville, CA 108 New Britain, CT 29 New Haven, CT 130 Middletown, DE 38 Clermont, FL 42 Coral Gables, FL 31 Lauderhill, FL 63 Leesburg, FL 49 Lighthouse Point, FL 26 Ocala, FL 38 Panama City, FL 28 Pensacola, FL 49 Nampa, ID 68 Addison, IL 36 Alton, IL 67 Bloomington, IL 52 Kankakee, IL 34 Evansville, IN 54 Lawrence, KS 83 Merriam, KS 27 Shawnee, KS 74 Topeka, KS 126 Ruston, LA 34 Portland, ME 43 Annapolis, MD 36 Baltimore, MD 51 Chicopee, MA 36 East Lansing, MI 53 Saginaw, MI 41 Biloxi, MS 36 St. Charles, MO 74 St. Louis, MO 217 Lincoln, NE 94 Secaucus, NJ 30 Tinton Falls, NJ 40 Hobbs, NM 37 Buffalo, NY 134 Salamanca, NY 68 Yonkers, NY 38 Cary, NC 50 Wilson, NC 53 Beachwood, OH 34 Bexley, OH 36 North Randall, OH 34 Painesville, OH 26 Broken Arrow, OK 94 Hillsboro, OR 30 Salem, OR 53 Sutherlin, OR 31 Bethel Park, PA 47 Castle Shannon, PA 28 Hermitage, PA 28 Mount Lebanon, PA 33 Cheraw, SC 26 Hartsville, SC 41 Eagle Pass, TX 44 West University Place, TX 73 Winchester, VA 39 Federal Way, WA 66 Lake Geneva, WI 25
Camera alerts

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  • What plate readers keep, and who runs them
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156,883 cameras listed or mapped so far.

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Sources and updates

Plate reader points are mapped by OpenStreetMap volunteers (data as of November 7, 2026).

Cite this page: “License Plate Readers: Map of 145,670 Cameras by Maker”, CamsAhead.com, https://camsahead.com/license-plate-readers/, updated November 7, 2026.

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