Florida Orders Removal of License Plate Readers from State Highways

The Florida Department of Transportation is revoking its permits for all automated license plate readers positioned along state roads, according to a memo issued by the department on Monday.

State Highway Order Targets Flock Safety Cameras

Under the administrative memo, the state will revoke active permits for automated license plate readers (ALPRs) located on the rights-of-way for state highways, including interstates. According to the Florida Department of Transportation, any equipment that remains standing after the 30-day window expires will be taken down directly by the state. Furthermore, the agency announced that it will deny all future permit applications for similar cameras on state-managed corridors.

The policy shift directly impacts devices manufactured by Flock Safety, a private technology vendor whose cameras have been installed across thousands of municipalities nationwide. Flock cameras typically sit near intersections and along roadways to capture and store license plate information for law enforcement investigations. However, the private networks have encountered intense pushback regarding data privacy, potential surveillance expansion, and occasional mechanical errors that have led to misread plates.

Governor DeSantis Cites Surveillance Concerns

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis defended the state’s intervention by warning against the expansion of automated tracking networks. According to Governor DeSantis, the administration aims to prevent the establishment of a digital surveillance state where citizens’ movements are monitored continuously.

What we don’t want in the state of Florida is to have a digital AI surveillance state where everything we’re doing is being tracked at all times, Governor DeSantis said, as reported by Local 10.

The governor distinguished between state-operated toll collection systems and third-party automated readers used for general criminal penalties, pointing out questions over data retention and monetization by private firms. He also noted security risks highlighted by a recent incident involving a Florida sheriff’s deputy who was arrested for using Flock camera data to track an ex-girlfriend.

Local Law Enforcement Agencies Discontinue Use

Following the state-level directive, multiple sheriff’s offices across Florida announced they would abandon their automated plate reader programs. In Duval County, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters stated that his agency would end the use of license plate readers entirely, pointing to the state department’s decision and community feedback.

LPR technology has proven to be an enormously valuable investigative tool, assisting our agency in solving serious crimes and locating missing and vulnerable individuals, Sheriff Waters said in a public statement cited by Business Insider. However, given the decision made at the state level and the concerns expressed by members of our community, I have determined that discontinuing the use of this technology is the appropriate course of action at this time.

Additional law enforcement agencies in Franklin County, Liberty County, and Putnam County similarly moved to decommission their reader networks. The decisions align Florida with a wider national trend of pushback against private ALPR vendors. In Arizona, the city of Tempe announced the shutdown of its 33-camera network over misuse risks, while the Los Angeles Police Department let its contract with Flock expire in July. Flock Safety did not respond to requests for comment regarding the Florida mandate.