Privacy & Surveillance

Automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras capture multiple still images of passing vehicles and record associated metadata such as time, location, and license plate information; some ALPR systems use AI to process images in real time to track vehicle movement.

Under Washington's Public Records Act, records do not need to be physically held by a government agency in order to qualify as public records.

Some local governments and police agencies assert that data stored by third-party vendors is not subject to public records laws even when the data documents activity on public roads.

Retention, storage, and access policies for ALPR-captured images create trade-offs between public safety and privacy: privacy advocates typically call for clear retention and transparency rules, while law enforcement emphasizes restricting access to protect ongoing investigations.