Flock Aligns License Plate Reader Technology with State-Specific Legal Frameworks

As automatic license plate reader (ALPR, sometimes referred to as LPR) technology becomes more prevalent in public safety, states have increasingly enacted laws governing its use. These laws differ significantly across jurisdictions, addressing everything from data retention and sharing restrictions to audit requirements and public records protections.

At Flock, compliance is not an afterthought. It is foundational to how our products are built, deployed, and supported. We recognize that our customers operate within complex legal environments, and we design our systems to align with those parameters.

A State-by-State Legal Landscape

Some states impose strict data retention caps on LPR, limiting how long plate data can be stored. Others regulate inter-agency sharing, require formal audit trails, or prohibit data sharing with federal agencies. Certain states mandate written policies, public reporting, or even specific approval processes before deploying LPR technology.

Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, Flock evaluates each state’s statutory framework and regulatory environment. Where necessary, we:

• Align data retention settings with statutory maximums;
• Restrict sharing capabilities in states that prohibit or limit interstate or federal sharing;
• Support mandatory audit logs and reporting requirements.

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Flock’s legal, policy, and product teams continuously monitor legislative updates to ensure our technology remains in line with the law.

Built-In Compliance by Design

We believe compliance is strongest when it is embedded directly into the product experience.

Flock’s platform includes role-based permissions, detailed audit logs, and configurable sharing controls, enabling agencies to grant access only where legally appropriate. Federal agencies are clearly distinguished within the platform and are not included in auto-approved sharing or statewide/nationwide network environments. These structural safeguards help agencies comply with states that impose additional restrictions on federal collaboration.

We also provide enhanced auditing tools to improve transparency and accountability. Agencies can review search logs, permissions, and sharing activity to ensure oversight is practical and actionable.

Does Flock have search filters for immigration and reproductive care?

Certain states have enacted laws restricting the use of LPR data in connection with immigration enforcement or reproductive health investigations.

In accordance with state law, Flock has built in specialized search filters, which are in place across states where legislation requires additional protections. These filters are designed to prevent agency cameras from appearing in searches that indicate an immigration-enforcement or reproductive-rights-enforcement purpose.

These safeguards:

• Apply to all searches run directly by an agency or any agency they are sharing with;
• Operate within statewide and nationwide network experiences where applicable;
• Are continuously monitored and refined to remain aligned with statutory requirements.

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in Additionally, any agency on Flock may enable these protections directly within their settings,  choosing to enable the immigration and/or reproductive care filter at any time, if it is line with their agency’s policy.

By implementing these filters directly within our technology, we help ensure compliance is proactive rather than reactive.

Consistent with applicable statewide laws, Flock implements immigration and reproductive health search filters in states including California, Virginia, Colorado, Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.

Flock also implements reproductive health search filters in states that require them, including Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, and Washington, D.C.

Ongoing Policy and Product Investment

Compliance is not static. As legislation evolves, so does our approach.

Flock has expanded its legal and policy infrastructure, strengthened its trust and safety programs, and introduced product enhancements to improve transparency, standardize search, and enhance audit clarity. Features such as structured offense-type search fields and enhanced sharing controls reduce ambiguity and help agencies operate within clear investigative boundaries.

What is Flock’s commitment to legal operations?

The legal landscape for ALPR technology continues to evolve. We view this as an opportunity, not an obstacle. Clear laws provide guidance, and guidance enables responsible innovation.

Flock operates in accordance with applicable local laws and is committed to our technology  being legally compliant. Through built-in safeguards, state-specific configurations, and continuous policy review, we support our customers in using LPR technology responsibly, transparently, and in accordance with the law.

For agencies, policymakers, and community members seeking clarity on how Flock approaches compliance, this principle remains constant: public safety and legal integrity go hand in hand.