A Nevada lawmaker wants to ban automated license plate readers (ALPRs) across the state. Assemblymember Selena La Rue Hatch has submitted a bill draft request for the 2027 legislative session that would prohibit the use of ALPRs and their associated networks.
This move comes as the state considers regulations for the technology. As the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported through GovTech, existing proposals would require agencies to develop written policies, train personnel on legal use and data protection, and produce annual reports on camera usage and audits. However, La Rue Hatch believes these measures are insufficient to protect privacy.
What does a ban mean for drivers in Nevada?
If La Rue Hatch's proposed bill becomes law, it would fundamentally change how drivers in Nevada are monitored. The ban would mean an end to the widespread collection of vehicle movement data by ALPRs, which capture license plates, vehicle descriptions, and locations.
Currently, agencies like the Metropolitan Police Department use a significant number of these cameras:
- 180 Flock cameras
- 130 Motorola ALPR cameras
These cameras have documented millions of vehicles. For example, a Flock Safety portal indicated that 207 cameras in Metro's network documented over 2.4 million vehicles and saw 3,692 searches in a recent month.
An outright ban would remove these surveillance points, reducing the amount of data collected on daily commutes, personal errands, and travel throughout the state. Drivers could move through Nevada without their vehicle's location and movements being routinely recorded and stored by law enforcement or private entities that share data with police. You can always check our /map to see where cameras are currently located.
Why is this ban being proposed now?
Assemblymember La Rue Hatch's proposal stems from concerns that ALPR networks facilitate widespread government surveillance. She stated that such systems track daily routines, visits to friends or family, religious attendance, and political affiliations. "No one living in the United States of America should be the subject of widespread government surveillance, period," she wrote in an ACLU press release.
This push for a ban also reflects a national debate over ALPR technology and privacy. A YouGov poll of 20,000 U.S. adults found that 46% opposed the use of license plate readers for law enforcement, compared to 38% who favored it.
Critics, like the ACLU of Nevada's Athar Haseebullah, argue that the technology is indiscriminate. He suggests that a part-time legislature meeting every other year would struggle to provide effective regulatory oversight for ALPRs. Haseebullah expects the ban proposal to receive a hearing, anticipating public support for prohibiting ALPR technology over mere guardrail regulations.
While Flock Safety states its technology is a public safety tool and supports regulations with strong privacy and accountability, it has not addressed La Rue Hatch's specific proposal. The company emphasizes built-in privacy controls, such as not identifying people in vehicles, logging searches, and automatically deleting images after a week. However, the core concern remains the collection of broad movement data on all drivers.
The legislative process for this bill draft request will unfold during the 2027 legislative session.