South Dakota News Watch reported on September 2, 2026 that Attorney General Marty Jackley is drafting legislation that would limit how police and other groups use automatic license plate readers. If passed, it would be the first law of its kind in South Dakota. Some local agencies are already pulling back on Flock cameras.
What is the South Dakota attorney general proposing?
Jackley, the Republican candidate for U.S. House, told South Dakota News Watch that the details have not been finalized. He has talked with police departments and lawmakers about what the law could look like.
He listed data retention, access and transparency as components to consider. He compared the approach to the state's prescription drug monitoring program, a state-run database. "We haven't had any abuses of that," he said, "and I think it's because we have strong safeguards in place."
Jackley said no specific abuse of plate readers has happened in South Dakota yet. He said the law would be in place to prevent one. He also said he would only want the technology used where local authorities want it.
Which South Dakota cities use Flock cameras?
Madison was the first city in the state to use the technology, deploying Flock cameras in 2022. It has 29 cameras now. Sioux Falls police use 34 Flock cameras, which they began installing in June 2025 under a $168,000 contract formalized in January 2025.
Rapid City does not own or operate any Flock cameras. Its police department runs four Axon cameras, according to South Dakota News Watch.
Aberdeen's mayor asked residents about plate readers on Facebook, and more than a thousand comments came in by August 24. The city council then dropped the discussion. "For Aberdeen, this issue is settled," Mayor Travis Schaunaman said. He said Flock cameras would not be placed in the city.
In Codington County, all Flock cameras have been temporarily removed because of vandalism, Sheriff Brad Howell said at an August 25 commission meeting. The sheriff said the cameras mostly helped with stolen vehicle cases. He said his office will wait for the 2027 legislative session before deciding their fate.
How long do South Dakota cities keep plate reader data?
Sioux Falls and Madison keep data for 30 days under city policy. Sioux Falls police say the city's policy is public and prohibits using the data for speeding, red light or parking violations.
The Sioux Falls police Flock Transparency Portal shows that in the past 30 days, the department made 464 searches and detected 550,146 unique license plates. Madison had 17 searches and detected 59,401 unique plates in the same period. The portal shows that the only data detected is license plates and vehicle models, and that facial recognition is not detected.
Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum said that about five minutes of searching identified a shooter's vehicle in one recent case. Jackley credited the readers with helping locate a vehicle in an abduction case near Plankinton, where a 15-year-old girl was brought to safety within an hour. Sioux Falls Police's policy on the technology is public.
What changes for drivers in South Dakota?
The draft is not law. South Dakota News Watch does not say when a bill would be introduced, or whether the draft would cover businesses or universities. South Dakota News Watch says businesses and universities can buy the technology for use on private premises.
Cameras run by a neighboring city, a county, the state, a business or an HOA stay where they are. Jackley said transparency could be part of the law, but different companies give local agencies different levels of ability to provide it.
Other states have their own rules. Arkansas bans plate readers for anyone other than law enforcement, and Maryland regulates who can access the data. South Dakota News Watch says legislation exists in 16 other states.
For background, read how plate readers work. To see what is mapped near you, check the camera map.
The next step is the 2027 legislative session, when Codington County's sheriff said his office will decide the county's cameras. South Dakota News Watch does not give a date for the attorney general's bill.