Florida is ordering automated license plate readers off state highway rights-of-way, a move that comes as Manatee County commissioners are also taking steps to limit future installations of the controversial cameras on county property.
The Florida Department of Transportation announced Monday that it is revoking existing permits allowing local law enforcement agencies to operate automated license plate recognition systems, commonly known as ALPRs or LPRs, within rights-of-way on the State Highway System.
The order covers Flock Safety cameras as well as other brands of automated license plate readers. Local agencies have 30 days to remove the affected equipment. FDOT said cameras remaining after the deadline may be removed by the department, and the state will no longer approve new requests for LPR installations within its highway rights-of-way.
The State Highway System includes interstates and other state-maintained roads, meaning cameras installed along highways such as Interstate 75 could be affected. The action does not amount to a statewide ban on all Flock cameras. Cameras located on county roads, city roads, private property or other locations outside FDOT-controlled rights-of-way are not automatically covered by the directive.
FDOT cited the rapid expansion of license plate readers along Florida roadways, along with reports of misuse, data privacy concerns and broader concerns about the development of large-scale surveillance networks.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he supports providing law enforcement with technology that can help identify suspects and solve crimes but has raised concerns about how license plate information can be used by government agencies and private companies. He has also pointed to cases in which law enforcement personnel have been accused of improperly using LPR databases for personal purposes.
The governor has called for lawmakers to address the issue during the next legislative session, potentially creating statewide restrictions governing how the technology can be deployed and how information collected by the systems can be stored, searched and shared.
Manatee County commissioners already moved to limit cameras
The state action comes just days after the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners unanimously moved to place additional restrictions on future license plate reader installations.
Commissioners agreed that the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and county administration cannot install new LPR cameras on county-owned facilities, parks or buildings without first receiving approval from the commission. The decision does not immediately remove cameras already operating throughout the county.
According to reporting by the East County Observer, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office currently uses 134 license plate readers, including 79 Flock cameras.
The county’s action is narrower than an outright ban. Commissioners did not include county-owned road rights-of-way in the initial restriction because county staff must first review existing permitting rules and determine whether an ordinance would be necessary to prohibit future installations there.
County officials also acknowledged that commissioners have limited authority over cameras located outside county-controlled property. That includes cameras on private property, municipal rights-of-way and FDOT rights-of-way. Homeowners associations and businesses may also operate their own LPR systems and potentially provide information to law enforcement.
FDOT’s new statewide directive now addresses one of those areas outside the county commission’s control by eliminating permits for local law enforcement LPRs located within state highway rights-of-way.
Are the cameras used to collect tolls being removed?
No. The order should not be interpreted as eliminating the cameras Florida uses to collect electronic tolls.
Although both systems can photograph license plates, Flock-style law enforcement license plate readers and Florida’s electronic toll collection cameras serve different purposes.
Flock and similar ALPR systems are primarily law enforcement tools. They capture license plates and vehicle information so officers can search for vehicles associated with criminal investigations, stolen vehicles, missing persons and other law enforcement alerts.
Florida’s TOLL-BY-PLATE cameras are part of the state’s electronic toll collection system. When a vehicle without a compatible SunPass or other transponder passes through an electronic tolling location, cameras photograph the license plate so the registered owner can be billed for the toll. Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise specifically describes electronic toll collection as using cameras, sensors and license plate readers for collecting tolls.
That distinction is particularly relevant locally because the Sunshine Skyway Bridge uses electronic tolling. License plates can still be photographed for TOLL-BY-PLATE transactions even as law enforcement-operated Flock cameras are removed from state highway rights-of-way.
In other words, motorists should not expect toll cameras to disappear as a result of the new FDOT policy.
What happens next
Law enforcement agencies now have 30 days to remove affected license plate readers from Florida’s state highway rights-of-way. The directive does not require the removal of every Flock or LPR camera operating in Florida, leaving local governments to determine what restrictions, if any, should apply to cameras under their jurisdiction.
In Manatee County, commissioners have taken an initial step by requiring board approval before new LPRs can be installed on county-owned facilities, parks and buildings. Additional county action could follow as officials review what authority the commission has over county road rights-of-way.
The larger question could ultimately move to Tallahassee. DeSantis has called for the Florida Legislature to establish broader rules for license plate readers, potentially determining where the cameras can operate and what safeguards must be placed on the millions of vehicle records they collect.