Senator Yasmin Trudeau (D-Tacoma) introduced legislation this week to regulate automatic license plate reader cameras across Washington state.

Automatic license plate reader (ALPR) cameras scan the license plates of passing vehicles and collect images and data for use by law enforcement, parking enforcement agencies, toll systems, and other government agencies. More than 80 cities, six counties, and three Tribal governments in Washington have contracted with Flock and other ALPR companies in 2025.

“These license plate cameras are powerful surveillance tools, and I think most people would agree there should be clear rules governing how the data collected on all of us is stored and accessed,” Trudeau said. “We have a balancing act before us. We want law enforcement to have the tools they need to solve crime, but we also need to respect community surveillance concerns and ensure the use of this data aligns with our values as a state. This bill is an effort to thread that needle. This is not about restricting law enforcement tools, this is about putting in place reasonable rules around how the data is used and accessed.”

As of September 2023, 23 states have enacted laws around use of ALPR cameras by state and local agencies. Washington state currently has no law in place regulating ALPR cameras, their usage, or access to the data they collect.

In recent months, news reports have raised concerns about how ALPR data is being accessed and shared in Washington state. According to research by the University of Washington, at least eight local law enforcement agencies appear to have enabled sharing of their ALPR data with U.S. Border Patrol. Border Patrol also has “back door” access to license plate data from at least ten additional agencies without a formal sharing agreement. In other cases, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol, and out-of-state law enforcement agencies have accessed ALPR data in Washington state on a more limited basis. This legislation will also align us with current law in the Keep Washington Working Act of 2019.

Additional concerns have been raised about data security and misuse. In 2025, a Texas police department accessed ALPR data in Washington state as a part of a nationwide search for a woman who had an abortion, and they discussed with prosecutors whether to charge her with a crime. In other cases, ALPR cameras have been misused to stalk private citizens, including an ex-girlfriend and estranged wife.

More recently, a Skagit County judge ruled in November that ALPR data is a public record subject to disclosure to any member of the public. That ruling raised the alarm about the potential misuse of sensitive location data – including scenarios such as a domestic abuser seeking records of a victim’s movements – and has also created a surge in public records requests that has burdened local governments and led some cities to deactivate their ALPR systems.

Trudeau’s bill – SB 6002 – contains several key policy areas.

Operation, Prohibitions, and Certification: ALPR use by an agency is limited to:

  • Law enforcement: Comparing data to watch lists for stolen vehicles, missing or endangered persons, vehicles registered to persons with felony warrants, or investigations related to vehicles involved in a felony.
  • Parking enforcement agency: Enforcing time restrictions on parking uses, or identification of vehicles on a watch list for impoundment.
  • Toll systems.
  • Transportation agencies: Real-time traffic information for the public, studies and research, or commercial vehicle enforcement at weigh stations.

Use is prohibited for immigration investigation or enforcement, tracking protected activities like free speech protests, or collecting data near protected health care/immigration facilities. Use is also prohibited on the premises or immediate surrounding of schools, places of worship, courts, or food banks.

Agencies must register ALPR systems with the attorney general and certify they are complying with the law and have appropriate policies and training in place for officers who will use it.

Data Retention: ALPR data must be deleted within 72 hours, except:

  • Probable cause felony warrants or subpoenas – data must be deleted at the end of the case. (ALPR data may be shared in discovery according to court rules.)
  • Parking enforcement – data must be deleted 12 hours after collection.
  • Tolls – may be retained as long as needed for the collection of tolls.
  • Traffic studies – data must be deleted 30 days after collection.
  • Commercial vehicle enforcement – data must be deleted 4 hours after collection.
  • Law enforcement purposes – may be retained as long as needed for evidence of specified unlawful purposes.

Other Prohibited Practices: An agency may not disclose, share, or permit access to ALPR data except in judicial proceedings. No direct access for others is allowed except agencies authorized to collect ALPR data or for 3rd party vendors providing ALPR services.

ALPR data is exempt from public records disclosure except for bona fide research that does not contain individually identifiable information.

Recordkeeping and Admissibility: Agencies must log all access of ALPR data including the date of access, queries, user, and purpose. ALPR data obtained in violation of this law is inadmissible in court, except by a person who is bringing a lawsuit for damages for the violation of this law.

Consumer Protection Act: A violation of this law is a violation of the Consumer Protection Act and injured parties can sue for damages, injunctions, and attorney fees. Willful violations of this law are gross misdemeanors.

“This issue is urgent and we need to get it right,” Trudeau said. “I expect a vigorous debate and welcome input from law enforcement, local governments, advocates, and the public, so we can come to a solution that provides true community safety for the people of Washington.”

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