The Florida Department of Transportation is revoking permits for automated license plate readers installed by local law enforcement agencies within state highway rights-of-way, citing privacy, surveillance and misuse concerns.
In an Aug. 31 memorandum, FDOT said all existing approvals for license plate recognition systems issued to local law enforcement agencies are being revoked. Agencies must remove permitted devices within 30 days of the memo’s date. If they do not, FDOT said it will remove the remaining equipment.
The department also said it will stop approving future requests for license plate readers within areas under its jurisdiction.
FDOT cited Section 316.0777, Florida Statutes, which it said gives the department broad authority to approve or deny requests from local law enforcement agencies seeking to place license plate readers within the State Highway System and to revoke those approvals at its discretion.
The department said the decision follows a recent increase in roadside deployments, along with reports of misuse and concerns about data privacy and surveillance.
The memo does not prohibit law enforcement agencies from using license plate reader technology generally. Instead, it applies to systems placed within FDOT-controlled rights-of-way. FDOT also reserved the authority to immediately remove any device deemed to pose a safety hazard or create an unsafe condition.
