Cities such as Oakland are intensifying their use of ALPRs, with the city voting unanimously in favor of a $2.25 million ALPR contract in December 2025.
California drivers, get ready: the Golden State is rapidly expanding its use of AI-powered license plate readers. These systems capture and analyze millions of images, tracking where vehicles travel, when they move, and other identifying features such as make, color, visible damage, and so on. It’s a controversial move, and not just because of the obvious privacy concerns. There’s also increasing evidence that the federal agencies are using the data for immigration enforcement. More than 200 police departments, sheriff’s offices, and other agencies have access to data from these automated license plate readers (ALPRs).
The move has triggered fierce debates in city halls from Oakland to Santa Cruz. And while some municipalities in other states have fought back against these ALPRs and canceled contracts after learning that the data was being sent to the feds, most California cities have actually opted to renew or expand their programs.
