California Bill to Regulate License Plate Readers Fails Again

California drivers concerned about the proliferation and use of license plate readers across the state will see no new regulations this year. A bill designed to strengthen privacy around how license plate data is collected and shared by law enforcement was stopped in the Assembly, marking the fifth consecutive year such legislation has failed.

CalMatters reported that the bill, Senate Bill 1013, passed the state Senate but did not make it to a floor vote in the Assembly before the legislative session ended. This outcome means current practices for license plate reader use by law enforcement remain unchanged for now.

What was in the proposed California license plate reader bill?

Authored by Senator Sabrina Cervantes, the bill sought to address growing concerns about data privacy and potential misuse of license plate readers. If it had passed, the legislation would have introduced several key changes affecting how your vehicle's movements are tracked:

• Restricted Data Use: Law enforcement agencies would have been limited to using license plate data primarily for locating criminal suspects or missing persons.
• Mandatory Training: Police would have needed to undergo privacy and cybersecurity training related to license plate readers.
• Default Data Sharing Restrictions: The bill aimed to restrict the sharing of license plate data with national databases by default.
• Audits: The Attorney General's office would have been required to conduct random audits of license plate reader activity to identify misuse.

Notably, earlier versions of the bill included a provision for police to delete license plate data after 30 days. This was later softened to archiving data after 60 days, requiring a warrant for access unless tied to an active investigation. Even with these modifications, the bill faced strong opposition from nearly 40 law enforcement agencies and police unions.

Why didn't the bill pass?

The bill's failure is part of a pattern, as similar efforts to regulate license plate tracking have not become law since 2022. Last year, a comparable bill passed but was vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom, partly due to its data deletion requirements.

Law enforcement agencies argue that stringent regulations would hinder their ability to solve crimes, locate missing persons, and exonerate individuals. For example, Cory Salzillo, legislative director for the California State Sheriff’s Association, expressed relief, stating, "We were concerned that this bill was going to limit the utility of ALPR data to solve crimes... and so the fact that it did not pass, we’re glad for that."

Privacy advocates and some lawmakers, however, point to documented instances of misuse:

• Illegal Data Sharing: Local law enforcement agencies have shared data with federal immigration authorities, violating state law.
• Police Misconduct: There are over 70 documented cases nationwide where officers misused license plate readers to stalk individuals or pursue personal interests.
• Inaccurate Identification: An audit by the Los Angeles Police Department found that one in three vehicles identified as stolen by Flock cameras were inaccurately flagged.

This ongoing legislative stalemate means that the network of license plate readers, including those from Flock Safety, will continue to operate under existing regulations in California. For more on where these cameras are located, explore our /map.

Senator Cervantes has stated her intent to continue fighting for privacy rights next year. Drivers should monitor future legislative sessions for renewed efforts to regulate this technology.